Two of my co-workers, PC editor Jeff Grubb and head of social media Anthony Agnello, are going to take part in a panel at PAX East in Boston next month to debate which games count as “core” to the Mario series. This debate has been raging on for some time now, and Jeff and I have discussed it ourselves on the GamesBeat Decides podcast.

• Yoshi's Island Arcade Spot
• Yoshi's Island Rom Download

I will not be at PAX East this year, so you won’t hear me scream my opinions during the panel. Honestly, I think that most of the selections should be obvious. I can’t get mad if you say Super Mario Sunshine isn’t a core Mario game, because the idea is preposterous. Other titles, like Mario vs. Donkey Kong, are so far removed from the traditional series tropes and mechanics that there’s no real danger of anyone considering them.

But then there’s Yoshi’s Island. Or, as some would love to remind us, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. Its status is one of the most hotly contested. And while I won’t be at PAX East, I want my colleagues to know that I firmly stand in the “no, it’s not core” camp.

Let me be clear. Yoshi’s Island is a fantastic game. It’s one of the greatest 2D sidescrollers ever. But being a core Mario game isn’t about quality. I have three simple rules for what makes a core Mario game.

Yoshi's Island Arcade Spot

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a platforming video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a sequel to Super Mario World which was Yoshi's first appearance. Instead of playing as Mario, the player takes control of various Yoshis while Mario appears as a helpless infant. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2018 Lathe Cut release of Yoshi's Island Original Soundtrack on Discogs.

After he has been defeated, Kamek turns him into Big Bowser. When he is hit, he is indeed pushed back, only to then run at full speed towards Yoshi, who is standing on a small ledge (which is being destroyed by the boulders that fly in the air from Bowser's roars). If Bowser comes close enough, his stomach obliterates the ledge, leaving Yoshi unable to do anything but plummet to his death. Big, meaning the castle he had occupied is completely destroyed by his transformation, and he could probably crush Yoshi with a single finger/claw. Yoshi's island boss music. The transformation and battle is accompanied by hardcore heavy metal music, a jarring contrast to the other music in the game, and the battle is pretty much Yoshi trying to hit him with large eggs to push him back, while he is slowly coming towards you.

1. Now proceed through the newly opened path and enter the gateway to have Yoshi transform into a Mine Cart. There's really not much to it besides jumping to grab the coins. There are 5 Red Coins (15) altogether so make sure to grab them, as well as the clock to get more time.
2. Yoshi's New Island has a total of six worlds. Each world contains a total of nine levels, one of which can only be unlocked by getting all the Stars, Red Coins, and Flowers in each level of said world.
3. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2018 Lathe Cut release of Yoshi's Island Original Soundtrack on Discogs.
4. Going forward, four Sluggies will drop from the ceiling-pay attention to the red arrow pointing up. Flick Yoshi's tongue up to grab a Sluggy before it falls on you. In general, you'll want to pay close attention to the red arrows from here on out.
5. Can you click on the icon that corresponds to each level name in Yoshi's Island? Test your knowledge on this gaming quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others. Quiz by jr637.

1. Mario is in the name.
2. Mario is in the principal character, meaning the one the player controls most often.
3. Mechanically, it plays similarly to the traditional 2D (as started in Super Mario Bros.) or 3D (as started in Super Mario 64) molds.

This is how I come to my list of core Mario games, which Jeff and I agreed on. It also disqualifies some contested titles, like the original Donkey Kong, which does not have Mario in its name. Nor does it play like other 2D Mario games. Yoshi’s Island also betrays two of mycriteria. Mario is not the principal character. You only control him for brief periods of time. Overall, it accounts for probably less than 1 percent of the entire game. Yoshi’s Island also has its own 2D physics, controls, and overall gameplay feel when compared to other core 2D Mario games. It was so distinct that it started its own series of Yoshi’s games, which include Yoshi’s Story, Yoshi’s New Island, and Yoshi’s Woolly World.

Above: Is this core too?

Yoshi's Island Rom Download

This is actually the same trajectory that the Wario series followed. The first Wario Land’s full title is Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3. It created its own 2D mechanics that stood apart from traditional Mario games, and it spawned its own franchise that immediately dropped the Super Mario Land branding. Few argue for Wario Land to be a core Mario game. If it contained a power-up that turned Wario into Mario for 30 seconds, would it suddenly then qualify for the Yoshi’s Islanders?

But even then, Yoshi’s Island status is in a way more precarious than Wario Land’s. Nintendo only branded the game as Super Mario World 2 outside of Japan. It was a marketing maneuver to more closely tie the title into the Super Nintendo’s successful launch game. So, in a way, Yoshi’s Island doesn’t even fit my first criteria.

Yoshi’s Island is a spin-off, the same as Wario Land, Super Princess Peach, or Captain Toad: Treasure Trackers. It is not a core Mario game. It is a Yoshi game. Calling it a core Mario title opens up the same problem as calling Pluto a planet; it opens up eligibility of too many others for the same qualification. If Yoshi’s Island is core, then why not Yoshi’s New Island?

The Cave Of The Lakitus is a cavern level in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3. It is the second level of the fourth world. Enemies found in the level include Shy-Guys, Piranha Plants, Koopa Troopas, Tap-Taps, Wall Lakitus, Fly Guys, Fangs, Lantern Ghosts, and Baron von Zeppelins. The Cave Of The Lakitus is named after the Wall Lakitus that lurk in. KEEP MOVING!!!! Is the seventh level in World 6 of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3. Hence its namesake, the player has to keep moving in this level. At the beginning of the level, Red Yoshi will find many Number Platforms, and then after going along them a bit, a Chomp Shark will start chasing the player. Tip: If you plan on making long levels, be sure to include multiple midway points. A patch for this can be found in the Patches section.: Not logged in. KEEP MOVING!!!! Is the seventh level of World 6 in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Jump on the brown platform, then jump on the number platforms very fast before the Chomp Shark gets you. Jump on the spinning green platform, then jump on the Flatbed Ferry.While the Chain Chomp Shark is right behind you, duck down and run faster and jump over the Chomp Shark's dead end. Yoshi's island keep moving. Nov 12, 2013  Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi's Island Part 49 6-4: Tap-Tap The Red Nose's Fort (100 Points) - Duration: 7:51. Minoru Leonardo: No Commentary Gaming 20,031 views.

So, esteemed panelists at PAX East, please take these proofs into consideration as you engage in your debates. Yoshi’s Island is a treasured classic. We love it. But that doesn’t mean we need to shove into some category it doesn’t belong in.

But have luck figuring out if Super Mario Maker counts. I’m still trying to figure that one out.

The RetroBeat is a weekly column that looks at gaming’s past, diving into classics, new retro titles, or looking at how old favorites — and their design techniques — inspire today’s market and experiences. If you have any retro-themed projects or scoops you’d like to send my way, please contact me.