This might just be one of the most beautiful platformers Nintendo has ever made, and it doesn’t star Mario but his other iconic sidekick. The new Yoshi title looks promising: the friendly green dinosaur returns with a colorful adventure designed for all audiences.

The first big reveal of the latest Nintendo Direct celebrating Mario’s 40th anniversary wasn’t about the mustachioed plumber, but about his faithful Super Nintendo companion: Yoshi & The Mysterious Book. True to the series’ legacy, the game promises a vibrant, imaginative adventure full of puzzles and 2D exploration.

On Yoshi Island, a mysterious book suddenly appears—one that, strangely, cannot remember or read what’s written inside its own pages. Naturally, Yoshi and friends decide to help. That’s the setup for this new platforming adventure starring the lovable dinosaur.

During the presentation, we saw Yoshi interact with plants—and likely other creatures as well—to save them and help the book recognize them. Gameplay is all about cleverly using the environment to solve puzzles. Footage also revealed side-scrolling segments with Yoshi riding a board, floating in a bubble, and more mechanics designed to continue the franchise’s tradition of originality.

Yoshi’s First Standalone Game in Six Years

Yoshi’s last solo adventure was Yoshi’s Crafted World in 2019. At the time, reviews highlighted its charm, artistry, and refined gameplay. Before that, Yoshi’s Woolly World had arrived just four years earlier—making this the longest break between Yoshi’s solo titles in recent memory.

The art direction for the new entry already stands out, blending 3D assets with blurred, storybook-like drawings, which seems poised to become one of the game’s visual trademarks. Nintendo has confirmed that Yoshi’s latest adventure will launch in spring 2026, exclusively on the Switch 2.

Source: 3djuegos