How to play as Yoshi in Super Mario Odyssey

Yoshi is of course the little dinosaur character who's famous for being an ally of both Mario and Luigi, and even having his own outright game series. In Super Mario Odyssey players can actually play as Yoshi, albeit in a limited fashion.

Although there are clues to Yoshi's inclusion in the game, even as early as the Yoshi house in the Luncheon kingdom where he has left a note to say he is out, we don't get to play as him until much later in the game (excluding the small snippet on top of Peach's castle).

So before we go any further let's just make it clear that this guide does contain some endgame spoilers. If you haven't reached the final BOSS yet then you may see information that spoils the endgame content.

If you're happy to continue then let's get down to explaining how to play as Yoshi…

Power Moon's

By now you should know all about Power Moon's and their special Odyssey properties. These collectable items are scattered all over the game, in every single Kingdom and you earn them by exploring, solving mini-puzzles, defeating bosses etc.

Some are easy to find, whilst others are hidden until you reach the end of the game. Once the final BOSS (Bowser) is defeated, new Power Moon's will appear in each of the main Kingdom's. New NPC's will also make an appearance such as Toadette in the Mushroom Kingdom. This little lady will offer you even more Moon's for completing achievements.

At this point in the guide, take note of the importance of the number of Power Moon's you've collected - these will make the difference between playing as Yoshi and never discovering him during the endgame.

So on to the secret kingdom where Yoshi is hiding...

Secret Kingdom - Darker Side of the Moon

In total there are approximately 800 Moon's to collect in the game and we must collect at least 500 in order to unlock Yoshi. Once you reach the 500 milestone, a new Kingdom is unlocked called the "Darker side" of the moon. As the name implies this is another area on the Moon, the place you visited to defeat Bowser at the wedding.

This is easily the hardest level in the game, with no checkpoints and insanely difficulty lava jumps. There is only a single Power Moon reward for this level and you'll need a lot of skill to reach it. There are also secret credits at the end of this level, written by the developers themselves to say thank you for completing the game.

Most importantly, upon entering the Darker side a friendly face is awaiting - Yoshi!!

Whilst not a permanent unlock, players can use their trusty Cappy to capture Yoshi and control him. Yoshi has the unique ability to hang on walls using his tongue.

Yoshi controls

Yoshi on Peach's castle