Yoshi and the Mysterious Book review: A cosy, creative collectathon

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Yoshi is back in a brand new adventure! And while that’s exciting enough, we’ve got a complete review of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book for you, so read on to learn more.

Yoshi first appeared on the Super Nintendo, rescuing baby Mario (and enduring those memorable cries!), and his spin-off games have always been enjoyable adventures within the Mario world. This new game continues that tradition, showcasing Yoshi’s knack for imaginative creatures and collecting challenges.

Mr. E is a very unusual book – it’s been given human characteristics, including a monocle and an impressive mustache. The author jokingly imagines the mustache will one day be as famous as the one in a classic cookie advertisement.

Mr. E’s book is in chaos! Bowser Jr. is causing trouble, and Mr. E needs the Yoshis to help. They have to find Bowser Jr. and also study the book’s creatures to add to Mr. E’s encyclopedia. After all, a good book needs a little life – and ink!

The game is easy to pick up and play, with a straightforward design. But it’s also incredibly charming and imaginative, just like other Nintendo games, and we found ourselves enjoying it right away.

Right from the start, it’s clear this game is designed for young children. It’s not very challenging, and you can’t actually lose. For example, if Yoshi falls off a cliff, the game simply resets his position. Even the boss battles are forgiving – you can’t die, you just complete the objective quickly or slowly.

We’re not saying this is a bad thing, but we want you to know that this Yoshi game focuses on enjoyable discovery rather than challenging jumps and tricky levels.

We were surprised to find that this game actually feels more like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater than other games featuring Yoshi.

We often thought about that satisfying feeling of starting a level and trying to complete everything – all the tricks and collectibles – in one perfect run.

Each level is like a small, self-contained world, representing a different habitat for the creatures you encounter. These levels vary in size and layout – some are quick, vertical climbs, while others are larger and more open – but each one presents a unique challenge based on the abilities of the creature that lives there, and you’ll need to fully explore those abilities.

There was this strange creature, kind of like a slug, that people could throw like a boomerang. It was good for cutting grass, but not very effective at breaking rocks – unless you were quick enough to avoid it on its return trip so it could gain more force. It didn’t taste good either, and interestingly, bees didn’t seem to bother with it. We know all this because scientists studied it carefully.

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We learned some surprising things using these techniques: oddly shaped penguins aren’t edible, but they will curiously follow you and can even be launched like a projectile when needed. We also found out that birds who sing really don’t like spicy peppers, and will visibly react with discomfort if you try to give them any.

Did we continue to overfeed these bouncy creatures so they’d move to better spots for finding coins? Absolutely. All in the name of science! (And, let’s be honest, the coins.)

This game is surprisingly relaxing. You choose a beautiful world, find a fascinating creature, and then freely explore and experiment with ideas at your own pace. Often, this leads to interesting discoveries.

When you highlight something interesting in the book, you’ll earn stars depending on how significant it is. These stars then unlock new pages and help you accumulate rewards.

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Every region features a large creature you can partner with instead of fight. These creatures have unique abilities that help you defeat Bowser Jr., usually by rescuing their young or protecting important resources. These encounters are straightforward but enjoyable – you might work with a lion-like creature that can drill and jump long distances to destroy a UFO, or team up with a water creature that can divide into many smaller helpers or grow enormous to swallow Bowser’s airship.

I absolutely love how Yoshi and the Mysterious Book keeps you coming back for more! It’s not just about finding everything you missed the first time around, but as you play, unlocking new buddies actually changes earlier levels. They’ll show up in places you’ve already been and even interact with the creatures you met before, which is a really cool and surprising touch!

Mr. E could certainly suggest a more formal name, but we chose a playful one. We’ll always remember the story of FlappyButt being attacked by a group of BuzzyButts while WetButt watched in horror. DrillButt stood nearby, while ShyButt hid in a hut, and a crowd of GulButts flew overhead as it all happened.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a delightful game for players who enjoy laid-back exploration in charming, bite-sized levels. It captures the spirit of classic Yoshi and Mario games, and even after finishing the main story, there’s plenty to do, encouraging you to revisit levels and continue your playful adventures with Mr. E’s book.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book launches 21 May for Nintendo Switch 2. You can order your copy now.

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Authors

Ben Rayner

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2026-05-19 16:35