Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour by main developer, Nintendo EPD, and Nintendo Cube:
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour (Nintendo Switch 2)
Developed by Nintendo EPD (Entertainment Planning & Development), with Nintendo Cube onboard to help with planning, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is an educational single player experience that released on June 5, 2025, for the Nintendo Switch 2 system.
As a launch title for Nintendo’s latest console, this is the game most will likely sleep on due the type of game that it is and the fact it does not come packaged with the Nintendo Switch 2 itself. This fact alone already doesn’t sit right with potential players, and we can understand why. For a game all about letting players learn all about the inner workings of the Nintendo Switch 2 and why certain changes were made, perhaps the best option would have been to make it a pack in title, or at least free with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. However, this did not happen and nor was it packaged with the likes of the new Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, which could have been a nice incentive to upgrade sooner for those who haven’t.
However, if we cast our minds back to March 2017, the same arguments were had about a certain other Nintendo Switch launch title. Many believed 1-2-Switch was overpriced and should have been pack in title for the original Nintendo Switch, but that didn’t happen either. And despite the many complaints, it still got a sequel. Nevertheless, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is here to stay, and it does come with a $9.99/£7.99 price tag, but let’s dive into what price tag gets you.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour starts off with a parade of people, waiting to enter the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour exhibit. Players are free to pick whoever this wish as their character and once your choice is made, it is time to enter the first area, which is based on the left Joy-Con 2 controller. Should you be unhappy with your choice, you are then free go back to another area and pick another character.
Once in an area, however, players are free to explore within the confines of said area. As you explore, you can find lost property in the form of hats, sunglasses and more. There is one per area and 12 areas in total. The only downside is once you find a lost property item, it must be taken to the information desk in Area A before you can pick up the next piece of property you encounter.
Still, lost property isn’t the only thing you can encounter whilst exploring as there are also stamp stations. With 150 stamp stations across the game’s 12 areas, there are plenty to come across and they will only pop up when you are near them. But most are easy enough to discover as most stamp stations are next to or on top of their corresponding button/component. (For example, the HOME Button stamp station can be found by the HOME Button on the right Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con and the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.)
Finding the stamp stations and interacting with them to get your stamp, are an essential part of gameplay as each area has a given number of stamps to find and you cannot progress to the near area without finding all the stamps in the current area, you’re in.
Something else that can be encountered when exploring each given area, are Quiz desks. By interacting with the NPC at the Quiz desks, and saying yes, you can gain access to reading little tutorials that give the player insight on how specific features function and once you’ve read up on everything, you can go back to the Quiz desk and answer the questions put forth to you. The questions do not vary, and you need only to select the answer from the options available.
If you get a single question wrong, you will fail the quiz, but each quiz can be taken at any time. But since there is actual gameplay in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour to be found, other than figure skating on a Nintendo Switch 2 screen, it’s time to tackle that.
Aside from exploration and quizzes, the other two main features of Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, consist of minigames and Tech Demos. Both rely on a medal system, as you can earn trophies by playing them and meeting certain requirements, and more minigames and Tech Demos can be unlocked by meeting the medal requirement to play them. Where the two differ, however, is Tech Demos are universal in their design and reward only one medal upon completion, whereas minigames have multiple medals up for grabs and beating them for the first time unlocks new stages.
Minigames also differ in their overworld appearance as each minigame reflects the game it has you play with each game designed in a different way to teach you the many ways you can play and interact with your Nintendo Switch 2, the dock, all controller types and a big focus on the all-new mouse mode. Unfortunately, just in case the initial price tag isn’t off-putting enough already, while that purchase of $9.99/£7.99 is enough to beat the game, it’s not enough to complete the game. This is because added spending is required, in the form of additional accessories being necessities. Necessities such as: a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip, a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera and a 4K TV.
While Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour can feel like a bit of a swing and a miss at times, it is as enjoyable as it is insightful. It may not be as laugh out loud funny as 1-2-Switch or as extensive as Game Builder Garage, but it is a pleasant combination of the two. What’s more, for those who aren’t tech savvy enough to take apart their actual Nintendo Switch 2 and learn its inner workings, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a cheap alternative for those seek this knowledge and be free from the worry of putting things back together wrongly.
We do wish this game some success as we love the colourful vibrant art style and high-definition displays of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its inner workings. We would love to see Nintendo take this style of game and do more with it, because who wouldn’t want a Nintendo Museum or Super Nintendo World Welcome Tour game?
Game Specifications:
Developers: Nintendo EPD, Nintendo Cube
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 (Digital)
Genre: Adventure, Education, Simulation
No. of Players:Â 1 (Single System)
Release Date:Â June 5, 2025
Price:Â $7.99
File Size: 1.6 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
