At reveal, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour seemed like a charming way to learn about the tech of the Switch 2. A lovely journey through the hardware that would feature some fun tech demos and minigames to show you what your new system could do. And then, like many others, I was shocked to learn that it would not be installed on every Switch 2, but would instead be sold as a separate game. After spending a substantial amount of time with it, I understand why Nintendo is treating it as a premium product, but I couldn’t help but feel I was sold a packet of school assignments.
The package offers an impressive deep dive into what makes the Switch 2 interesting, and Nintendo didn’t spare any production values. It looks great, features a substantial amount of writing, and a surprising amount of character. For all its quality, however, it hasn’t erased that initial surprise when I learned it would cost $10. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour feels like an extended tutorial, and I would have enjoyed it much more if it were just part of the experience of booting up my Switch 2 for the first time.
This should come as no surprise, but Nintendo has a track record of making good video games that run well and have inviting art styles. Welcome Tour looks amazing, and getting to play as a little avatar to walk on top of a Switch 2 is adorable. Playing the game, however, isn’t particularly fun. Making your way through the experience feels like homework. The homework assignments are for a class you enjoy and want to learn more about, but you’re doing homework nonetheless.
Welcome Tour is primarily made of four elements: quizzes, stamps, tech demos, and minigames. Quizzes are the most academic of the activities as you read about how the Switch 2 works and how it was made and then take quizzes on what you learned. The facts are interesting, especially if you want to know more about Switch 2 (which I do), but they can be exhausting as there are many and they will sometimes repeat similar topics.
Stamps are hidden throughout and usually correspond to specific elements like buttons. Finding these is the primary way to advance to new areas and I mostly found the activity unobtrusive at best and a little annoying at worst. On a few occasions, I got stuck trying to find the last one so I could move to a new area.
Minigames are often self-explanatory. They showcase the Switch 2’s new mechanics with little games that are frequently surprisingly challenging. I was usually satisfied with defeating the lowest tier of these games, then would be shocked at how difficult the next tier would be, and walk away. These games are primarily used to show off the new mouse controls, and there were none that stood out to me as games that I would want to revisit, but as a portent of the potential future games that might come to Switch 2 one day, I mostly appreciated them.
The tech demos are highlights and Welcome Tour sets expectations well by explaining they are not meant to be high-score chasing minigames. These are low-stakes, interactive boxes that best show off the Switch 2. I was particularly impressed by the demos designed to show off the Switch 2’s built-in speakers and HD Rumble 2.
Welcome Tour’s efforts to make you consider the work and thought that went into creating the Switch 2 is effective. I absolutely have a greater appreciation for the Switch 2 and its myriad little details, like that one of the tiny legs on Switch 2 dock is shaped differently to prevent it from tipping forward if you tug on it from the HDMI or power cable. When the game goes into great detail to tell you how many things the designers thought of, you can’t help but feel like they truly did think of everything.
The minigames may have been generally underwhelming, and there are some tech demos that feel magical… but it’s just not particularly fun to play. It all feels like after-school study when you just want to be entertained. All the hallmarks of a first-party Nintendo release – overflowing charm and impressive technical aptitude – are here. A lot of thoughtful work went into Welcome Tour to make me understand and acknowledge its $10 price tag, but it’s just not a tour I would recommend taking.
