It’s become a bit of a trend lately that when a new console launches, it’s accompanied by a game designed to really show off what your shiny new kit can do. From Wii Sports to Astro’s Playroom, these pack-ins are often a pleasant treat for early adopters or those keen to impress their mates with their latest purchase. Come on, we’ve all done it.
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So, with the Switch 2 launch, it was fair to expect a similar pack-in title. Well, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour fits the bill, blending interactive manual elements with mini-games to showcase Nintendo’s new hardware.
Price Gripe
But there’s a significant catch here. And, it’s one that has stirred up a fair bit of discord and ruffled a few feathers. You see, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour isn’t a free pack-in. Instead, it’s a standalone title priced at £7.99/€9.99.
This is a major misstep from Nintendo. While £7.99/€9.99 won’t break the bank, when its added to the £400/€470 or more you’ve just spent on the console, it feels like an unnecessary sting.
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However, if you can move past that somewhat bitter pill, you’ll find an interesting little title that clearly had care and effort poured into it. It blends mini-games, instructions, trivia, and even a few Easter eggs into a charming, compact experience.
Paid Welcome Tour
Presented as a guided exploration of the Switch 2 itself, the game resembles a massive museum or even an Apple Store, with each feature of the console presented as a new exhibit.
The visual style is clean and, in some ways, quite clinical. You play as a tiny character wandering around a console-shaped building alongside plenty of other little people.
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There are four core activities to engage with. Collecting stamps by finding points of interest. Playing tech demos that highlight new Switch features. Taking on mini-games that use those features in a gameplay setting. And, reading information panels that can later be quizzed.
Each task earns you a gold medal, and collecting more medals unlocks additional content. It’s a solid system, although at times it can feel like ticking off a to-do list with no real narrative or goal beyond completion.
Accessories Required
This ties into a broader issue. Some areas of the game are locked behind accessory requirements. If you don’t have the camera, a 4K TV, or a Pro Controller, then those sections simply remain inaccessible.
While it’s not a deal-breaker, it will no doubt irritate completionists. That said, this feels more like downloadable content — great if you have it, and not essential if you don’t.
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The tech demos and mini-games are a mixed bag. The demos are the more engaging part, letting you explore parts of the console you might not encounter otherwise. The mini-games are more score-focused, often built around timing and quick reflexes to earn gold medals.
They do a decent job of showcasing features like the improved rumble and new mouse-style controls. However, some lack depth — one game, for instance, is just about scraping paint off a surface. They all have a WarioWare-like vibe, just without the characteristic whimsy.
This underlines the game’s biggest flaw. It’s essentially a one-and-done experience. Let’s be honest, after an hour or two of tinkering, most players are unlikely to return. As the showcased features begin to appear in full titles like Donkey Kong Bonanza or Drag x Drive, Welcome Tour will lose much of its relevance.
Mario Oddity
Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour is a bit of an oddity. Part instruction manual, part tech demo, part mini-game collection, with a sprinkling of trivia. It’s hard to shake the feeling that this really should have been bundled in with the console, or at the very least offered free to Nintendo Online members.
For now, it provides a fun few hours and will likely be remembered as one of only two first-party launch titles for the Switch 2. But in the long run, like many manuals before it, it will probably end up tucked away in a drawer, mostly forgotten
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