Editing Yoshi (SSBM)

{{ArticleIcons||ssbm=y}}

|name         = Yoshi

|image       = [[File:Yoshi SSBM.jpg|Yoshi]]

|symbol       = preBrawl

|game         = Melee

|ssbgame1     = SSB

|ssbgame2     = Brawl

|ssbgame3     = SSB4

|tier         = B

|ranking     = 18

{{cquote|A dinosaur that boasts surprising jumping prowess.|cite=Melee's instruction manual}}

'''Yoshi''' ({{ja|ヨッシー}} ''Yosshī'', sometimes spelled '''Yossy''' in Japan) is a starter character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. He was announced as a playable character at the [[E3]] 2001. He possesses a more realistic dinosaur crouching posture and mottled skin in Melee.

He is currently ranked 18th on the current tier list, in the B tier. Yoshi has outstanding combo ability with his double jump cancelling (especially against fast-fallers like {{SSBM|Fox}}), a great aerial game (coupled with the third most powerful [[meteor smash]] in the game), and some decent approach options. He can also play mindgames and extend combos with his unpredictable [[Egg Throw]], and has a very reliable finisher in his down smash, which has almost no start-up lag, outstanding reach and knockback, and a very [[semi-spike|favorable launch angle]] that is hard to [[DI]] against or recover from. However, Yoshi has a number of significant flaws. One is his lack of a "true" third jump, which creates a reliance on his large double jump; although it gives Yoshi super armor, he has almost no chance of recovering if he is hit out of it. His high falling speed, while aiding in his [[SHFFL]], also makes him a target for combos. Additionally, his shield acts as a double-edged sword; while it protects Yoshi from shield stabs, it cannot be jumped out of, limiting Yoshi's defensive options. Yoshi has poor matchups all around, with five matchups considered nearly unwinnable, and only one being considered favorable against {{SSBM|Kirby}}; he also has the dubious distinction of being one of only three characters that have an even matchup against {{SSBM|Pichu}}. However, due to large innovations in Yoshi's metagame by {{Sm|aMSa}}, as well as strong tournament placements by him, Yoshi's placement on the tier list and matchups have been debated in the ''Melee'' community. When aMSa's results are not counted, however, Yoshi has had one of the worst representations in top-level play.

Yoshi does not fall into an specific character archetype, due to a large amount of strongly varying characteristics. Yoshi has among the highest jumping prowess in the game, as well as a very high air speed, average falling speed, average traction, and above average dashing speed. As a result of these properties, Yoshi has a rather short, slow wavedash.

Among Yoshi's greater strengths is his air game. His high air speed and a highly maneuverable midair jump, as well as fast, low-lag, sometimes multi-hitting aerials, aid his comboing game; the addition of a meteor smash via his forward air also gives him a viable combo finisher. Adding to this, Yoshi's small short hop, above average falling speed and low-lag aerials make his SHFFL useful for approaching. Additionally, Yoshi's aerial attacks can be of significant power; his neutral and up aerial have KO potential, as does his forward aerial due to its meteor smash potential. Yoshi's down aerial is also one of the most damaging attacks in all the game; if all hits connect, it can deal 44% on the outset, aided by a variety of weak meteor smash hitboxes. Adding to this rather strong aerial game, Yoshi can also [[double jump cancel]], leading to a variety of interesting possibilities and mind games in his combos.

Yoshi's ground approach is also above average, due to a variety of ground-based tactics. In addition to a down tilt with semi-spike and fixed knockback properties, Yoshi has among the most flexible projectiles in all the game; Egg Throw is a powerful spacing tool as the eggs can be aimed in nearly limitless trajectories, allowing them to aid in camping on the ledge, playing mindgames against opponents, disrupting enemy recoveries, and extending combos. Yoshi's grab game is also above average; in addition to a ranged grab, Yoshi's up and down throws can lead to a variety of combos, and his forward and back throws can force edgeguarding situations.

