I had high expectations when I played the Yoshi and the Mysterious Book preview. After the icon's grand reveal in the Super Mario Galaxy movie (featuring Donald Glover's voice acting), I was ready to get my Yoshi on. I'm happy to report that playing this game is a great time, and I can easily see it being a hit with a new generation of Mario fans, as well as longtime enjoyers of our little green friend and those who like a bit of a cozy puzzle game.
Right as you're launched into chapter one, the aim becomes clear - Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is all about experimenting with the game's mechanics. Along with the new Tail Flick ability, which isn't present in previous Yoshi games, you need to flick, lick, hit, and dunk on any creature you spot in the book. There are some seriously cute little dudes to find, including singing toads, aggressive wasps, and even a large drill-like animal, the latter of which was probably the standout of the game to me.
As you play around with each creature, you study how it interacts with its environment. This fills out Mr E.'s pages - and eventually, you're allowed to name each creature, which is why I'm having to describe them to you in this preview. However, experimentation serves another purpose - you can use any creature's abilities to assist you with exploration - for example, an adorable frog in chapter one that produces bubbles was handy to climb the platforms of a chapter four Shy Guy hunt.
That isn't the only way to do it, though. The thing that surprised me about this game was how many ways to play there are. You're encouraged to use what you know to discover more things, and almost anything you can see in the environment can interact with other things. As I got stuck trying to rescue a Shy Guy from a ledge that Yoshi wouldn't have fit into, I found multiple ways of overcoming the challenge - I could utilize a little mouse guy who had a penchant for stealing, or I could try using the creature that emerged in the pool of honey when I ground-pounded it.
There are secrets in every corner of the map, and you can spend as long or as little as you want trying everything you can think of to uncover them. I say little, because I'm famously not that great at being patient with puzzles. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is pretty kid-friendly (and ADHD rage-proof) though, as Mr. E sits in the corner of your screen and gives you hints if you hit L. Alongside this, many of the creatures give you clues as to what to do with it, but make sure you're paying attention, or you might miss vital communication.
I thought perhaps I wouldn't like the art style as much as Yoshi's Crafted World, but I was wrong - as you play, you realize how fitting the art is for the theme of the game, and it really adds to the cozy feel, as it allows you to wander at your own pace. I was also extremely charmed by the soundtrack, which is a pretty magical accompaniment to an already healthy dose of whimsy.
In terms of what I expect from the full game, I'm hoping that the universe gets expanded even more, and that there's a solid progression of creature learning. Based on a miniboss I faced in chapter four, I would hope this culminates in a final boss battle that you have to use every creature you've encountered to take down. Given how wonderfully surprising Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is, I'm sure the full game will have plenty in it that I can't predict at this stage anyway.
The Mysterious Book is probably mostly for kids - the studying of creatures feels like a way to introduce younger generations both to the Mario universe and to the concept of research as a whole - but it's also going to be a banger for anyone who loves cozy games, and of course, those of us who love gallivanting around the best Mario games as Yoshi. It's going to be fun for all ages, and I, for one, can't wait for its release.