In case you missed it, the 4K UHD digital version is now available on select storefronts in the US. As noted by IGN, the digital version can be purchased for $29.99, or it can be rented for 48-hours for $24.99. It’s currently live on sites such as Amazon, Fandango and Apple TV.
You’ll also get access to over an hour of behind-the-scenes footage, including the making of the movie, a closer look at the incredible cast of characters, a journey through the movie’s iconic settings, and even learn about the “secrets of the galaxy”. You can find out more about these extra features in our previous post.
When we hear more about the digital version’s availability in other locations, we’ll provide an update. You can also check out our guide. This digital release in the US will be followed by the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray physical versions next month on 16th June 2026.
Will you be watching the digital version, or are you holding out for the physical release next month? Tell us in the comments.
First up, if you haven’t already seen it, we’ve got our Nintendo Life hands on. The good news is we’ve enjoyed what we’ve played so far, and can confirm the title’s classic Zelda-style formula is in safe hands.
“‘Elliot’ is how you remember your first Zelda game, overflowing with mystery, puzzles, and adventure possibilities. Nobody does Zelda quite like Nintendo, but Square Enix is taking a damn good run at it.”
So, what did other sites have to say after the second preview? Here’s the rundown:
Polygon: “Everywhere you look in The Adventures of Elliot, there are tons of enticing nooks and bomb-fodder cracked walls to distract you. The maps are compact and densely packed, a far cry from the open-world sprawl that has become so common elsewhere in the genre. For every run-of-the-mill cave, you’ll also find mini-dungeons with unique terrain features and puzzles, like squishy pumpkins that can be used as springboards and air vents to bomb and open new paths. There’s always some kind of reward for your curiosity, whether it’s a piece of magicite that you can use to customize your weapon stats, a new traversal skill for Faie, or a container to increase Elliot’s HP. (It’s not shaped like a heart, but it’s basically a Zelda heart container.)”
The Outer Haven: “You could say The Adventures of Elliot is a bit like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past dressed up as Octopath Traveler. But this would be a tad reductive. There are obvious parallels—Elliot can destroy pots, grass, and other objects while accompanied by a talkative fairy. And the game shares the HD-2D art style of Octopath Traveler. But it also throws a few things into the mix, like Magicite that can alter weapons, varied locales to visit, and your fairy companion controlled independently by yourself—or by a friend.”
Shack News: “Elliot is armed with his sword, capable of going toe-to-toe with most of the game’s enemies. Many of his other abilities come from fairy companion Faie, who will be happy to tell you about them. She’ll be happy to tell you a lot of things. People of a certain age who remember The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will not hesitate to talk about how annoying fairy sidekick Navi was in that game and Faie is cut from a similar cloth. She likes to talk a lot, commenting on her surroundings, cheering Elliot on, talking trash to enemies, and making general observations about the current situation. A talkative sidekick is not for everyone and certain players may find Faie’s enthusiasm a bit… annoying, to put it kindly. Fortunately, the Options menu has a setting that allows players to reduce her verbosity.”
But Why Tho?: “The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales marks the studio’s first foray into action combat, but from my time with the game, they know what they’re doing. With the freedom to explore, the ability to change how your weapons work, and some handy quality of life features, this is looking to be a great adventure across the ages.”
Noisy Pixel: “The combat already has a nice rhythm, exploration feels rewarding, and the promise of time travel gives the adventure a larger sense of purpose…For now, The Adventures of Elliot seems to understand the appeal of getting lost, finding a path forward, and remembering some odd little corner of the map that may matter hours later. That’s the kind of adventure design that gets its hooks in me. I only played a slice of what Square Enix and Team Asano are building here, but it was enough to make me want to return, chase down those points of interest, and see just how far this millennium tale goes.”
Of course, if you want to see for yourself how this new action RPG plays, you can download the latest demo for the title from the Switch 2 eShop. The full game launches for the Switch 2 and other platforms on 18th June 2026.
Will you be getting this game on release? How are you finding the new demo so far? Let us know in the comments.
What do you think of the second demo for Adventures of Elliot? (179 votes)
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition got a surprise release on the Nintendo eShop last year, and since then, Aspyr has been releasing updates to improve the experience in all sorts of ways.