One of Yoshi's biggest flaws, however, is his lack of a true third jump, which makes his recovery game rather polarizing. His midair jump does certainly have its advantages; it is the longest-traveling jump in the game, goes a considerable distance due to his good air speed, and comes with armor frames, which makes edgeguarding Yoshi a surprisingly difficult ordeal unless the edgeguarder has extremely powerful attacks or Yoshi is at a very high percentage. However, if Yoshi does end up interrupted during his recovery, it will often knock back Yoshi enough so he cannot recover with a directional [[air dodge]], sending him to his doom. A lack of damaging hitboxes in his limited recovery options makes Yoshi easy to edgehog, and gives Yoshi almost no mix-up choices in his recovery. However, he can protect himself to some degree by using a well-timed forward aerial during the jump, threatening incoming foes with a quick meteor smash down into the abyss should they improperly space their attacks.

Yoshi's shield game is also decidedly poor. Yoshi's shield is unique in that it completely protects his body, leading to an impossibility of shield stabbing, and it also has the unusual property of sometimes perfectly shielding some attacks. Additionally, when Yoshi is light shielding and is hit by an enemy, he will slide an abnormally far distance away, especially if the attack has a great deal of knockback; this property of Yoshi's shield allows him to keep himself safe. However, such a shield also takes away options from Yoshi that all other characters in the game have. His completely invincible rolls are among the slowest in the game, and, perhaps most importantly, he is unable to jump out of his shield. This leads to a lack of options, especially in the punish game, when put onto the defense. Yoshi's grab is slow, short, and easily telegraphed, making it difficult to punish an attack on his shield with a shield grab, and he is unable to wavedash or do a short hopped aerial out of shield to capitalize on an enemy's mistakes. Additionally, while Yoshi's light shield is able to keep him safe, it may also move him into less desirable positions on the stage, especially if the enemy is looking for stage control. It is difficult for Yoshi to regain momentum near the edge after an enemy in the middle hits his light shield away.

===Changes from ''Smash 64'' to Melee===

When making the transition from ''Super Smash Bros.'' to ''Melee'', Yoshi received both [[nerf]]s and [[buff]]s, but was nerfed overall.

*{{buff|The addition of directional [[air dodge]]s improves his [[recovery]] slightly.}}

*{{buff|Forward tilt is easier to combo from at higher percentages on most characters.}}

*{{buff|Forward and up smashes are slightly quicker.}}

*{{buff|Up smash now only hits opponents vertically, making it much easier to combo from.}}

*{{buff|Down smash now has negligible [[startup]] lag, more power, and a more favorable [[semi-spike]] launch angle, making it Yoshi's best KOing option.}}

*{{buff|Neutral, forward, and up aerials are stronger.}}

*{{buff|[[Egg Throw]] now has greater versatility. Although they can no longer be used to gimp opponents far from the stage due to changed knockback values, they can extend aerial combos and set up for various aerial KOing options or a smash attack.}}

*{{nerf|Has more trouble with [[combo]]s against [[floaty]] characters.}}

*{{nerf|Although they are still extremely useful, his [[DJC]] combos are slower and somewhat harder to perform.}}

*{{nerf|Can no longer jump out of his [[shield]], significantly hindering his [[OoS]] options and exacerbating his already-poor ability to deal with shield [[pressure]].}}

*{{nerf|New up tilt is less useful for combos at lower percentages.}}

*{{nerf|Down tilt is less useful for [[gimp]]ing at very low percentages, but it still remains a solid gimping tool overall.}}

*{{nerf|Forward smash is significantly weaker.}}

*{{nerf|Forward tilt and up smash are slightly weaker. The latter can also no longer be used as a horizontal finisher.}}

*{{nerf|Forward aerial has much more startup lag.}}

*{{nerf|New back aerial is a much weaker multi-hit attack that is not able to KO or [[edgeguard]].}}

*{{nerf|Down aerial has a lower possible damage output, from a maximum of 56% in ''Smash 64'' to 44% in ''Melee'' against normal-sized characters, and from a maximum of 56% in ''Smash 64'' to 53% in ''Melee'' against giant opponents.}}

In terms of cosmetic changes, Yoshi received a slightly more realistic appearance, with mottled skin and a more dinosaur-like posture, and he has a new special move, [[Egg Roll]].

