Yoshi And The Mysterious Book Reviews Make It Sound Perfect For People Going Into It With The Right Level Of Curiosity

The Yoshi series is one of those rare Nintendo franchises that’s never quite surpassed its original 1995 outing on the SNES. Based on early reviews, it doesn’t sound like Yoshi and the Mysterious Book reverses that trend, but it does sound like it has some flashes of brilliance that other recent entries in the Mario spin-off series have sometimes lacked.

Out on Switch 2 on May 21, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book has the titular green dinosaur exploring the pages of a magical encyclopedia called “Mr. E.” Instead of strictly being a puzzle platformer that takes players from A to B, the objectives revolve more around discovering new creatures in the world and unraveling its hidden secrets. With a Metacritic score of 82, the newest sequel edges slightly ahead of both Yoshi’s Woolly World and Crafted World . Is that just critics eager for the egg-hatching explorer’s return after a seven-year wait?

VGC ‘s Andy Robinson gave Mysterious Book a perfect score in his review, writing that it has the “kind of breathless imagination typically associated with mainline Super Mario adventures,” and praising it as a “brilliant, unique sidescroller.”

IGN ‘s Tom Marks found it similarly delightful on first blush, but argued that this initial charm doesn’t make up for a lack of overall depth. New discoveries and gameplay mechanics are neat at first, but never evolve into something truly memorable, he claims.

The Yoshi games have always had a creative pop to them that doesn’t always last the full playthrough. Designing for whimsical creativity and open-ended curiosity isn’t as straightforward as guiding players through an obstacle course with clever puzzles and dangerous hazards. It also requires players to recalibrate what their role is in the game and what they want to get out of it. It doesn’t sound like  Mysterious Book

is set to enter the pantheon of great Nintendo games any time soon, but players who go in with the right mindset will be in for a nice, breezy treat.

Here’s what the Yoshi and the Mysterious Book reviews are saying:

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. Nearly all of its best ideas are left to wilt on the vine – especially one clever mechanic that could have supported an entire game on its own, but instead arrives far too late and then disappointingly disappears. Its open-ended levels certainly had me smiling, but only on my initial run through them, and the long list of potential Discoveries offers too few moments to take what you’ve learned and think creatively to solve a problem. That’s a significant weakness for a game that’s all about experimentation. The result is the most charming video game bubble wrap you’ll ever pop, and not much more. – Tom Marks

Yoshi’s adventures have been hit-and-miss since his sublime solo debut in 1995’s Yoshi’s Island , but The Mysterious Book shouldn’t be judged by its cover. 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. – Andy Robinson

If you’re looking for a more direct comparison,  Yoshi and the Mysterious Book  skews closer to