In a new update this week, it has rolled out TressFX for the Switch 2 version of the game. The technology is designed to “simulate and render high-quality, realistic hair and fur”. Here’s the official announcement from the Aspyr support page:
“We’re happy to share that we’ve added TressFX to Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition today! Out now on Nintendo Switch 2.”
Aspyr has also shared its own description and video footage, showing Lara “with” and “without” TressFX technology:
“She might get muddy stealthing around Yamatai but I’ll be damned if our girl doesn’t always have a good hair day”
You can find out more about Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition in our full review here on Nintendo Life. We thought this port was a great time, awarding the Switch 2 version 8 out of 10 stars. You can read (or watch) our full review in the related link below.
Will you be checking out this new update for Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on Switch 2? Let us know in the comments.
Seaven Studio is bringing the perfect summer-month game to Switch next week in Kabuto Park.
Developed by Doot, who also made the lovely Minami Lane, Kabuto Park will be available for just $5.99 / £4.99 on the eShop on 28th May 2026.
And if you’re a fan of Millenium Kitchen’s work, Pokémon, and catching bugs in Animal Crossing, then you should pay attention. This is all about being a kid in the summer, catching and collecting bugs all to build a team of battle bugs to take on friends and rivals.
It’s simple, charming, and apparently only takes around 2-4 hours to beat, so it really is the perfect game to play while lounging about in the shade.
And, come on, you want to become the Summer Battle Battles champion and catch ’em all, right? So why not check out the trailer above and check out the game yourself next week.
What do you think of Kabuto Park? Will you be checking it out on Switch on 28th May? Let us know in the comments.
Just a few weeks ago, we learned that Devolver’s throwback fantasy dungeon-scroller, Dark Scrolls, would be launching on Switch on 28th May. Well, it was later announced that another hotly anticipated retro-inspired indie would be launching the very same week, so Devolver and Doinksoft have decided to duck out of the way.
In an updated trailer, the devs revealed that Dark Scrolls will now launch on 22nd June, a little under a month out from the previous date.
All of this is to avoid a clash with Mina The Hollower, which’ll finally arrive on Switch on 29th May. There’s no bad blood, of course — the dev actually sounds rather excited to get their teeth into the latest Yacht Club joint — but we can all only take in so many throwbacks at once.
“There’s room for two pixelated fantasy action games in the world. You’re just gonna have to wait a little while longer for this one,” a statement in the press release reads, “And it’ll be worth it, because you can play as a rat with a saxophone in ours. Thanks for understanding. See you in June”.
So, there you have it! Mina this month, Dark Scrolls the next. It’s shaping up to be a big summer for pixel fans.
Will you be checking out Dark Scrolls next month? Let us know in the comments.
Remember that incredible Pokémon anime short from studio CoMix Wave Films early last year? Well, it’s finally been dubbed for western audiences.
Yes, Pokémon: Dragonite and the Special Delivery is now available for free over on YouTube, clocking in at just under 14 minutes in length. The new dub is pretty decent too, though we’d have appreciated the option to view the original Japanese release with official subtitles. Still, younger kids probably won’t give a hoot about that, so this is overall a very good move.
Here’s a look at Pokémon’s official description for the short:
This animated short features Hana, a girl from Paldea who dreams of becoming an ace mail carrier, just like her hero, Dragonite. When she comes across a letter with no address, she makes it her mission to find the sender.
Along with her partner, Fuecoco, Hana searches the city—and succeeds. The sender is Rio, a young boy who wants to wish a happy birthday to his father, who is working far away in the Kanto region. But his father’s birthday is today… Can Hana find a way to make Rio’s birthday wish for his father come true?
So yeah, do give it a watch when you get a moment. We’re still in awe of that Kyogre scene, to be honest. Just beautiful stuff.
Meanwhile, Lego fans will want to keep an eye out for new Pokémon sets in the future. A new leak has seemingly revealed at least one new product is on the way for a cool $109.99, but we’re certain there will be a few other options to peruse when the time comes. As ever, we’ll let you know when an official announcement is made.
What do you make of the English dub for this awesome Dragonite anime short? Share your thoughts with a comment in the usual place.
Those who have been keeping up with Tonda Ross and his Dogubomb Blue Prince updates might have seen a massive patch labelled the ‘Accessibility Update‘ land on PC late last month. Xbox, PlayStation and mobile caught up a couple of weeks ago, and today, with the latest hotfix rolling out, the dev has confirmed that Switch 2 will be joining the update party “soon”.
