Nintendo drops free Switch 2 taster for its own AAA fever dream

After bearing complaints regarding its first-party Switch 2 line-up, Nintendo has released several games this year that make its new-gen console worth owning.

We’re still just getting started too, as the game that’ll likely define the Nintendo Switch 2, for better or worse, will undoubtedly be The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. Gameplay hasn’t been shown yet, but it’s launching later this year and the price has already leaked online.

In the meantime, though, Nintendo has since dropped a free demo for one of its wildest Switch 2 exclusives, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.

We reviewed the recently released Yoshi game and actually had quite a good time with it. It was also released at a great time in the year, as the Super Mario Galaxy Movie had been released in cinemas the month prior with Yoshi being a pivotal character in the story.

Like previous entries in this Super Mario spin-off series, the game was clearly designed with younger audiences in mind, but our review summarised it as “quintessentially Nintendo” for its creativity alone.

It's the best-looking game launched on the Nintendo Switch 2 so far

Instead of platforming from A to B, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book seeks to charm the player with a widespread selection of level-unique abilities and some of the prettiest visuals we’ve seen on the Switch 2 so far.

Nintendo

It only falls short if you’re expecting any form of challenge. Yoshi is basically invincible as incoming damage merely slows him down rather than hurts him. Environmental hazards like sharp surfaces or pits also have no meaningful effect as there are no lives to lose.

For those that might have been on the fence about the game's launch, we’d highly recommend it, especially if there are any young children in your family who you’d like to introduce to video games.

But, if you’re still sceptical, Nintendo now has a free demo available on its Switch 2 eShop. It’ll give you a brief tour of the core gameplay experience, which basically boils down to interacting with whatever creature you’re paired up with to learn more about it. The more discoveries you make, the more points you’ll get and that’s how you unlock the subsequent levels.

It’s a simple premise, for sure, but one that’s very rewarding and oddly relaxing. It’s like you’re going on a Super Mario-themed safari.

As far as Yoshi games go, it easily sits in the top three, perhaps just behind Yoshi’s Island which easily secures the top spot.

We’d be keen to see more Yoshi games in this style sometime in the future, but that’ll all depend on whether Nintendo considers it a successful release. The fact that a free demo has been dropped now suggests initial sales weren’t enough, and the company would like to get more people playing if possible.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is one of the most weird and wonderful games Nintendo has ever developed, and a must-play for anyone with a Nintendo Switch 2. The free demo is available now and you’re encouraged to give it a go.

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