Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour review: Is it worth $10?

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is one of two first-party games that launched with the Switch 2. The other one, Mario Kart World, needs little in the way of an introduction.

Usually, there's some sort of free game for players to immediately get stuck into when they buy a new console - think Tetris on Game Boy, Wii Sports with the Nintendo Wii and Astro's Playroom with the PS5.

Nintendo has taken the divisive step of making Welcome Tour a paid-for game at $10 (£8) despite a number of players online believing the game should be a pack-in.

So is Welcome Tour worth the $10? Here's what we think.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour will cost players $10 (£8) / Nintendo

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is basically a virtual, interactive museum of the Switch 2 console and some of its accessories. Players choose a character and are then taken to in-game versions of the console itself, Joy-Cons, the console's motherboard, the Pro controller, camera and more.

There's a stamp rally where players must find each stamp corresponding to a specific feature on that part, which are hidden until players are in the vicinity of them, before being able to move on to the next area.

There are tech demos, minigames and quizzes to play through too and each of these offer medals that allow players to try out more of these or more difficult versions of them.

Players can also find lost items and return them to the main kiosk too.

Starting with the stamp rally, this basically acts as a bit of a checklist to say players have at least seen all of the different features of each part of the console or an accessory. It's just a case of running around each area and seeing if a panel will pop up.

This highlights specific features at a very base level but nothing more than that. When a sticker or two is missing, it can be a pain to run around the whole area a few times to find those elusive last ones.

The tech demos and minigames are the standouts though.

Playing the opening stage of Super Mario Bros across the screen in a 4k tech demo is the standout highlight of Welcome Tour / Nintendo

Tech demos and minigames let players try out new features of the Switch 2, such as HD rumble, mouse controls and the improved display as well as accessories such as the Pro controller and camera.

In tech demos, four objectives need to be met before a hidden fifth unlocks. Once all of these are completed, a star is earned.

The standout one by far is the 4k demo which lets players play Super Mario Bros 1-1 on the NES in its entirety across the screen. It's a neat feature and successfully highlights what it sets out to do.

Minigames are generally fun too where specific features are highlighted. Medals are awarded for how well the player performs and for completionists, it can be quite addictive trying to improve to unlock them all.

There are hidden medals to be found too which are the most difficult to obtain of all and unlocking these genuinely felt rewarding. It gives the feeling that players have mastered that specific feature.

But then there are the quizzes.

Quizzes and cycling through information presentations gets tiresome quickly / Nintendo

These feel very dull in comparison. Players approach a desk and speak to a character before a handful of information boards pop up which players read through to find out more about specific features. A short but easy quiz then follows.

There are way, way too many of these and they quickly become disinteresting after the first few. Especially as the information boards act as virtual presentations that feel like you're attending a Nintendo lecture. It's a shame as there is some genuinely interesting information among all the base level facts.

It's understandable that Nintendo is trying to cater to a wide audience here but it feels as though by going into interesting detail in some areas and barely base level in others stick it in no man's land in this regard. It could have been done in a much more interesting and engaging way rather than reading through slides and then taking a common sense quiz at the end.

One caveat is these quizzes are optional and can be skipped entirely.

A feather to Welcome Edition's bow is that players can warp anywhere they've been to before, whether that's a stamp location, tech demo, minigame or quiz. This becomes very handy when handing lost items back into the kiosk as only one can be carried at any one time.

A word of warning for those wanting to complete this 100 per cent - unless players have a 4k TV, USB-C camera and either a Switch 2 Pro controller or charging grip, all gold medals cannot be obtained.

For those that don't have these, the corresponding minigames can be completed with a cheat code - but this only unlocks a silver medal.

These accessories cost a lot of money and this is genuinely quite surprising Nintendo has locked a certain level of progression behind this. It leaves a bit of a bad taste, especially when Welcome Tour already costs $10.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is definitely one for Nintendo diehards and perhaps even for those who are on the fence about it / Nintendo

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a unique, virtual and interactive museum crossed with a tech demo that hardcore Nintendo fans will enjoy.

It does have some good moments; its minigames and tech demos are generally fun and engaging but the vast amount of quizzes become disinteresting and skippable very quickly.

For Nintendo fans, tech enthusiasts and completionists that genuinely want to peek behind the curtain of the console's design, who love getting the highest scores in minigames and want to check out some pretty cool tech demos that utilise new features of the Switch 2, Welcome Tour is worth the $10.

Even for those who are curious about it, a good time can be had, especially with the tech demos and minigames as quizzes can be skipped. Thought will need to be had if $10 is worth something players are sat on the fence about though.

But for those who'd rather get stuck into games, check out Switch 2 features organically and play with friends, as Welcome Tour is not free, it's not essential for these players and probably isn't worth it.

indy100's view is that Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour should have been a free pack-in - but we did enjoy the tech demos and minigames and it became addictive beating high scores. Quizzes and stamps? Not so much.

6.5/10

Elsewhere from indy100, a look at if the Switch 2 Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are worth it and could Call of Duty finally be coming to Nintendo consoles?

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