A dino-sized dose of eggs-ploration
By Paul Hunter
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book had me smiling the whole way through. Developed by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo, it brings Yoshi back on Nintendo Switch 2 with a colourful storybook campaign and a focus on curiosity over platforming.
I’ve always liked when Nintendo lets its characters take a different path, and Yoshi gets a fun one here. Instead of building the whole adventure around jumps and bosses, this game gives you book pages to explore, creatures to study, and small secrets to uncover.
It is gentle, clever, and very on brand for Yoshi. So, should you crack open this mysterious book on Nintendo Switch 2? Let’s find out!
That small problem gives the adventure a surprisingly sweet sense of purpose. Yoshi and the other Yoshis step into Mr. E.'s pages to recover what was lost, and I liked how naturally that makes you curious. Yoshi has always worked well as a cheerful helper, and this story understands plays perfectly on his character.
I won't spoil the surprise, but Bowser Jr. adds the right amount of trouble to the story. His involvement gives the plot a familiar Nintendo feel, while Mr. E.'s missing records keep the story focused on discovery rather than danger.
What I enjoyed most is that the narrative treats curiosity as something joyful. The adventure is not about saving a kingdom from total ruin. It is about helping a living book remember the world inside itself, and that idea has a lot of heart.
All considered, the story gives Yoshi a gentle and memorable reason to explore, with Mr. E.'s lost knowledge turning each page into part of a bigger, grander adventure.
The controls are familiar right away. Yoshi can jump, flutter, eat, carry, and throw eggs, so longtime Nintendo fans will settle in quickly. The fun comes from what those actions uncover. One creature might react to an egg, another might change Yoshi’s movement, and another might behave differently near water or plants.
You gain stars for each discovery and they feel like genuine reward for your discoveries. Smaller entries give one star, major ones give three, and those stars can be used to unlock additional biomes. I enjoyed that structure because I always had a reason to return to a page and test one more idea.
The forgiving design is a huge part of the appeal. Yoshi can be bumped by hostile creatures without losing health, and the flutter jump gives you plenty of room to adjust mid-air. That keeps the attention on observing creatures rather than nailing perfect jumps.
All considered, the gameplay turns Yoshi’s familiar moves into a fun discovery system, and the later stages add enough puzzle-style thinking to keep completion runs satisfying.
The visual strength comes from how much personality sits inside each compact habitat. Beach pages, forest spaces, mountain routes, and the later stranger areas all use creature details to guide your journey. I especially liked the late-game pages, where the colour choices become bolder and the setting starts having wilder concepts.
The music matches that heartfelt exploration focus with light, relaxing themes that keep the mood pleasant. The audio really stands out in creature stages built around music, where your actions and the music connect in playful ways. Those moments made me laugh because they turn discovery into a tiny concert.
On the technical side, Nintendo Switch 2 performance stays smooth for most of the adventure. A few frame dips appear here and there, and some menu flow could be a touch quicker. The overall presentation still has a lot of polish and charm.
In summary, the presentation sells the whole storybook fantasy through expressive page art, cosy music, and clever audio moments tied directly to your creature discoveries.
Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Developer: Good-Feel
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action, Puzzle, Platformer
Modes: Single-player
By Paul Hunter
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book had me smiling the whole way through. Developed by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo, it brings Yoshi back on Nintendo Switch 2 with a colourful storybook campaign and a focus on curiosity over platforming.
I’ve always liked when Nintendo lets its characters take a different path, and Yoshi gets a fun one here. Instead of building the whole adventure around jumps and bosses, this game gives you book pages to explore, creatures to study, and small secrets to uncover.
It is gentle, clever, and very on brand for Yoshi. So, should you crack open this mysterious book on Nintendo Switch 2? Let’s find out!
Story and Narrative
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book tells a cute story about lost knowledge, strange creatures, and a talking book that needs help. Mr. E. arrives in Yoshi’s world after the information inside his pages disappears, leaving his records of biomes and creatures empty.That small problem gives the adventure a surprisingly sweet sense of purpose. Yoshi and the other Yoshis step into Mr. E.'s pages to recover what was lost, and I liked how naturally that makes you curious. Yoshi has always worked well as a cheerful helper, and this story understands plays perfectly on his character.
I won't spoil the surprise, but Bowser Jr. adds the right amount of trouble to the story. His involvement gives the plot a familiar Nintendo feel, while Mr. E.'s missing records keep the story focused on discovery rather than danger.
What I enjoyed most is that the narrative treats curiosity as something joyful. The adventure is not about saving a kingdom from total ruin. It is about helping a living book remember the world inside itself, and that idea has a lot of heart.
All considered, the story gives Yoshi a gentle and memorable reason to explore, with Mr. E.'s lost knowledge turning each page into part of a bigger, grander adventure.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book gives Yoshi one of his best roles in years: a cheerful little researcher inside a magical book. Each stage centres on a creature, and your job is to learn how that creature behaves through Yoshi’s moves and the surrounding habitat.The controls are familiar right away. Yoshi can jump, flutter, eat, carry, and throw eggs, so longtime Nintendo fans will settle in quickly. The fun comes from what those actions uncover. One creature might react to an egg, another might change Yoshi’s movement, and another might behave differently near water or plants.
You gain stars for each discovery and they feel like genuine reward for your discoveries. Smaller entries give one star, major ones give three, and those stars can be used to unlock additional biomes. I enjoyed that structure because I always had a reason to return to a page and test one more idea.
The forgiving design is a huge part of the appeal. Yoshi can be bumped by hostile creatures without losing health, and the flutter jump gives you plenty of room to adjust mid-air. That keeps the attention on observing creatures rather than nailing perfect jumps.
All considered, the gameplay turns Yoshi’s familiar moves into a fun discovery system, and the later stages add enough puzzle-style thinking to keep completion runs satisfying.
Presentation and Audio
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book looks fantastic on Nintendo Switch 2 thanks to its paper-inspired art, pastel colours, and chunky pencil outlines. Woolly World had wool, Crafted World had cardboard, and this entry gives Yoshi a living book full of soft diorama stages that fit him beautifully.The visual strength comes from how much personality sits inside each compact habitat. Beach pages, forest spaces, mountain routes, and the later stranger areas all use creature details to guide your journey. I especially liked the late-game pages, where the colour choices become bolder and the setting starts having wilder concepts.
The music matches that heartfelt exploration focus with light, relaxing themes that keep the mood pleasant. The audio really stands out in creature stages built around music, where your actions and the music connect in playful ways. Those moments made me laugh because they turn discovery into a tiny concert.
On the technical side, Nintendo Switch 2 performance stays smooth for most of the adventure. A few frame dips appear here and there, and some menu flow could be a touch quicker. The overall presentation still has a lot of polish and charm.
In summary, the presentation sells the whole storybook fantasy through expressive page art, cosy music, and clever audio moments tied directly to your creature discoveries.
The Verdict
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a wonderful Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive that gives Yoshi one of his boldest adventures in years. I loved how creature studying and Mr. E.’s missing knowledge all support the same goal of turning every page into a small discovery hunt. The storybook art looks lovely, the music adds warmth, and the later stages give completion-minded gamers extra challenge puzzle. If you want a cosy Nintendo adventure with real personality, Yoshi absolutely deserves a spot in your library.Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book details
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2Developer: Good-Feel
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action, Puzzle, Platformer
Modes: Single-player