Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a brand-new spin-off based on the Mario franchise, featuring the titular Yoshi on a new adventure. While earlier Yoshi games were more traditional platformers with clearly defined beginnings and endings, this one takes a different approach by experimenting with a sandbox-style gameplay structure.
The story revolves around filling the pages of an encyclopedia, represented by a living, wise old being called Mr. Encyclopedia, or Mr. E for short. Yoshi and his companions are tasked with documenting creatures, learning about their nature, and gathering information to complete the book’s pages. While the story does feature Bowser Jr. and Kamek, neither is heavily involved in the gameplay as a villain. Instead, they mainly serve as plot devices, perhaps to capitalize on their popularity from the Super Mario Galaxy movie.
While the narrative is paper-thin, it does introduce a twist later in the game that feels out of place with its overall tone. Even without a strong story hook, the game shines thanks to the personality and charm of Mr. E, who serves as both a companion and guide for Yoshi. He helps uncover details about each creature and teaches players about their behavior and characteristics.
The core gameplay loop revolves around visiting various pages that contain incomplete information about different creatures and fulfilling specific conditions to unlock that information. There are no traditional platforming levels, nor are there any enemies for Yoshi to face. Instead, it is a nature-focused adventure where Yoshi explores sandbox-style environments and makes new discoveries. Mr. E acts as a helpful companion, guiding Yoshi and offering hints whenever the player is unsure of what to do next.
Yoshi can learn more about the creatures by using his abilities, such as licking them, turning them into eggs and throwing them, or interacting with the environment. The creatures react to different elements within each area, and Yoshi must be present to record those interactions as discoveries and learn more about them. Every creature in the game feels distinct, making each page in the book feel unique. There is also a completion percentage for each area, meaning not everything can be discovered on the first visit. This adds some replay value to exploring these environments.
Discoveries often depend on one another, meaning you may need to uncover one piece of information before the next becomes available. This makes exploring each level genuinely rewarding, encouraging players to search every corner and avoid missing hidden details. While this works well during the discovery process, it becomes less engaging once everything has been found. In a traditional platformer, higher difficulty modes or collectibles can provide additional reasons to revisit levels, but here, once all discoveries have been made, the areas tend to lose much of their appeal.
Another issue is that some discoveries are tied to content that is not unlocked until later in the game. This means that achieving 100 percent completion may require revisiting earlier levels, but the game does not offer particularly compelling rewards to make doing so feel worthwhile. Ultimately, it comes down to whether you enjoy the process of exploration and learning new things about the various creatures. While the physics-based platforming uses traditional Nintendo-style controls and mechanics, their implementation here feels somewhat weaker and less precise.
At times, the game feels like it falls short of its potential, especially near the end when the gameplay briefly shifts in a different direction. Unfortunately, this change is short-lived, and despite being enjoyable, it never develops into anything truly meaningful. As a result, the replay value of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book depends almost entirely on how much you enjoy unlocking new discoveries.
Smiley Flowers serve as the game’s main collectibles and are used to unlock a modular UI that can be helpful when revisiting areas to find missed discoveries. However, they are only unlocked after completing the game. I believe introducing them before the ending would have made them feel more beneficial and rewarding overall. Completing the game also unlocks additional content, including new biomes and creatures to discover, providing some incentive to replay parts of the adventure. As such, it is not strictly a one-and-done experience.
The best part of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is its visuals, which I feel are among the most gorgeous art styles on the Switch 2. It truly feels like stepping into a storybook and experiencing it in real time. The hand-drawn backgrounds and paper-like aesthetic help it stand out from the many traditional 3D platformers on the market. The animations are also excellent, with the unique creatures and Yoshi himself offering dozens of different interactions that are both fun and exciting to watch, especially for younger players. The customizable UI is another welcome feature, allowing players to either fill the screen with useful information or keep things clean and simple, just as it is at the beginning of the game.
I appreciate Nintendo’s willingness to experiment with its franchises, and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a genuinely enjoyable experiment. While it does not fully deliver on the gameplay side and is held back by some minor flaws and a fairly weak narrative, it offers plenty for players who enjoy exploration and discovery. Combined with a companion who is both memorable and enjoyable to follow throughout the adventure, it creates an experience that stands apart from the more traditional entries in the series.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Game Information
- Price: $59.99
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Good-Feel
- Platform: Switch 2 (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
