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Yoshi’s solo games have always been a contrast: beautifully crafted art styles that belie a somewhat thin gameplay designed to appeal to younger audiences. After previewing Yoshi and the Mysterious Book it felt like Nintendo created a cozy, side-scroller with the accessibility of older titles but added extra depth and replayability to gamers of all ages. Yoshi, Nintendo’s beloved green dino, has a moveset that includes familiar techniques such as his signature ground pound and egg toss. He also has an extendable tongue, and his jumping flutter kickes are now longer lasting than ever. If you reach a certain height, you will be able to float through entire levels. Yoshi can now throw certain enemies on his back using a new mechanic. This is a nice change after being treated as a burden by Mario, and it allows Yoshi to use the person he’s carrying in order to interact with other elements on the stage. Yoshi can, for instance, make plants bloom by putting a Crayzee dayzee (one the new flower characters), into his saddle. This will earn him stars and reveal secrets. In Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, you can choose new levels based on which character you want to meet next. NintendoInstead of just remixing the beautiful textile-inspired visuals from Yoshi’s Woolly World or Yoshi’s Crafted World we saw, Nintendo chose to give it a treatment similar to a bedtime story. The game is hand-drawn and features a cell-shaded look that gives characters and backgrounds more depth and impact. The animations have a glitch (which I originally mistook as a bug), which gives them a stop motion effect. It’s like watching the pages of a book flip by, instead of frames being refreshed in a digital display. The biggest change is that Yoshi and the Mysterious Book does not follow the traditional side-scrolling style. This title is a mixture of an adventure game and platformer. Instead of simply running to the left as fast as you can, the game encourages players to explore, experiment and backtrack to see what new tricks Yoshi can find. You don’t want to do as I did, and just mindlessly run around and eat every enemy you come across. They may be more valuable alive than they would be if they were turned into an eggs. It’s like Nintendo took a similar approach in Super Mario Bros. Wonder to subverting the expectations, but here they build on that style of play even more. Yoshi now decides who rides on his back. NintendoTo further emphasize the storybook concept, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book allows you to have greater control over the way you unlock and explore levels. You can choose stages by moving the magnifying glass on a character. This allows you to experience their personality. Spending tokens from each level will reveal tips on how to complete certain objectives. Once you’ve completed a level, Mr E., who is also the game’s narration and the title character of the book, will let you name each new character. Yoshi can help Shy Guys without fighting by flinging them onto his back and bringing him home. NintendoThe only thing that old-school sidescroller fans may not like is that Yoshi does not take damage. He’s virtually invincible. This is a great feature for kids, as they don’t have to worry about running out lives or searching for coins to heal. After playing through a few chapters, I found the game to be challenging. The learning process is a little more forgiving. I had to bounce off of the heads of a bunch of Croakaokes, the chubby amphibians who make noises when you jump on their heads. This was to reach a high platform. You can still play the notes in order, but if you miss a jump or make a mistake, you’ll have to start again. Even if you don’t do any damage, enemies such as Bunchabees can still chase you and cause you to lose your way if you ignore them. Croakaokes sing when Yoshi jumps onto their heads. NintendoYoshi’s latest adventure may not be the traditional side-scrolling game, but it is a fresh take that offers a new level to exploration and adventure. The real test will be whether it gets my kid’s approval. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is available for pre-order now for the Switch 2 before official sales begin on May 21 ($70 for a physical copy or $60 for a digital download).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/yoshi-and-the-mysterious-book-preview-a-choose-your-own-adventure-even-adults-can-love-130000507.html?src=rss