===PAL differences===

Like other characters, Yoshi has received some changes in the [[PAL]] version of ''Melee''.

*{{buff|Yoshi is heavier (111 instead of 108).}}

*{{buff|Forward and up smashes are more powerful.}}

*{{nerf|Down aerial deals 8% less damage (36% instead of 44%).}}

|neutralname=Kick

|neutral1dmg=2-3%

|neutral2dmg=2-6%

|neutraldesc=Yoshi will do very fast short-ranged kick followed by a more powerful kick

|ftiltname=Strong kick

|ftiltdmg=9-10%

|ftiltdesc=A similar attack to the first hit of his neutral attack, only with more range and knockback. Can combo into a forward aerial (especially when [[Angling|angled]] up), and if [[DI]]'d back onto the stage, Yoshi can [[fastfall]] and then followup with a down smash.

|utiltname=Tail swipe

|utiltdesc=A fast but very short ranged tail swipe to the air.

|dtiltname=Tail whip

|dtiltdmg=9%

|dtiltdesc=Swipes his tail. Has rather high base knockback, but zero knockback scaling, thus it's [[set knockback]]. It can be used as a [[gimping]] move, particularly at base to low percentages.

|dashname=Headbutt

|dashdmg=8%

|dashdesc=Headbutts in front mid-dash.

|fsmashname=Strong headbutt

|fsmashdmg=16% uncharged, 20% fully charged.

|fsmashdesc=Reels his head back, charging in place, and headbutts forwards. Somewhat predictable, but has good KO potential.

|usmashname=High headbutt

|usmashdmg=13% uncharged, 19% fully charged.

|usmashdesc=Headbutts upwards in an arch.

|dsmashname=Tail wag

|dsmashdmg=Uncharged, 10% front 8% back, fully charged, 14% front, 11% back.

|dsmashdesc=Swipes his tail in front and then back. A very useful [[edgeguarding]] move that powerfully sends opponents on a low [[semi-spike]] trajectory. Considered Yoshi's best KO move.  

|nairname=Sex kick

|nairdmg=14% (first time, weaker after)

|nairdesc=A [[sex kick]].

|fairname=Aerial headbutt

|fairdesc=Brings his head back and brings it down. It is the third most powerful [[meteor smash]] in the game, and is not particularly slow (though its speed was significantly lowered from ''Smash 64''), being a good edgeguarding move. and when used onstage, it can lead into a down smash.

|bairname=

|bairdmg=

|bairdesc=Several fast tail swipes behind him. 17% if all hits connect.

|uairname=

|uairdmg=

|uairdesc=Thrusts his tail upwards very fast. Can be used to [[juggle]], working especially well when [[DJC]]'d. 12% damage.

|dairname=

|dairdmg=

|dairdesc=Kicks his feet down very fast and continuously, weakly [[meteor smash]]es enemies. Most damaging aerial in ''Melee''. 44% damage if this attack is used against normal sized opponents. 53% damage if this attack is used against giant sized opponents.

|grabname=

|grabdesc=

|pummelname=Chew

|pummeldmg=2-3%

|fthrowname=Spit

|bthrowname=Back spit

|bthrowdesc=Turns around and spits foe out. 6% damage.

|uthrowname=Throw up

|uthrowdmg=4%

|uthrowdesc=Chunks the opponent upwards.

|dthrowname=Slam

|floorfname=Tail roll

|floorfdesc=Swirls around, tail extended.

|floorbname=Tail roll

|floorbdesc=Swirls around, tail extended.

|edgefname=Tail counter

|edgesname=Head counter

|edgesdesc=Slowly gets up and forces his head out.

|nsdmg=

|nsdesc=Uses his tongue to swallow the opponent and lay an egg containing him/her.

|ssdmg=

|ssdesc=Forms an egg around him and rolls.

|usdmg=

|usdesc=Throws an egg at an upward arch.

|dsdmg=

|dsdesc=Jumps and pounds the enemy.

