Yoshi's Safari is a light gun shooter[1] viewed from a first-person perspective.[2][3] The game features 12 levels[2] and requires the Super Scope, a light gun peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), to be played.[3] The player views gameplay from the perspective of Mario riding on his pet dinosaur Yoshi's back and uses the Super Scope to shoot enemies, which include the Mario franchise's traditional Goombas, Koopas, and Cheep-Cheeps.[2] As the player fires the Super Scope, a power gauge will drop; firing too rapidly will deplete it and cause long pauses between shots, making players more vulnerable to enemy attacks.[4] The game features a multiplayer mode in which one player controls Mario using the Super Scope and another controls Yoshi using an SNES controller. In the single-player mode, Yoshi is controlled automatically.[4][5]
After selecting a level from the overworld, the player must clear it within a time limit. In addition to enemies, the player shoots blocks with question marks to earn coins,[6] and will earn an extra life by collecting 60.[4] The player loses lives if enemies deplete their health bar, if they fall down a pit with less than three coins, or if they fail to complete the level within the allotted time. Losing all lives results in a game over, forcing the player to restart.[4][6] The levels feature branching paths leading to different enemies and prizes, though they always end on the same path, which leads to a boss fight.[7] Bosses include the Koopalings piloting giant mechs, bigger versions of normal enemies, and Bowser.[2][7] Power-ups, such as mushrooms, flowers, and stars, provide the player with extra health, firepower, and invincibility. Some power-ups can only be used during boss battles.[6][7]
Yoshi's Safari is set in Jewelry Land—a location similar to the Mushroom Kingdom[2]—and features a simple story.[7] Series antagonist Bowser and his Koopalings kidnap Jewelry Land rulers King Fret and Prince Pine, and steal the 12 magic gems that protect the kingdom from harm, causing an earthquake that splits it in two.[2][6] One of the Koopalings, Iggy, designs powerful mechs that aid Bowser's army in their invasion.[7] Princess Peach sends Mario and Yoshi on a quest to defeat Bowser, retrieve the gems, and set the two rulers free.[2] When the player completes the game, they will be given a cheat code that, when input at the title screen, increases the difficulty level.[8] The game also has a leaderboard to encourage multiple playthroughs and so players can keep track of their scores.
