{"id":3875,"date":"2025-06-09T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/?p=3875"},"modified":"2025-06-12T12:19:07","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T12:19:07","slug":"nintendo-switch-2-welcome-tour-review-the-dullest-nintendo-game-ever-made","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/09\/nintendo-switch-2-welcome-tour-review-the-dullest-nintendo-game-ever-made\/","title":{"rendered":"Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour review \u2013 the dullest Nintendo game ever made"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"363\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SEI_254149373-c5de.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23368556\" alt=\"Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour key screenshot of a big giant Joy-Con 2\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour &#8211; who&#8217;s bright idea was this? (Nintendo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Only two Nintendo-made titles were released for the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/nintendo-switch-2\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">Switch 2<\/a> launch and the one that\u2019s not <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/mario-kart\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">Mario Kart<\/a> World is one of their strangest games ever.<\/p>\n<p>Considering they\u2019ve had more than eight years to prepare, the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/05\/nintendo-switch-2-games-list-everything-can-play-now-23335858\/\">Nintendo Switch 2 software line-up<\/a> feels surprisingly undercooked. <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/05\/mario-kart-world-review-progress-not-game-thought-23335304\/\">Mario Kart World<\/a> is great, albeit with some caveats, but <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/04\/03\/donkey-kong-bananza-hugely-entertaining-not-expect-22840599\/\">Donkey Kong Bananza<\/a> is the only other big name first party title to be announced so far and it&#8217;s not one of the two Nintendo published launch titles. Instead, that honour goes to Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.<\/p>\n<p>Nintendo describe Welcome Tour as an \u2018interactive exhibit\u2019 and that\u2019s pretty accurate. You could also compare it to a coffee table book but in video game form; except they usually feature vivid imagery and interesting page design, whereas Welcome Tour is presented in the most boring and clinical way possible.<\/p>\n<p>Welcome Tour has already been compared to <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2020\/11\/06\/astros-playroom-review-introducing-the-ps5-13547502\/\">Astro\u2019s Playroom<\/a> on the <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/playstation-5\/\">PlayStation 5<\/a>, since both are short form releases available at launch, that are meant to introduce you to the new hardware features of their respective consoles. Except Astro\u2019s Playroom is a vibrant, imaginative, and fun-filled diversion, whereas Welcome Tour tries to make the launch of a new console seem as exciting as doing your homework.<\/p>\n<p>The obvious difference here is that Astro\u2019s Playroom is a 3D platformer, whereas Welcome Tour isn\u2019t really a game at all. We\u2019ve seen some describe it as a minigame collection but it\u2019s not really that either, as there\u2019s not many games and they\u2019re all designed primarily to illustrate a different element of the Switch 2\u2019s design, rather than being created simply to be fun.<\/p>\n<p>Welcome Tour isn\u2019t interested in fun &#8211; the concept of fun never even seems to cross its mind &#8211; as you slowly plod from one exhibit to the next, wondering why you\u2019re not playing Mario Kart World instead.<\/p>\n<p>The conceit behind Welcome Tour is that you\u2019re visiting an exhibition composed of giant-sized recreations of the Switch 2 and its various peripherals, big enough for you to walk on and in. Much of your time is taken up with reading \u2018insights\u2019, which are text descriptions of how the Switch 2 works, often going into a surprising amount of technical detail about everything from what VRR is to the type of metal alloy the Switch 2 stand is made of.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tExpert, exclusive gaming analysis\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p>Sign up to the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/newsletters\/game-central\/\"><strong>GameCentral newsletter<\/strong><\/a> for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour \u2013 Overview trailer (Nintendo Switch 2)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OFPTkJaDuZs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>It is interesting, on some level, but the text is mostly very dry and your reward for reading a whole section is a multiple choice quiz, which you have to repeat if you get even one question wrong. There\u2019re no voiceovers but the text is in British English and occasionally there is a hint of humour, such as when one assistant describes the insight they\u2019re in charge of and says, \u2018doesn&#8217;t that just sound FASCINATING?\u2019 in block capitals. Whether that\u2019s meant earnestly or sarcastically is impossible to tell, but we took it as the latter.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t technically have to complete any of the quizzes to progress, as instead access to each of the 12 different areas is dependent on you finding all the <em>stamps<\/em> from the previous area. These stamps relate to different components of a device, like buttons on a controller or the ports on the console, but are hidden until you get very close to them. Often, it\u2019s not at all clear where one will be and you have to slowly creep around every inch of the screen until one pops up, because the game refuses to give you any clue as to where they are.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond that excitement, the other two categories of attraction are minigames and tech demos. These can be quite similar sometimes, but the latter generally require no skill and are simply illustrations of a particular feature, like 3D sound, HDR, or super resolution. They\u2019re often quite impressive, even if the presentation remains as minimalist and low-tech as the rest of the game. Strangely none of the tech demos are concerned with the overall graphical power of the console, which Welcome Tour only vaguely hints at.<\/p>\n<p>The majority of tech demos and minigames are focused on just two subjects: mouse controls and HD rumble 2. The immediate problem with this is that we can\u2019t help thinking that HD rumble 2 is exactly the sort of thing that companies show off at the launch of their new console and then are barely ever heard of again. After all, how many Switch 1 titles can you name with unexpected or inventive use of HD rumble, after launch game <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2017\/03\/02\/1-2-switch-review-party-pooper-6483996\/\">1-2-Switch<\/a>?