Discover and relax in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.

Growing up in the 90’s and 00’s, one of my favorite things to do (outside of gaming, natch) was to watch The Discovery Channel. More specifically, documentaries on said channel about animals. Something about being a videographer and zoologist, and showcasing all the findings was something that had me glued to the screen. (Oh, and climate change is real. If you’re reading this, please do something to help protect our Earth and its wildlife). I mention this anecdote because it felt like I was living my own Discovery Channel experience in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. Indeed, playing as multi-colored Yoshis as they dealt with the shenanigans of Kamek and Bowser Jr. had me thinking about documentaries on animals. Even if you weren’t fortunate to grow up with cable television and its channels centered around animals, I still recommend Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.

The game begins with Bowser Jr. being a mischievous brat as per usual. This time, he causes a mountain of books to fall from his dad’s castle. One book that falls ends up on Yoshi’s Island. He (yes, he) happens to be a talking book named Mr. E. Mr. E’s pages normally contain factoids and information on all sorts of unusual creatures. However, Bowser Jr.’s nonsense turned his pages blank. Mr. E beseeches the Yoshis to help him fill in the blanks. The Yoshis are happy to help in an adventure that is equal parts cozy, creative, and enlightening.

Mr. E’s request makes this latest adventure for Yoshi a unique one because there aren’t high stakes. We’re not transporting a crying brat. We’re not trying to regrow a tree. This time, we’re given a sense of freedom to jot down notes and discoveries on the vast number of creatures that inhabit the world Yoshi calls home. Yes, Bowser Jr. and Kamek rear their heads at times and offer some amusement, but for the most part the story’s focus is on the creatures you discover and Mr. E’s origins.

I’ll admit that I didn’t get behind The Mysterious Book’s gameplay initially. Looking at the game from a high level, you take control of any of the many colored Yoshis, dive into Mr. E’s pages, select a creature to learn about, and enter a 2D platforming stage. Yoshi plays the same as usual. He can jump, hover, use ‘dat tongue to grab enemies and food, ground pound, make eggs, and throw eggs. Within each stage there’s a creature you’ll interact with. Some are familiar such as Crazy Daisies and Shy Guys. Others make their debut in the Mysterious Book. No matter the creature, the goal is to learn as much about them as possible until Mr. E is satisfied.

So, what does this mean? It means interacting with the creature in any way imaginable. Each time a new discovery is found, it will be captured both in the stage and within Mr. E. Looking at the Shy Guys as an example, there is a discovery for eating one, hitting one with an egg, carrying one on Yoshi’s back, jumping on one, ground pounding one, and throwing them at a certain location. But, I’ve just scratched the surface. Every creature has a vast number of discoveries needing recording. Chances are players will find a good chunk of each one on their own, but some require a lot of planning, thought, and timing. There is no health bar for Yoshi to worry about, so it’s easy to make these discoveries at your own pace. Also, each stage has coins to collect that can be used to buy hints on new discoveries. Finally, each stage has Smiley Flowers to gather. These can be given to Mr. E for tools that can aid in discovery.

A stage ends when you decide to exit and/or when you make a grand discovery about the creature you’re studying. Like I said: initially I wasn’t a fan of this approach. No enemies to topple? No life bar? Why is this more of a puzzle game than an adventuring platformer? After adjusting my thinking and realizing what Nintendo was going for, I ended up being hooked. Some of the stages/creatures have some outrageous discoveries that had me going to a video guide to get them recorded. When said discovery got recorded it was a massive relief. Those outliers aside, figuring things out on my own or with the assistance of the coins was always enjoyable thanks to the variety and creativity.

Variety and creativity seep into the game’s presentation. I have to give a shoutout to the finer details. There’s a rainbow selection of colored Yoshi’s to select. Whenever you make a discovery, and that same discovery is mentioned in the book with a picture of Yoshi as the note, the color of the Yoshi used in the game will match. In other words, all the colored Yoshis will be on display instead of just the traditional, green one. That extra attention is worth praising. The game looks crisp and rich. For me, it feels like the first time a Switch 2’s hardware got fully used. The physics between Yoshi and the creatures has a believable, visceral feel to it. Thanks to the game’s more laidback nature, it’s easy to take a few moments to enjoy the surroundings and backgrounds. The music and sound effects match the vibe of the game. Mr. E speaks in his own language and it is absolutely adorable. There are a few stages where the music serves as an Easter Egg to Yoshi’s Island. I’d mention them in this review, but I’ll leave that to players to discover themselves.

There’s a lot to discover in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book; close to 25 hours of stuff. I might be adding or missing a few hours in that time, but hopefully my point is clear: this game is PACKED. Every aspect of this game is polished and shiny. They merge together in a familiar yet unique, brilliant yet unimposing way. Sure, I was ready for the game to be done after my final discovery. I see no reason to ever do a replay after getting 100 percent on everything. But that doesn’t mean the journey of discovery wasn’t any less special or exciting. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a wonderful title. Yes, it might start out with players raising their eyebrows on the flow. Stick with it. Chances are you’ll find your experience like mine as you look forward to what new discoveries lie in wait.

Overall, 9/10: Addicting gameplay. Cozy atmosphere. Join Yoshi and Mr. E on an adventure that combines action, adventure, puzzle solving and (most importantly) discovery.