Welcome Tour’s price had been strongly criticized in the lead up to the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and rightfully so based on what we’d seen. But having played it to completion, it actually provides $10 worth of enjoyment, especially for information-hungry hardcore Nintendo fans.
When Nintendo confirmed its Switch 2 launch lineup, price tags were the biggest talking point. From Mario Kart World at $80 USD to the Welcome Tour at $10, prospective owners weren’t too chuffed.
The Welcome Tour may have been perceived as nothing more than a tech demo, bite-sized challenges and mini-games to showcase the new machine. Given that the likes of Astro Playroom and Wii Sports have both come as pack-in titles, you can see why people will resent paying $10, no matter how much entertainment you get out of it.
However, there’s a surprising amount of content packed in here. For $10, you’re getting a technical breakdown of the new system, a raft of delightful and challenging experiences, fascinating game design concepts, and a healthy dose of nostalgia sprinkled in for lifelong Nintendo fans.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour screenshots
So, what actually is the Welcome Tour?
The Welcome Tour is quite literally a tour of the physical Switch 2 console, in digital form. From the Joy-Cons to the circuit boards, you venture through each component, encountering puzzles and quizzes along the way.
In addition to the mini-games, there are items to collect, and showcases of new features like mouse control. It’s not revolutionary in terms of structure, but it has its benefits.
A most pleasant showcase
Welcome Tour starts on top of the Switch 2 itself. But before long, you’re thrown into the belly of the beast, quite literally, examining the guts of the system.
It does get technical, but rest assured, the information is presented at a pace anyone can digest.
Welcome Tour also reveals a few secrets about its creation, and Nintendo actually draws a comparison between the qualities of the Switch 1’s OLED screen and the Switch 2’s LCD, admitting the new one falls short in some aspects.
One questionable decision is the requirement for other hardware. Beyond the costly purchase of the machine itself, along with Welcome Tour, the game expects you to shelve out even more to complete it.
One of the 12 zones on the map focuses on the Switch 2 Camera. If you don’t own said camera, or any other USB-powered webcam, you’re out of luck. Another mini-game requires the Pro Controller as it shows off the back buttons.
While it’s great you don’t need Nintendo’s own camera at least, these are strange outliers when the rest of the game is completely accessible.
Admittedly, these two examples aren’t compulsory. You can unlock everything else in the game, you’ll just be missing a few odd medals.
Wario Ware lite
The main attraction of Welcome Tour are the mini-games, and there are some doozies here.
Let’s take the new mouse sensor in the Joy-Cons for starters. A solid mix of challenges revolve around making precise flicks, tilting at the right times, or delicately plotting from one space to another.
There are driving games, showing off the new mouse control. Dragging the Joy-Con like a mouse moves the vehicle from left to right. If you tilt it, you can launch onto two wheels.
Another mouse-based mini-game has you picking up shapes, rotating them, and aligning them with spots on the ground. This one shows the surprising precision of the new tech, comparable to proper PC mice.
They’re not all winners though. And trust me, I got every single medal on every single challenge, so I can speak to them with a degree of confidence. Having ‘conquered’ Welcome Tour, I still can’t tell you the difference between a 20FPS clip and one at 30FPS.
Also, it’s a bit of a shame there’s not a leaderboard for the mini-games, as some of the more challenging ones would make for great competition. I’d love to know where I place among the world’s best Spiked Ball dodgers.
Worth the price of admission
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 probably 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.
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