==In [[Competitive play]]==

===[[Character matchups (SSBM)|Matchups]]===

{{SSBMMatchupTable|yoshi=yes}}

Yoshi has very poor matchups all around. According to the most recent matchup chart, he only has an advantageous matchup against one character, {{SSBM|Kirby}}, while he is hard [[counter]]ed by five characters (four of which are in the top tier), countered by ten characters, and soft countered by three characters. He has even matchups with six characters, although most are in the bottom tier. A majority of these poor matchups are currently due to Yoshi's poor range and recovery; top tiered characters, especially against ({{SSBM|Fox}}, {{SSBM|Falco}}, {{SSBM|Sheik}}, {{SSBM|Peach}}, and {{SSBM|Samus}}), are especially powerful in both of these departments, and are considered his primary hard counters.

With new innovations in Yoshi's metagame, however, many of these matchups are being reevaluated as disputable or outright inaccurate altogether. Appropriate applications of Yoshi's combo ability, punish game, double jump armor, and parrying are able to force a greatly limited room for both error and fighting options alike in a wide range of situations. Yoshi's most controversial matchups that are currently being disputed in the metagame are those against {{SSBM|Marth}} and {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}}, where even top professional smashers of those characters claim that Yoshi has the appropriate tools to hold an even or advantageous matchup against them.

===Notable players===

:''See also: [[:Category:Yoshi professionals (SSBM)]]''

====Active====

*{{Sm|aMSa|Japan}}

*{{Sm|Mind Trick|Netherlands}}

*{{Sm|V3ctorman|USA}}

====Inactive====

*{{Sm|Bringer of Death|Australia}}

*{{Sm|Fumi|Japan}}

*{{Sm|Leffen|Sweden}}

Yoshi has almost always been viewed as a nearly nonviable character for high-level play. He was often accused of having a terrible shield game, slow attacks, and an inflexible recovery, all of which many top- and high-tiered characters could easily exploit. Yoshi's advantageous properties, such as his deadly double jump cancel combos, ability to parry, and flexible projectile, were not fully developed and written off as gimmicks. Initially starting as a mid-tiered character in the first tier list, Yoshi's standing consistently fell, with only {{Sm|Fumi}} and {{Sm|Bringer of Death}} making any significant impacts with him. By the ninth tier list, Yoshi had dropped to 22nd place on the tier list, firmly within the bottom tiers; by this point, Fumi and other Yoshi professionals had begun to retire from ''Melee'', leaving Yoshi's metagame relatively abandoned in the competitive scene.

Several years later, {{Sm|Leffen}} and {{Sm|V3ctorman}} both began to use Yoshi in tournaments, revitalizing and innovating Yoshi's previously stagnant metagame. They found that Yoshi's combo and punish game could easily capitalize against characters who were once thought to outperform him in every situation, especially against fastfallers, who were found to be vulnerable to Yoshi's deadly double jump cancelling combos. They also showed the many uses of [[Egg Throw]], developing it as a zoning and edgeguarding tool. Despite these developments, Yoshi failed to rise out of the bottom tiers, and eventually, their standings with Yoshi started to falter as well. Leffen lost the drive to develop Yoshi and switched to Fox, while V3ctorman suffered from declining tournament placings as more people in his region learned the Yoshi matchup.

In late 2012 to early 2013, however, {{Sm|aMSa}} made his professional debut in Japan, taking top 8 in a Japanese tournament with only Yoshi, with his performance quickly piquing the interest of the American and European scenes. He later finished 25th place in [[EVO 2013]], sweeping his pools and taking a game off of {{Sm|Mew2King}}, a placement that convinced the Melee Back Room to move Yoshi up 3 places on the tier list following said tournament. aMSa later reappeared with Yoshi in several future tournaments, including [[Apex 2014]] and [[Republic of Fighters 3]], defeating several renowned players of top-tiered characters in them and exceeding expectations of Yoshi's viability by placing consistently high. aMSa's use of Yoshi was considered completely unique from those of Fumi, Leffen, and other previous Yoshi mains; he showed the use of parrying and spacing that was previously never seen before and demonstrated that Yoshi's ability to punish errors made by opponents was far greater than expected. While the ''Melee'' community has not yet updated the tier list or matchup charts in response to these developments, it has continued debating and discussing Yoshi's potential at top-level play; Yoshi has been expected by the community to rise several places in the next tier list.