Okay, it’s far from anything concrete, but at least we know that things are in motion! The ver. 1.7 accessibility update was a big one, packing in welcome colour assist options, button remapping, an invert stroll toggle (perfect for those who like to move at high speeds) and more.
Naturally, there were a bunch of smaller game fixes, too, with even more being applied in the ensuing ver. 1.7.1 hotfix — all of which will be included in the 1.7 update, when it arrives on Switch 2.
The full patch notes for both the Accessibility Update and ver. 1.7.1 were shared on Steam, and we have gathered them together for you to check out below. Be warned, this is Blue Prince that we’re talking about here, so there may be some spoilers tucked in the patch notes for those who haven’t seen everything the game has to offer. Of course, these don’t include puzzle solutions or story revelations, so only skim through if you’re super sensitive to the odd rare room and item names.
Blue Prince Ver. 1.7
The Accessibility Update
1.7 marks the completion of a large rollout of accessibility features. These features can be accessed via the Accessibility menu and include:
Color Assist – A set of tools to provide color clarity to players who have trouble distinguishing some specific colors in the game. In addition to making puzzle colors a bit more vivid, we have also included separate systems to display color patterns, and an even more robust system that displays color labels for objects of inquiry.
Remapping – Yes! Key/button remapping is now supported for both keyboard and controller.
Cursor Set – Options for changing the opacity, style, and size of the game’s reticle and cursor (this is part of our new Motion Assist options.)
Invert Stroll – This is a feature that will allow players to invert the stroll button functionality. Inverting this means you will move at the faster stroll speed without needing to press/hold a button, and pressing/holding the stroll button will slow you down to a walk.
Motion Assist – A consolidated menu of features and settings aimed to reduce motion sickness and sensory conflict: Cursor/Reticle Settings, Look Sensitivity, Field of View, Smooth Look, and Stairs Skip (visually turn off spiral staircase travel.) Each feature is included along with our recommended setting adjustments.
Changelog cont.
The patch notes below will include spoilers for some rarer rooms and mechanics.
We have updated the save file architecture again on PS5 to further address an issue with some save files exceeding size limits.
As part of the Cursor features implemented above, we have redone the way the system handles changing cursors for a smoother visual experience when drafting, picking up items etc.
Fixed several visual bugs in the Precipice involving geometry from other areas clipping into the area from certain vantage points.
Fixed some colliders in the Casino causing players to inadvertently exit a UI screen while trying to pull a lever.
Added redundant safety checks to avoid potential soft locks that have been reported to occur within the above UI system.
Fixed an issue that was occasionally displaying a phantom Upgrade Disk in the Security terminal list for some players.
Slightly adjusted some factors related to the way Upgrade Disk floorplans are randomly selected to allow for greater variety during challenge runs while simultaneously making it less likely for new players from getting offered upgrades for rooms they have never drafted.
Fixed several bugs related to Powered Duct animations which restored spinning ducts to several rooms. Changing the direction of power in the Boiler Room also no longer breaks these animations.
Fixed several routing related bugs that could cause certain details and areas of the grounds and house to not be visible when approaching from certain areas.
Fixed an animation glitch caused by pressing buttons in the Chamber of Mirrors a bit too quickly that led to unexpected panel behaviour.
Fixed a handful of issues that were previously preventing floorplans from being duplicated by Chamber of Mirrors (some rooms are still excluded for technical reasons but the list is now more extensive.)
Related to the above – the experimental trigger related to terminal access has been reworked to correctly deal with duplicated terminal rooms.
A stamp in the Mail Room no longer disappears during magnification when a letter is in the foreground.
Fixed a bug that shut the book whenever you would click on the checkout card of A New Clue instead of inspecting it.
Fixed a bug that was unintentionally increasing the likelihood of drawing a non-green room in addition to the intended Green Rooms after Greenhouse had been drafted.
Fixed a bug with a particular locker in locker room that was occasionally not reacting to interaction.
Fixed a UI typo of “Bedroom” in an item description.
Fixed a text mesh bug that was not rendering asterisks correctly on a late grade chalkboard.
Updated templating of Observatory’s floorplan text to be more technically accurate and consistent with the game’s templating. (The floorplan now simply has the text “+1 star”)
Fixed incorrect layer assignments on a few more textures causing them to not be rendered when viewed through the magnifying glass.
