So now, let's see what other outlets make of the game so far:
IGN: Overall, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is quite adorable. The scratchy fantasy book illustrations are very charming, all the little guys are super cute, and I am a fan of the choice to keep Yoshi half-pixelated in an homage to all the Yoshi games that came before this one. The whole thing might not be truly E for everyone if you were hoping for, say, a successor to Yoshi’s Island for Switch 2. But Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a gentle platformer that seems almost certain to provide an easy on-ramp to the Nintendo ecosystem for the next generation of Yoshi fans.
VGC: From the short segment I played, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book was a pleasant surprise. Its setup feels unique among Nintendo’s other 2D platformers, and if it delivers on the early promise of systemic gameplay, it could turn out to be a real gem in Nintendo Switch 2’s 2026 line-up.
GameSpot: It remains to be seen how Yoshi and the Mysterious Book sustains its entire length. I only played two chapters, and at times it seemed more like a toy to tinker with than a traditional platforming game. But there's something novel at the heart of this reconceptualized idea of a platformer, eschewing combat in favor of play and discovery. It's not something I'd want to see applied across the board, but on a continuum of Yoshi games becoming more inviting for younger players, it fits like a glove.
Metro: While we have questions around its longevity and scope, we came away from Yoshi And The Mysterious Book more intrigued by it conceptually than we expected to be. To an extent, it is reframing familiar platformer tropes – with different creatures tied to mechanics instead of items or power-ups – but there’s a creative playfulness in the way you discover abilities, and secrets, which distinguishes it from Nintendo’s well-worn history in the genre. If it can maintain the surprises throughout, this might be Yoshi’s strongest adventure in quite some time.
Polygon: Despite a slightly odd control scheme and occasionally too-subtle tutorials, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is one to watch for fans of chilled-out platformers as well as parents looking to share their love of games with their kids. I’m excited to see more of these creatures and their adorable habitats — as long as I don’t have to play any more music.
And of course, if you haven't already, then be sure to check out our video impressions too. It's sounding like Yoshi and the Mysterious Book might be one to keep an eye on next month, that's for sure.
Will you be buying the latest Yoshi adventure in May? Let us know with a comment.
