Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a platform video game acting as a prequel to 1990's Super Mario World. The game casts players as Yoshi as he escorts Baby Mario through 48 levels in order to reunite him with his brother Luigi, who had been kidnapped by Baby Bowser's minions. As a Super Mario series platformer, Yoshi runs and jumps to reach the end of the level while solving puzzles and collecting items. In a style new to the series, the game has a hand-drawn aesthetic and is the first to have Yoshi as its main character. The game introduces his signature abilities to flutter jump, produce eggs from swallowed enemies, and transform into vehicles.
A stork carrying the infant Mario Brothers is attacked by Kamek the Magikoopa, who steals Baby Luigi and knocks Baby Mario out of the sky. Baby Mario lands on Yoshi's Island on the back of Yoshi himself. With the help of his seven other Yoshi friends, Yoshi must traverse the island to safely reunite Baby Mario with his brother and get the babies to their parents.