Nintendo Releases ‘Hello, Yoshi!’ Preschooler App for Switch and Mobile

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On November 18, 2025, Nintendo released a new app called “Hello, Yoshi!” in Japan. It’s available on both Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, and is part of Nintendo’s My Mario series, created to offer fun, interactive experiences for young children and their families.

How the App Works

This app is made for young kids and focuses on playful touching and exploring, instead of typical game goals. Children can interact with Yoshi by stretching his tongue to collect items, tapping his face to see different reactions, and discovering new colored Yoshis hatching from eggs. If the app is left alone for a bit, Yoshi will fall asleep, encouraging kids to take breaks – a feature Nintendo designed to promote rest during playtime.

This app is different from most games because it focuses on stimulating the senses rather than keeping score or achieving goals. It’s designed to be very simple, so young children can explore freely without getting stuck in complicated menus or having to learn tricky controls.

This app functions much like the “Hello, Mario!” app from August. Users can playfully poke and squish Mario’s face, triggering his famous catchphrases, “Wa-hoo!” and “Ooh!”

You can download both apps for free from the Nintendo eShop on Switch, and from app stores on phones and tablets.

Related My Mario Products

In addition to the game Hello, Yoshi!, Nintendo revealed new physical toys and items for its My Mario Yoshi collection.

These include:

  • Licky-Licky Yoshi is a fun picture book from Shogakukan designed for young children. It features interactive flaps and moving parts that let kids pretend to stretch Yoshi’s tongue and give him food.

  • The Sing & Talk! Flappy Yoshi plush, made by Joy Palette, is an interactive toy that talks and sings! It has 13 different phrases, and you can choose between ‘Chat Mode’ and ‘Melody Mode’. It plays two classic Yoshi tunes: the theme from Yoshi’s Story and Yoshi’s Song.

  • Happinet has created a line of soft, pastel plush toys for babies and young children. The collection includes classic plushies, cozy blanket plushies, and rattles.

  • These wooden block sets, featuring Yoshi, Peach, and Luigi, also work as amiibo figures you can use with your Nintendo Switch.

These materials are designed to work alongside online games and activities, offering young children hands-on play experiences.

Release and Availability

The app and related items became available in Japan on November 18, 2025, with the storybook launching two days later on November 20th.

International release is set for early 2026, though the exact date has not been released yet.

Strategic Context

Following the release of Hello, Mario! earlier this year, Nintendo has launched Hello, Yoshi!. Like its predecessor, this app focuses on interacting with a character using facial recognition. Nintendo is expanding what they call the “My Mario” initiative by combining the app with new Yoshi-themed toys, plushies, and books, creating a play experience that combines both digital and physical fun.

This approach prioritizes creating a safe and enjoyable experience for families. The app includes an auto-sleep function to help manage screen time, and the toys are made with soft, natural materials and designed specifically for toddlers and young children.

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2025-11-20 20:57