I’ve finished work for the week, picked up my much-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, gone through the set-up process and started redeeming my game codes. Eager to play, I settle in, ready to explore all my new console has to offer, only to discover there’s no pre-installed demo or game, just a library full of games I transferred from my original Switch. ‘Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour’, brought to us by the one and only Nintendo, seeks to fill that gap of an empty console, asking new Nintendo Switch 2 players to shell out $15 (AUD) just to get a glorified tour of a device they already paid for.

It seems like a very unwelcome start to the console’s life. However, I lined up at the entry as my tiny avatar, paid the admission fee (IRL and in-game) and went on through for a showcase like no other. While it was a comprehensive showcase, it didn’t feel like the exciting welcome I expected. 

Stepping through the gates with my tiny avatar onto the massive Joy-Con 2 was a sight. It was like a miniature exhibition right at my fingertips, with demos, mini-games, and informational kiosks scattered throughout. I discovered a stamp rally as I began exploring the exhibit’s first area. The opportunity to test the newly introduced mouse functionality and play around with demos showcasing the HD Rumble 2’s power was a thrilling experience. The comparisons between the tech and performance upgrades from the previous Nintendo Switch added an extra layer of excitement to the tour. 

The demos that allowed me to shake maracas with the Joy-Con 2’s HD Rumble 2 or play a mini-game that tested my ability to identify which animations were 120FPS or under were interesting. After paying my hefty admission fee just to experience this expo, I had another wall to experience all the tour had to offer, requiring medals awarded for successfully completing mini-games before being permitted entry into the next exhibit. A museum-goer gave me a nifty little hack on obtaining more medals with Morse Code, and it felt like another barrier to enjoying a Nintendo world in which I wanted free rein.

I needed to find every component on each part of the Switch and the line-up of peripherals to progress to the next area. It wasn’t long at all before I was exploring area B, where I was already finding interactive spaces that players will run into issues accessing. First up, for anyone who doesn’t own a 4K TV, there is a demo that uses Super Mario to demonstrate the visuals on a 4K TV. Later, anyone who didn’t pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera or Pro Controller will also be unable to participate in a few other mini-games. Thankfully, thanks to NintendoANZ, we were supplied with a Switch 2 Camera and Pro Controller to check these mini games out, but those who didn’t will miss out. 

I had to constantly change my set-up from swapping between detached Joy-Con 2’s to using the kickstand, using the Joy-Con 2 as a mouse, and switching between handheld to having to get up and place the Switch 2 into the dock to use the TV. There wasn’t a dedicated section to each component; they were spread out in a way where I had to consistently change the way I played; it got exhausting changing it up constantly, really making the name “Switch” an apt way to describe the console.

The quizzes provided a decent explanation of each component of the Switch 2 and its functionality. They were straightforward, with information plaques short enough to breeze through each quiz. However, the quizzes aren’t challenging, and plenty of answers are obviously wrong. As much as I wanted to use the mouse functionality to locate sandwich shops, it wasn’t the correct answer.

Initially, I enjoyed applying my newly learned knowledge of the Switch 2. Once I realised just how many quizzes were littered throughout the zones, I began rushing through exhibits seeking stamps, which ultimately, at the endgame, required some backtracking for more facts. The demos and mini-games were interactive enough to think of gamified education, but stopping and reading plaques like an actual museum was a bit of a buzzkill.

There’s a lot to see and do, but sometimes, this was to the game’s detriment; with an overwhelming amount of information to digest and an excessive amount of medals needed to unlock more demos and mini-games, the game felt too long, feeling more like a virtual manual to the console rather than an introductory title.

It’s interesting to see all the insides and outsides of the console, to the point of actually going inside each part without needing to crack open my Switch 2 and void a warranty. In this way, I appreciate the console a lot more as I know the amount of ingenuity that went into it by the Nintendo team, which was impressive, but more a showcase of the Switch 2, which, compared to past Nintendo consoles, feels like a massive step-down in the fun factor, from previously paid launch titles like Nintendo Land and 1-2-Switch.

There’s definitely no iconic stand-out character in the generic avatars. They became iconic in their weirdness, not to mention the absolute banger, the Mii Channel theme from the Wii era; no music here resonates at the same level. I remember cracking open the PlayStation 5 on release and playing Astro’s Playroom. It was an incredible free inclusion that showed off all the console had to offer and was a complete game for which I would gladly have shelled out my hard-earned cash. Coupled with that, AstroBot became so iconic that Astro became the mascot for the Sony PlayStation. With songs like “I’m Your GPU” and flawless performance and graphics, as well as being a hardware-intensive game, Astro showed the PlayStation’s power.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour’s bland characters, basic music and minimalistic gameplay pack the same punch; there’s no mascot here, and I’ve never tested the Switch 2’s limits. It looks super crisp and performs well both docked and handheld, but I wasn’t feeling the overwhelming wonder I wanted when playing my first game on a new console.

This title could be informative to Newcomer Nintendo Switch 2 users, especially older players and parents. Still, it isn’t one I could see kids loving. My understanding of Switch 2 has been bolstered, but it doesn’t justify the cost. There isn’t any reason to return to Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour; with minimal replayability and no way for completionists to get 100% without buying peripherals and a 4K TV, the game’s shelf life won’t stand the test of time. I don’t see myself purchasing this over any other Switch 2 titles that come out down the line.

Written by: Yasmin Noble