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"363\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SEI_254896210-4c74.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23368555\" alt=\"Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour screenshot of maracas tech demo\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Now watch HD rumble 2 never get mentioned again ( Nintendo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019re generally only one or two tech demos per area, but usually at least double that for minigames. Although calling them minigames doesn\u2019t seem quite accurate, as they\u2019re essentially just longer and more interactive tech demos, and still usually focused on demonstrating a particular function.<\/p>\n<p>Some are overly technical, like the one where you have to guess the frame rate or spot dead pixels on the screen. Others are more gamified, like a mini-golf game that uses mouse controls and a first person shooter, where you earn up to three medals for how quickly you complete them. However, the time limits for these are peculiarly harsh and even we had trouble getting some of them.<\/p>\n<p>Many of the medals are essentially impossible for a casual gamer and yet collecting medals is the only way to unlock more games or new variants of existing ones, which seems needlessly restrictive. This is especially true as a few, such as what is essentially Twister but with your fingers, can only really be completed with another person in co-op.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"363\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SEI_254897356-da49.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23368588\" alt=\"Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour key screenshot of a big giant Joy-Con 2\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>The isometric visuals are so dull and zoomed out (Nintendo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The only minigame that even seems remotely suitable for turning into a full title involves filling in shapes with a marker pen, which is a neat demonstration of how the Joy-Con mouse works in conjunction with motion controls, as you twist the angle of your virtual pen.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, and the camera one, where you have to pull the same face as the cartoon person on screen, is very impressive. Ignoring the fact that you need a camera for it to work, it manages to detect subtle facial movements incredibly well, even though we have ours set up in a very sub-optimal space, under the TV and quite a distance from the couch.<\/p>\n<p>There are some positive things to say about Welcome Tour. We also like the occasional deep cut references to old Nintendo hardware in some of the insights, to the point where we would\u2019ve been much more interested if this had been some sort of interactive encyclopaedia of Nintendo.<\/p>\n<p>We don\u2019t want to give them ideas for a sequel though, as this has been the most bafflingly unentertaining game we\u2019ve ever played from Nintendo. A great deal of fuss has been made at the fact that Welcome Tour costs money, and isn\u2019t free, but that\u2019s not really the issue. It last six hours or more and from a certain point of view you do get your money\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n<p>The real problem is that even if it was free we still wouldn\u2019t advise anyone play it. Not unless you like the idea of Nintendo deflating the excitement of your new console in the most antiseptic and characterless way possible. How on earth this became one of only two first party launch games for the Switch 2 we\u2019ll never know, but now we\u2019ve wasted our time with this review we\u2019re going back to Mario Kart.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour review summary\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p><strong>In Short:<\/strong> A bizarre attempt to celebrate the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 in the most boringest way possible, with a limp collection of unentertaining minigames made even duller by suffocatingly clinical presentation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pros: <\/strong>The insight information and tech demos are genuinely interesting at times and some of the revelations about how the console is made are a real testament to Nintendo\u2019s ingenuity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cons:<\/strong> None of the minigames are fun and the insights are presented in the most undynamic way possible. Minimalist presentation is very unappealing, and the gating of areas and attractions can be very frustrating.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Score:<\/strong> 3\/10<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>Formats: Nintendo Switch 2<br \/>Price: \u00a37.99<br \/>Publisher: Nintendo<br \/>Developer: Nintendo EPD<br \/>Release Date: 5th June 2026<br \/>Age Rating: 3<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"363\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SEI_254896166-e27b.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23368551\" alt=\"Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour screenshot of mini golf game\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Welcome to the future of gaming (Nintendo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>Email\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:gamecentral@metro.co.uk\">gamecentral@metro.co.uk<\/a>, leave a comment below,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GameCentral\">follow us on Twitter<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To submit Inbox letters and Reader\u2019s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/submit-stuff\/\">Submit Stuff page here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For more stories like this,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/entertainment\/gaming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">check our Gaming page<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"text-justify mb-2\" >Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour &#8211; who&#8217;s bright idea was this? (Nintendo) Only two Nintendo-made titles were released for the Switch 2 launch and the one that\u2019s not Mario Kart World is one of their strangest games ever. Considering they\u2019ve had more than eight years [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3875"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3875"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3881,"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3875\/revisions\/3881"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.nichesitetool.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}