Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Reviews
I was surprised by which elements of Welcome Tour I ended up enjoying the most, even if this is ultimately an interactive encyclopedia for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Even if Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour were the pack-in game it feels like it was meant to be, the execution of its charming concept is a muddled collection of quaint tech demos and boring factoids dressed up as an uncompelling completionist checklist.
Expectations for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour were low, but somehow the premium tech demo still manages to fall below them.
At times, Welcome Tour is Nintendo's Fantasia.
It's mildly amusing to rattle Joy-Con like maracas, but a Nintendo table setter should strive to be better than 'mildly amusing'. And that's the strangest part here - Nintendo has not failed with Welcome Tour. It has succeeded in its ambitions. But if the Switch 2 is to match its predecessor, those ambitions had better grow, and quickly.
As one of the two first-party Nintendo Switch 2 launch titles, "fine, I guess, but I'd prefer Magic cards" as my impulse is… not good. And it is fine! It's fine. But "fine" alone is not enough to make something worth bothering with when there are so many different ways to spend your time that are much, much more worthwhile.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour has its charms, but on the whole feels like a strange set of contradictions: a casual primer for power users, and a pack-in game that isn't packed in.
Welcome Tour is a calming, surprisingly engaging hardware exhibition with a handful of cool minigames, a trove of interesting info, and some neat demos that showcase exactly what the little system can do. It makes you feel good about buying the thing, which makes the platform holder's decision not to bundle it with the console utterly baffling. Featuring expensive add-ons you might not own also won't impress anyone who's indignant that the company wants another 10 bucks for this.That aside, it's an undeniably fine demonstration of Nintendo's thoughtful design approach. It's cute, it's fun, and it's a shame the whole pack-in argument overshadows the delightful software. Anyone interested in tech, design, or Nintendo in general should check it out immediately.
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Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour should have been a charming pack-in game.
After a day of playing Mario Kart World and Fast Fusion, Welcome Tour was a light, engaging way to wind down from high speed thrills. While it could arguably be a free pack-in exhibit, the £8 asking price is low enough that you shouldn't feel too hard done by for the curious. If you want a undemanding and easily digested introduction to the way the Switch 2 works, then look no further. If you want an actual game, buy one of the other launch titles.
While Welcome Tour did offer me a few hours of enjoyment and I learned a bunch about the new console, I doubt I’ll ever find the need to come back to it. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, as a paid title, is difficult to recommend, even to the most hardcore of Nintendo fans.
Let’s not beat around the bush. Having Welcome Tour pre-installed on the Switch 2 at no additional cost would have been wonderful. There’s certainly no denying the discourse around it would be quite different, praised as a proper value-add. While $10 is reasonable for the 6-8 hours of fun here, the additional hardware costs bog it down if you’re looking to get all of the medals. At the current price, it’s nonetheless well-rounded and achieves its goal. Alongside being plenty of fun, Welcome Tour is a cool showcase. It’s worth diving in and sticking through to the final area to get a sense of what your new purchase is capable of, while also enjoying some fun mini-games along the way.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is the best way to star using the new console. The information, demos and mini games, are an absolute blast for any Nintendo fan out there.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is actually not bad. It's polished, occasionally challenging, and does an admirable job showcasing what makes the Switch 2 special.
Welcome Tour is a sterile and uninteresting collection of what feels more like homework than fun and engaging games worth the price of entry.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is exactly what it claims to be: an interactive manual with a few bells and whistles. It's the Wii Sports of the Switch 2 era, helping users understand the console, its features, and how it all fits together. While charging $15 for something that feels like it should've been bundled might be a turnoff, the level of detail and interactivity makes the price somewhat justifiable. It's not a must-have, but if you want a fun way to explore your new console, it's a decent way to spend a few hours. Just don't rush through it; enjoy it for its charm.
On one side, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a good entry point for whoever wants to discover the console's potential, but on the other side you have to pay for it as you would any other game, without nothing more to show for it.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A sleek but ultimately pointless release. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour feels more like a paid interactive manual than a game'dull, uninspired, and lacking the fun we expect from Nintendo.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Some may baulk at the idea of Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour being a paid download, but given the sheer amount of care and attention poured into every tiny aspect of this delightful product, it really feels worthy of the entry price. Nintendo has crafted not just a virtual tour of the entire Switch 2 console and all current accessories, it’s delved into the past for mesmerising titbits of historical goodness, put together a wealth of oft-hilarious quizzes, and packed in breathtaking demos to show off the tech involved, all on top of a wide selection of awe-inspiring mini-games that will keep you coming back for more. Only a lack of online leaderboards for the mini-games really holds this back from greater heights.