A free eShop demo for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book dropped on Switch 2 today, nearly two months after the game launched to mixed reviews, with save data that carries over to the full purchase.
Developed by Good-Feel and released on May 21 as part of the Super Mario Bros. 40th Anniversary celebration, the side-scrolling platformer is built around exploration and creature discovery rather than precision jumping.
Players dive into the pages of a talking encyclopedia named Mr. E, cataloging creatures across hand-drawn habitats. A new Tail Flick move lets Yoshi grab creatures and use their abilities to solve environmental puzzles. The demo covers the game's first chapter, with all progress carrying over to the full version after a July 8 update enabled save data transfers.
This isn't the first time a taste of the game has been offered. An in-store demo was available at Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and GameStop locations starting May 7, with Canadian retailers following in mid-May. But the eShop version is a broader rollout, and a belated one — its arrival was tipped early when a Nintendo news post accidentally went live ahead of schedule.
The timing matters because the game landed with a shrug. IGN scored it 6/10, calling it "the most charming video game bubble wrap you'll ever pop, and not much more." GameSpot gave it a 7/10, praising its experimental nature but noting it won't test platforming skills.
The game sits at an 80 on Metacritic. The broader July push for Switch 2 includes a Brigandine: Abyss demo dropping July 30, the addition of four Game Boy titles to Switch Online, and a new free-shipping perk for European NSO subscribers on Nintendo Store orders over £1/€1.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is available on the eShop now. The full game retails at standard pricing following its May 21 release.
