When Nintendo first revealed Yoshi and the Mysterious Book for the Nintendo Switch 2, it was easy to write it off as just another breezy, laid-back romp for the younger crowd. But after getting some hands-on time with the game ahead of its release on the 21st of May, it’s clear that Nintendo has entirely flipped the script. What initially sparked an “oh, this is just for kids” reaction has rapidly evolved into a definitive must-play day-one title for platforming fans.
The game not only looks gorgeous on the Switch 2, but it takes some of the platforming and cuteness from previous Yoshi games alongside other Nintendo titles like Kirby’s Epic Yarn, with a splash of Yoshi’s Woolly World to deliver the most engaging Yoshi game to date.
Meet Mr E and His Missing Pages
The core of the game takes place inside a magical, hardcover encyclopedia named Mr E, complete with a rather luxurious moustache. Mr E’s pages have been emptied of their inhabitants, and it’s up to our favourite dinosaur to jump into 6 distinct worlds to explore and catalogue the missing creatures. Yes, you will be replaying the same level over and over, but each time you find something new and pick up other things that you may have missed.
During this playthrough, I was able to play two worlds, Chapter 1 and Chapter 4. Each world has its own distinct style and theme, with many secrets and things to find.
The visual design is nothing short of stunning on the new hardware. A gorgeous, hand-drawn storybook style has replaced the franchise’s previous woolly, crafty aesthetics, but don’t let the adorable visuals lure you into a false sense of security.
A Deceptive Spike in Difficulty
Here’s the absolute truth: Yoshi and the Mysterious Book offers significantly more difficult gameplay than you expect. While the game is forgiving in the sense that Yoshi can’t easily “die” or be booted out of a level, the actual puzzle-solving, precision platforming, and sheer effort required to uncover every secret are demanding. Nintendo has taken the kid gloves off for 100% completionists.
And let’s talk about the enemies. We all know the iconic Shy Guys as adorable, relatively harmless cannon fodder, but not anymore. In this game, the Shy Guys are tough! Because ferrying creatures and avoiding damage is the key to making discoveries, aggressive enemies will absolutely punish you if you miss a flutter jump or mistime an action. You actually have to strategise your encounters rather than just gobbling up everything in your path.
A Playable Nature Documentary
Instead of traditional linear levels, the game approaches exploration almost like a nature documentary. Yoshi’s primary goal is to make discoveries about the creatures he encounters. But instead of just turning every enemy into an egg, you actually ferry these creatures around on your back to test their abilities against the environment.
Whether you’re carrying a flower-like Crazee Dayzee to bloom nearby flora or using a dandelion-inspired Scatterpuff to weaken rock formations with its spores, you constantly have to experiment. How does a creature react to water? To mud? To food? You even get the honour of naming the newly discovered species at the end of a page.
Thoughts So Far
If you’re picking up a Switch 2, this needs to be on your radar. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book perfectly balances an adorable, hand-drawn aesthetic with a surprisingly robust and punishing discovery loop that will keep veteran gamers on their toes. It has effortlessly transitioned from a family-friendly filler title to an absolute must-play on day one.
We can’t wait to get our hands on the full game and bring you a full review of Yoshi’s next adventure. It is shaping up to be a great one!
Yoshi and the Mysterois Book is set to release exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2, on the 21st of May, 2026. Stay tuned for our full review closer to release.
Featured header image provided by Nintendo.