===In [[Classic Mode]]===

In Classic Mode, Yoshi can appear in one-on-one battles, as an ally in the team and giant battles, as a giant opponent, as part of a team with either {{SSBM|Ness}} or {{SSBM|Luigi}}, or as a metal opponent. In all of his appearances except for the metal battle, Yoshi appears on [[Yoshi's Island]] or [[Yoshi's Story]].

Yoshi is the only character of a starting universe that does not have his own stage in the Adventure Mode; rather, his universe is incorporated into the Mario universe in Stage 1.

Yoshi's appearance in the Adventure Mode occurs halfway through the first stage of the Adventure Mode. In the [[Mushroom Kingdom (Adventure Mode)|Mushroom Kingdom]], the player comes across a team of 10 Yoshis; defeating all ten allows the player continue to the end of the stage.

===In [[All-Star Mode]]===

Yoshi and his allies are fought on [[Yoshi's Story]] in All-Star Mode.

===In [[Event Matches]]===

Yoshi appears in the following Event Matches:

*'''[[Event 10: All-Star Match 1]]''': Yoshi is the third of five opponents the player must fight in this series of staged battles. The player's character battles him on the [[Yoshi's Story]] stage, and their character has 2 stock while Yoshi has 1. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat him and the other four characters one-by-one with the overall time and life the player has: {{SSBM|Mario}}, {{SSBM|Donkey Kong}}, {{SSBM|Bowser}}, and {{SSBM|Peach}}.

*'''[[Event 13: Yoshi's Egg]]''': In the event match, the player takes control of Yoshi in a free for all against Donkey Kong, {{SSBM|Fox}}, and {{SSBM|Pikachu}}. As a twist, there is an extra item on the stage, [[Yoshi's Egg]], which Yoshi must prevent others from breaking for 55 seconds.

*'''[[Event 24: The Yoshi Herd]]''': In this event, the player has to defeat 30 Yoshis, who appear on the stage in groups of three. After defeating 29, a giant Yoshi takes the place of the 30th, and the player has to defeat it as well. The player, however, has a strict time limit of 2 minutes to complete the event.

===Ending images===

File:YoshiAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode

''Yoshis are gentle, fleet-of-foot dinosaurs that make their home on idyllic Yoshi's Island. They come in a variety of colors and have evolved an interesting trait to help increase their numbers: they can transform anything they swallow into an egg. With adhesive tongues and bottomless bellies, Yoshis have been known to eat anything.''

*''[[Super Mario World]]'' [08/91]

Trophy #284: ''To make up for his lack of powerful airborne attacks, Yoshi has a miraculous jumping ability and is resistant to damage while in the air. Yoshi can also swallow a foe and transform him or her into an egg: try doing this close to an edge! The speed and power of the Egg Roll increases if you hold down the B Button, but it'll be tougher to control.''

*B: [[Egg Lay]]

*Smash B: [[Egg Roll]]

===Smash Blue===

Trophy #285: ''Yoshi has no third jump, so the timing of his second jump is of vital importance. The angle and distance of his Egg Throw can be altered by how you tilt the Control Stick and how long you press the B Button. When Yoshi lands after doing his Yoshi Bomb, stars appear on either side of him, making it hard for enemies to deliver counterattacks.''

File:Yoshi Trophy Melee.png|Character trophy

File:Yoshi Trophy (Smash).png|Smash red

File:Yoshi Trophy (Smash 2).png|Smash blue

*Yoshi, {{SSBM|Bowser}}, {{SSBM|Young Link}}, {{SSBM|Link}} and {{SSBM|Luigi}} are the only characters in ''Melee'' to use their default costume when on the green team.

[[Category:Yoshi universe]]

[[Category:Yoshi (SSBM)]]