Added more descriptive clarity for rarity in the wrench UI during first time use.
Very Late Game Changelog including Deep Spoilers (read at your own risk)
Fixed a rare bug in the Conservatory that was offering players options from “studio floorplans” and “found floorplans” that they had not added to their draft pools.
Added a redundancy check to address a glitch which was causing some challenge mode save files to incorrectly load in Bequest mode.
Fixed a corner case material glitch that related to the blessing of the monk that would sometimes affect the art at the bottom of the Foundation.
Fixed a sacred bug that only accepted the PM but not the AM.
Finally fixed a troublesome late game bug that was causing the drafting system to regard one very rare room as a color it clearly was not.
Fixed a bug causing boat travel to occasionally not be persistent between days if the cutscene was skipped.
Fixed a bug caused by exiting door UI during special key use animation in an underground area.
Addressed reports of clipping through the floor in a very late-game area by adding additional safety measures.
Fixed some issues that were causing unintended step loss and unintentioned geometry overlapping in that same area.
Fixed some uvmap texture issues in two of the illustrations in that same area.
Gambit of the Queen has been rebalanced to grant the player an additional key per trigger.
Due to several known bugs and issues with R_y_l Sc____r (some of which rendered the item functionless), this item’s design has been subtly changed and expanded. The game will now allow players to set the color an additional time per day from the inventory menu, and the method the player “keeps” the item has also been tweaked.
Blue Prince Ver. 1.7.1
Changelog:
Fixed a bug causing the ‘Color Labeling’ system to be activated without first turning on the feature in the Color Support Menu.
Fixed an issue for controllers that was breaking the input and button glyph for a document in the Blueprint Menu in one of the challenge modes.
Fixed a bug (or two) introduced in the last patch that resulted in the Explorer Trophy to trigger incorrectly (or not at all) for some players. If you completed the directory but did not receive your trophy due to this bug, it should be waiting for you in the Entrance Hall.
Fixed an issue causing the cursor to not display in the Main Menu on Mac for some players.
Fixed an issue causing the cursor to not display in the Remapping menu when accessed from the Accessibility Menu within the Main Menu.
Fixed several reported incorrect color labels on a page of the Final Exam
Fixed an event issue related to selecting a color in the menu UI.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for when these patches land on Switch 2, and will update this article accordingly.
Grab your specs and settle down for a cosy little read, as reviews have dropped for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book two days ahead of the game’s launch.
Mario’s dinosaur companion has been stealing the spotlight in 2026 with a big role in the Super Mario Galaxy Move, and now he’s getting his own Switch 2-exclusive. Not even Mario can say that!
The latest Yoshi-starring adventure is a blend of puzzling and platforming, perfect for kids and the curious. It’s getting some nice reviews out there, and our own Ollie Reynolds saddled up for our coverage. He liked it, but ultimately found it a little simple, even for kids, scoring it a 6/10:
Scores are pretty wide-ranging on this one, so we’ll kick off with one of the most positive of the bunch.
VGC‘s Andy Robinson loved the game awarding it top marks for its unique focus on discovery and inventive mechanics. He even goes as far as to call it “like a platformer Breath of the Wild” because of how everything can be solved in various ways. High praise!
“Instead of retreading past formulas, the Switch 2 game presents a truly unique framework, full of invention and compelling platforming for all ages, finally allowing Yoshi to escape the shadow of his plumber-carrying past with a blueprint all of his own. A brilliant, unique 2D platformer I loved playing.”
Over at COGconnected, Alex Everatt scored the game a 9/10, praising that sense of discovery you get with every new level, creature and mechanic. Plus, they still have more to do after the credits roll:
“Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a fantastic cozy platformer. Finding new discoveries never gets old. I was worried the pace might be too tame for my liking, but this simply wasn’t the case. I kept wanting to play and discover more, even after putting in 7 hours into the title.”
Jordan Biordi, for CGMagazine, was another fan of discovering new things, and while he wasn’t expecting this kind of format for a Yoshi game, he fell in love with it, scoring it an 8.5.
“Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a different kind of Yoshi game, but it was one that fully captivated me. Its laid back atmosphere makes it really easy to get into, and its prioritization of discovery gives it a unique sense of challenge. While it may be too much of a departure from what Yoshi games are meant to be, I’ll always take unique and interesting over “just another one,” any day.”
