Dinosaurs are not my thing. In the newsroom, we have a dinophile on duty who deals with everything related to the extinct reptiles that once roamed the Earth. But when it comes to Yoshi, I have really fond memories of this good-natured reptile – mostly thanks to one of the best platformers on the Super Nintendo, Yoshi’s Island. Beautiful visual style, great opponents, interesting hidden parts and occasionally hellish platformer sections. That’s why without much thought I jumped into Yoshi’s new adventure – this time with a mystical book in the main role.
| Initial price | Reviewed version | Reviewer copy |
| 60€ | Nintendo Switch 2 | Provided by distributor (CD-Media) |
Let me tell you right at the beginning of the text: although Yoshi and the Mysterious Book hides behind the platformer genre, I wouldn’t put the game exclusively in that genre. At least not compared to the aforementioned Yoshi’s Island. Here, research, puzzle elements and the discovery of new creatures are in much greater focus, while the experience of precise jumping is still in the background. If you’re expecting a new platformer masterpiece – don’t look this way. I was partially disappointed at first, but when I approached the game with a more open mind and separated it from the dimensions of the series, I have to admit that I had a lot of fun.
The premise is actually very simple. Baby Mario is not coming to the popular Yoshi’s Island this time, but a mystical talking book is falling from the sky. He presents himself as Mister Encyclopedia, or Mr. for short. Well, he discovers that within its pages are hidden wonderful creatures that have yet to be explored. The story is not complex, but there are at least one or two moments that you will appreciate later in the game.
And this is where our book adventure begins. On each page there is a world, and through it I could see some of the creatures walking freely on the page. I take out the magnifying glass, put it on the newly discovered organism, press the A button and find myself in a new level. The goal of each level is to find out as much information as possible about the new being that inhabits it. What happens when Yoshi swallows it and what does it taste like? What happens when you jump on it? Does it swim in water? What if you lined them up next to each other?
At the beginning of each level for each new creature, you discover completely new gameplay mechanics and learn how to use them to find the main conclusion that ends the level. This is followed by recording the conclusions and naming the new species. I could use the pre-provided names or give them my own names. And it was only after those notes that I realized how huge this game can actually be for a complete transition. No matter how meticulous I was in the level, in the end I would often find that I had discovered only a small part of everything it was hiding. In addition, I could spend the coins I collected to help with new discoveries.
And I have to admit – the variety of levels is brutal. Each new life form brings completely new mechanics. Not a similar one. Not the same characters of a different color with a stronger effect. But a completely new experience. Just to convey what I’m talking about, I’ll single out three beings out of about sixty of them.
Take for example the level with Croakaoke. It is a round guy with a leaf on his head. If I jumped on it, I would bounce even higher in the air, but along the way Croakaok would make a sound. Of course, Croakaoki of different colors emit different tones, so by jumping from one to another I could literally play the Do-Re-Mi tune and thus make a new discovery. Or feed it a nut and get a higher note. And these are just a few ideas from as many as 31 researches that this level offers.
For another example, I can take a giant green grass-covered creature called Thudd. First, you need to wake him up by jumping on his stomach, then feed him to get him moving. After that, Thudd would suck me up and throw me in the desired direction to break the stones on the way. A third example is the fisherman Casterway. I would carry him on my back and with his help hunt fish, objects and various monsters under water.
And those are just three examples. There are also umbrella-shaped creatures that allow for a slower descent. Or the ones like soap bubble toys so you run around creating balloons and then use them to float in the air. Or a huge boar with a drill instead of a snout, which you use to demolish everything in front of you like a bulldozer. The level of imagination here is really impressive and almost every new level feels like a separate mini-game. I didn’t feel repetitive or tired – just a desire to see what awaits me on the next page.
With that in mind, if you’re a completist, this might be a brutal game for you. As I mentioned before, each level hides a lot of little things and without help the research can take a lot of time. Sometimes, despite buying hints, I used to get stuck on certain discoveries or when finding hidden daisies, of which there are several in each level.
However, I found most of the main level-ending discoveries without much trouble. Maybe even too easy. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book never once made me break a serious sweat. Not even in the levels towards the end of the game. As I mentioned before, there aren’t any advanced platformer mechanics, and Yoshi can’t even lose a life. If you accidentally fall into the chasm, it just puts you back on the platform before jumping. That’s why the whole experience seems quite simplified and personally I still lacked more challenges – either through puzzle elements or platforming.
On the visual side, I liked the graphic style. The backgrounds look like they were hand-drawn with watercolors, the edges of the levels resemble the faded pages of a book, and the creatures themselves are bursting with personality. Even the stop-motion animation of the characters enhanced the experience for me because you can really feel the difference between the dynamic environment and their specific movement. And considering the amount of effects, duplicating enemies and various mechanics, I didn’t notice any significant drop in performance while playing.
Unfortunately, that creative visual identity was not transferred to the music. Yoshi has had some really memorable tunes over the years, and that’s just not the case here. Honestly, as I write this I can’t sing a single song from the game, which rarely happens to me with Nintendo games.
Despite the forgettable music, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book brings a real refresh to the series in other areas. The visual style looks like it was literally ripped out of a picture book. The variety of gameplay is insane. Fresh mechanics, new locations, interesting puzzles to solve… Really refreshing approach. For my taste, the only thing missing was a little more challenge, either through puzzles or the platforming itself. Because if there was, this would easily be a title I’d recommend to anyone who owns a Switch 2.