Yoshi and the Mysterious Book preview: a non-threatening Nintendo charmer

When you think of a 2D platformer, you probably think of tough jumps, power-ups, and a ticking clock — accompanied by the constant threat of a Game Over screen if you fail to adequately manage any of those things. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, the new platformer out May 21 for Nintendo Switch 2, does away with all of that. You can’t die, or even be hurt. There’s no countdown clock, and power-up-like abilities are freely available for you to use at any time. Instead of defeating enemies and conquering a level, you’re learning cool facts about the local wildlife and discovering every nook and cranny of an animal’s habitat.