The lovely Game Informer‘s Kyle Hilliard was slightly more critical of the lack of challenge, but the charm ultimately won him over, settling on a 7.75 score. We never thought we’d see someone who missed Baby Mario’s crying!
“Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is, by design, an inviting game with little challenge – a pleasant vacation where all the animals want to be friends and the soundtrack sounds like colorful bubbles bursting in front of a double rainbow. I admit I pined for the stress I associate with Yoshi taking care of a helpless baby, but this low-stakes adventure (potentially Yoshi’s lowest) does take care in making you feel acknowledged and generally rewarded…”
Last up we have Tom Marks over at IGN, scoring the game a 6/10. While Tom is a fan of the overall game, he felt that the sense of discovery felt more like “a collection of amusing experiments paired with a pile of homework,” where its best ideas are one-and-done:
“Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is an undeniable delight, with adorable storybook creatures that are amusing to learn about in your first, surprise-filled encounters with them. But while there’s impressive variety on display, it comes at the cost of depth.”
That’s a pretty big spread, and the current Metacritic average sits at a rather healthy 80 (after 63 reviews). At the moment, that makes it the highest-scoring Yoshi game since Yoshi’s Island DS in 2006. That could change as more verdicts come in in the next few days and weeks, of course.
Make sure you go and check out our review, along with the many others out there, to see if Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is your cup of tea. Then get ready for the game’s launch on 21st May 2026.
Let us know your thoughts on the consensus in the comments.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book hits store shelves in just a couple of days, but in true Nintendo fashion, the company has not explicitly revealed who actually developed the ruddy thing.
So we’ll do it instead – how’s that?
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to learn that Mysterious Book was developed by none other than Good-Feel. The Japanese studio has maintained a close relationship with Nintendo since the release of Wario Land: Shake It! back in 2008 for the Wii, and that doesn’t seem to be waning anytime soon.
It’s since been solely responsible for the Yoshi games, having previously worked on Yoshi’s Woolly World, its 3DS port Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, and Yoshi’s Crafted World. Kirby’s Epic Yarn can also be viewed as a precursor of sorts to the Yoshi titles. Also, how many times do you think we can say ‘Yoshi’ in a single paragraph? One more..? Yoshi!
Our review for Mysterious Book is available right now if you’d like to check it out. We ultimately awarded it a score of 6/10, stating “There’s a lot of fun to be had in discovering the many creatures hidden within Mr. E’s pages, though it also suffers from a repetitive structure that doesn’t evolve or provide any sense of meaningful challenge”.
Quick, act surprised! No, in all seriousness, do let us know what you make of this with a comment down below.
The Yoshi series has cemented itself as one of the most approachable in Nintendo’s arsenal, providing experiences that younger gamers in particular can enjoy without too much friction. Woolly World and Crafted World offer light-hearted platforming fun while still retaining some of the spirit of the SNES original, and both come recommended. Developer Good-Feel’s latest effort, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, unfortunately, has a few too many stabilisers on its wheels, losing a lot of what made the series great to begin with.
The game takes place primarily in, well, a book, utilising a unique art style to depict its setting, much like its Woolly and Crafted predecessors. You’re tasked with entering the pages of the talking encyclopaedia Mr. E in order to seek out creatures within and discover their mysteries. Naturally, Bowser Jr. and Kamek are back to cause some mischief, though their overall presence is surprisingly muted.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)
The art style, while certainly pleasant, doesn’t quite hit as hard as earlier titles. Character animation purposefully skips frames to give it a stop-motion look, which is a nice touch. Stylised text can also occasionally be seen in the background and foreground while colours fade as you approach the edge of the levels – both of which are clear indications that, yes, you’re in a book.
Aside from this, though, I really wasn’t blown away by the visuals given the jump over to the Switch 2. In handheld mode, the ink-like edges applied to characters and environments look disappointingly soft and almost pixelated in motion. I can’t be 100% certain as to what resolution the game targets, but I’d be surprised if it’s hitting the full 1080p display.
Docked is much better, thankfully, but even then, backgrounds lack detail and vibrancy, while individual stages fail to introduce much visual variety. Yes, you have different biomes, but you’ll often see some of the same assets throughout.
