Version: Physical retail review code provided by the distributor
Independence & Ethics
Region Free is entirely reader-supported and maintains full editorial independence. For more on my scoring and standards, see the Review Guide.
It could be argued that Nintendo defined and shaped the platformer genre. Over the decades since Mario first entered the scene, Nintendo has refined, restructured, and reinvented the ways we approach the initially simple mechanics to the point that most, if not all, other releases are compared to the mighty Japanese developer.
Each one of their games in this genre, be that a mainline 3D Mario or one of the more experimental sidescrolling entries, embraces this mentality. The games are built around compelling mechanics, where everything, even the story, springs from a single gameplay idea. In Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, that idea is as esoteric as discovery. It is a big and wild concept that proves almost too much for one game, even if it is from Nintendo.
It is a game for completionists, obsessives, and those with a hyperfocus to find everything. There isn't a particular format to any level, nor is there a direct drive to do anything beyond finding things, which gives Yoshi's Mysterious Book a pace that feels both cozy and a little slow. It's wonderful to drop into a new environment, complete with creatures you can name for yourself, and to pick apart how they act, react, and change in response to their environment.
There's no violence, and it's not a dark game by any stretch. Instead, it's like an adventure into a child's imagination, where everything has a touch of wonder.
The story reflects that simplicity. One day, Yoshi and friends discover an abandoned, sentient book called Mr. E, who explains that despite documenting wondrous things in his life, he has never been able to explore his own pages. Without hesitation, Yoshi and pals leap to help, and it's up to the player to fill out the rest of the story with everything and anything they can discover.
Every level (apart from one brilliant standout midway through) operates in the same way. One of the Yoshi's arrives in a new area where one of the wildly imaginative creatures lives, and sets out to find out what makes them tick. This involves picking them up, eating them (nicely!), throwing them to new locations, and generally seeing what happens when you mess with things you don't normally mess with. The clues are often vague – sometimes frustratingly so – and there's rarely a case where the game says you can't do something.
Instead, part of the joy and annoyance comes from Nintendo's strict adherence to not guiding you too much. There is an option to buy clues, and you can always ask Mr. E what he thinks about the situation, but his answers are often pontifications, not direct clues. A first run of a level, which ends at a similar end screen to that of Mario's flag, is usually just the first of many. You can exit and return at any point, and there's no penalty for coming in to try out something and leaving immediately.
Then, about midway through the game, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book introduces an open level where you can use all the lore, talents, and animals you've found to traverse through the environment. It's like getting a chance to test out all the skills in a Metroidvania with complete freedom, and it's some of the most fun I've had in any game this year. Yet this level is a one-off and doesn't repeat in the entire roster. It comes and goes like a majestic what-if, and it's puzzling why it isn't a bigger focus in the adventure.
If I had to guess, it's because that level is more traditional in style than the rest of the game, and it features gamified mechanics for older, more experienced players. If I had to give it to a younger family member or someone who plays Switch games casually, I doubt they'd enjoy it as much as I did. Compared to the rest of the game, which is far slower-paced and more gentle, I can see why Nintendo would not emphasize the change further.
And that's fine! Because, for the most part, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is precisely the kind of game it needs to be. It has been a pleasure to play in both long and short stretches, though arguably the latter has felt more natural, and every time I've returned to it, I've found myself smiling within seconds. Like the best Nintendo games, it captures whimsy and warmth better than anyone else. There are no achievements, either, so there's never a sense that you have to do anything. It is gameplay for the sake of the experience, and there's something lovely and pure about that.
Yes, there are issues. Some of the levels are a little too clever for their own good. Even early on, I had moments where getting an entire area to match or the residents to behave in a certain way felt a little too obtuse. Sometimes, picking up a new creature will have them behave in one way, and then moments later, entirely differently. I can't tell if I'm doing it wrong or if I've missed out on an important detail. No matter, it's usually solved by throwing one away and picking up another, which is probably a cruel metaphor for something.
But the graphics are a gorgeous mix of pastel colors and a quasi-stop-motion aesthetic, the soundtrack is delightful, the humor is often laugh-out-loud funny, and it's the kind of game I can give to anyone, regardless of age, and they'll probably love it. Yoshi and Mysterious Book isn't perfect, but it is a beautiful example of the magic that Nintendo is capable of, unlike any other company out there.
