Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Review – Delightful

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The Yoshi series has had a bit of a rollercoaster ride since the huge success of Yoshi’s Island. While there have been several sequels on consoles like the N64, DS, and 3DS, none of them quite lived up to the original Super Nintendo game. Wooly World on the Wii U was a standout title, arguably the best in the series for many years, and gave fans hope for the future. Unfortunately, that hope faded with the release of Yoshi’s Crafted World on the Switch in 2019, which didn’t receive very positive reviews.

Let’s talk about Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. This game has a very focused idea of what it wants to be, and it achieves that goal remarkably well. That core vision also explains why the game is designed the way it is.

Mysterious Book is a recent Nintendo game created using Unreal Engine 5, joining a growing list of Nintendo titles built with this powerful game engine.

Every Yoshi game so far has two things in common: they’re very easy to play, perfect for beginners and young players, and they always look beautiful. The games prioritize colorful, expressive art styles over realistic graphics. The new game, Mysterious Book, continues this tradition.

Let’s start with the most noticeable change: unlike the recent Yoshi games which focused on crafts and arts, Mysterious Book goes back to the fairytale look of the original Yoshi’s Story. While Yoshi’s Story gave us a glimpse of this style, Mysterious Book fully embraces it, and the result is surprisingly impressive.

As a fan, I’m really loving how the game uses the idea of everything being created in a sketchbook. It’s not just a theme, it’s in the game! Things like text and hints appearing as little doodles, and levels actually being drawn as you enter them for the first time, are so clever. But honestly, the animations are what really grabbed me. They have this unique stop-motion look that immediately stands out and makes everything feel extra special – it really draws your eye to what’s happening on screen.

Mysterious Book is one of a growing number of Nintendo games created using Unreal Engine 5. Typically, this can lead to performance issues, especially on less powerful systems like the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. However, in this case, the game runs surprisingly well, likely due to the skill of Nintendo and developer Good Feel in utilizing both the engine and the hardware.

The game runs smoothly without any lag, and the graphics are impressive, especially when played on a TV. It looks fantastic, no matter the screen size. While the graphics are still good when playing handheld, they’re noticeably softer than in docked mode. It’s great that the game looks so good on a TV, but it would have been even better if that same quality carried over to handheld play.

As I said before, Yoshi games are incredibly simple, making them potentially perfect for brand new players. However, this ease hasn’t always felt intentional based on the overall game design. It’s not that the difficulty felt out of place – unlike some games, such as the original Twilight Princess, which tried to be challenging but ended up being surprisingly easy – it just hasn’t always felt justified by what the game was trying to achieve.

Each level focuses on a single plant or animal, and you discover more about it as you play.

Despite this, the games were still very simple 2D platformers. They weren’t challenging enough, leading some to wonder who would enjoy them beyond very young children or newcomers to the genre. This has been a recurring issue with many past Yoshi games, especially those on the DS and 3DS. If it’s simply an extremely easy 2D platformer, why choose Yoshi over other options in Nintendo’s lineup?

As I said earlier, Mysterious Book provides a satisfying answer to that question. The game is still a 2D platformer, but it’s been completely redesigned. It no longer includes any fighting, dangers, or ways to lose. Instead, it’s a puzzle game where you solve each level by moving through the environment and figuring out how things work together.

Each level focuses on a single plant or animal, and as you play, you discover more about how it behaves. You might find out jumping on it gives you a boost, or that it can soak up water to open new routes. Perhaps it makes plants grow, or even plays a sound when touched. Every creature has many different ways it can interact with Yoshi, other creatures, its food or enemies, and the world around it. Eventually, the game feels less like a challenge and more like a playground, where the fun comes from experimenting to see if your ideas actually work within the game’s possibilities in Mysterious Book.

With Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Nintendo continues the design approach they perfected with Breath of the Wild on the Switch. The game is full of interconnected elements – almost anything can interact with almost anything else, often in surprising and fun ways. These interactions can build on each other, creating a consistently charming experience.

If you take damage, you’re immediately returned to your most recent safe location without losing anything.

What’s really clever about this idea is how perfectly it fits the easygoing style of the Yoshi games. You simply watch these creatures within the book and document what they do. Importantly, you can’t fail – enemies, falls, or even bottomless pits pose no threat at all.

Okay, so here’s the deal: if I mess up and take damage, I instantly warp back to the last safe spot, and it’s totally consequence-free – no health lost, no items dropped, nothing! Plus, there’s no rush at all. I can explore each level at my own pace, taking as long as I need to figure everything out. It’s really relaxing, actually, because I don’t feel pressured to hurry.

This game is especially good for younger players. Its simple 2D perspective makes it very easy to control, as there’s no complicated camera work or 3D movement. There are no time limits, enemies, dangers, or even lives to worry about, giving players plenty of time to explore. If they get stuck, they can press the L button for a helpful hint about what to do or where to look next.

When I watch little kids play, it’s awesome. They don’t seem to care about being good at the game or getting to the next level. They just mess around and explore everything! Seriously, they’ll spend ages in one spot, trying out all the little things you can do, and they only move on when they feel like it. It’s so free and fun to watch – they’re just playing for the joy of it.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a charming and truly original platformer, and I’m hoping it shows where the series is headed next.

While past Yoshi games relied on challenging platforming, the simplicity of this new game isn’t a drawback. The fun comes from experimenting with the game’s many interactions and figuring out how to use them to achieve your goals. It’s remarkable how enjoyable and captivating this easy game is, because it focuses on playful discovery rather than difficult challenges and straightforward progress.

Okay, so Yoshi and the Mysterious Book isn’t going to revolutionize gaming, and if you’re hoping for the next big Nintendo hit, this isn’t it. But honestly, it feels like a classic Nintendo game – the kind they’re uniquely good at making with this much care and attention to detail. I went in thinking I’d just get why it was good for younger players, but I actually didn’t expect to enjoy it myself, and that turned out to be true.

Honestly, I was totally charmed by how surprisingly deep and full of surprises this game was! As a big fan, I’m really hoping the next Yoshi game takes what this one does and builds on it even more – it has so much potential!

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.

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2026-06-02 20:13