The music is lovely, mind you, with plenty of charming, easygoing tunes that perfectly match the environments. Additional sound design is equally impressive, with Yoshi emitting delightfully cheerful “mlems” and the majority of the other creatures making their own unique sounds.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)
Starting off, you’ll have access to the opening Wildwoods world in which you select the creature you wish to investigate via a sort of overworld page within Mr. E. The aim of the game is to mess around with the critters until you make discoveries, thus granting you stars to unlock subsequent worlds.
Small discoveries are worth one star, and big ones, three. It could be something as simple as gobbling up a creature to see what it tastes like, or actually carrying it on your back to utilise its unique properties.
For example, you’ll come across the bubble-blowing Glubbit creature in Wildwoods, and this thing lets you access high places by producing a bunch of bubbles in which to float. Similarly, the Bafloonder, found in the Seaside world, lets you travel quickly underwater by shooting out air stored in its body. By using their abilities in different ways, you’ll gradually unlock new discoveries to fill out their encyclopaedia entries.
Each discovery is indicated by a cute on-screen animation with a short block of text describing the action, while anything left undiscovered will be hinted at in Mr. E’s pages. Oh, and if you’re feeling particularly creative, you can name the creatures yourself, so if ‘Glubbit’ doesn’t sound appealing, then maybe try ‘Bubs McBubblson’… or y’know, something actually good.
In keeping with the approachable nature of Yoshi games, most of the potential discoveries found within Mr. E’s pages will occur naturally through normal play; it’s quite rare that you’ll end one of the stages with many left over, and so it wasn’t long – three or four hours – until I’d accumulated enough stars to unlock all of the main worlds. Couple this with the mandatory invincibility and automatic recovery from falls, and you’ve got what might be one of the easiest games ever published by Nintendo.
It’s not completely without challenge, mind you. Like previous entries, all of the stages also contain collectible flowers, and some of these can be a little tricky to locate. Gathering them up isn’t mandatory, but doing so will unlock Exploration Tools during the latter portion of the game, adding custom UI elements to the screen that you can move around or swap out however you like.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)
Some of these are genuinely useful, like a flower radar to help mop up collectible stragglers, but others feel completely superfluous. Why on earth do I need a graph showcasing the real-time height of Yoshi’s jumps?
Ultimately, while there are dozens of neat little gameplay ideas from the multitude of creatures you discover, they’re all mostly segregated to the specific stages in which they’re found. As such, there’s little sense of progression or evolution as you make your way through to the later levels. It’s all just the same thing, again and again, punctuated by constant ramblings from Mr. E.
Similarly, the levels themselves feel more like miniature sandbox stages rather than handcrafted experiences designed to get you from A to B. As such, many of them feel surprisingly empty and drab, and so going from the beautifully dense, busy stages of Woolly World to this feels like an undeniable step down.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Docked)
Though I’m certain Mysterious Book is squarely aimed at children, I struggle to really nail down an exact target audience. On the one hand, musical cues for ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ suggest that this is for pre-schoolers, but then, thanks to Mr. E’s chattering, there’s actually quite a lot of text to read, including the optional custom names for your creatures. This perhaps suggests that older children of a more advanced reading age would gain more from it.
Indeed, it’s practically screaming for some sort of two-player co-op mode to bring these ideas together and help younger players ease into things with the help of an adult. That it’s completely lacking such an option feels quite out of sorts for Nintendo. As it is, when I tried to introduce my own four-year-old daughter to Mysterious Book, she provided her own damning verdict after less than an hour: “Can we play Mario Kart World now, Daddy?”
One thing’s for sure. Although Nintendo’s studios are often adept at making games that children and adults can enjoy equally, I really can’t say that’s the case here. That’s not to say that you absolutely shouldn’t touch this if you’re a grown-up, but perhaps consider that it won’t offer the challenge or ingenuity of your average Nintendo platformer – it’s not one I’ll be going back to anytime soon.
Conclusion
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book isn’t a bad game. There’s a lot of fun to be had in discovering the many creatures hidden within Mr. E’s pages, though it also suffers from a repetitive structure that doesn’t evolve or provide any sense of meaningful challenge. Visually, it also lacks the punch that Woolly World and Crafted World offered, and it frankly looks pretty bad in handheld mode.
If you’ve got young children who are eager to see more from Yoshi after catching him in the Mario Galaxy Movie, then this will provide a few hours’ worth of fun while getting them used to basic platforming tropes. Otherwise, I’d probably recommend a Switch Online subscription to check out Yoshi’s Island for the SNES.
