Bringing Yoshi to Life with 3D Printing - The Bavarian Model Maker

As a long-time fan of the Super Mario series, I decided to bring a bit of the Mushroom Kingdom into the real world by 3D printing one of my favorite characters: Yoshi! The process was exciting and rewarding, from selecting the perfect model to watching the layers build into a recognizable figure.

I started by sourcing a high-quality Yoshi model in which all colors are split into separate parts, which I then prepared in my 3D printing software. After a few adjustments for optimal print settings, it was time to hit “print” and watch the magic happen. The process took several hours, with my printer carefully layering filament to form Yoshi’s iconic features—his prominent nose, the shell on his back, and his cheerful expression.

Once the printing was complete, I carefully removed Yoshi from the print bed. I couldn’t resist giving him a quick inspection before moving on to the post-processing stage, where I glued all the parts together. Some painters’ tape is really useful to keep the body parts from moving until the glue is dried.

This project was a fun way to merge my love for gaming with the creative possibilities of 3D printing. Holding the finished Yoshi in my hand felt like a small piece of my childhood had come to life, a tangible reminder of all the adventures I’ve had in the world of Super Mario.