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Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
2025 video game From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour[b] is a 2025 video game developed by Nintendo and Nintendo Cube[1] and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch 2. Released worldwide on June 5, 2025 as a launch title for the console, it is only available digitally on the Nintendo eShop.
As an introduction to the Nintendo Switch 2 system, Welcome Tour consists of 170 trivia questions and quizzes, 20 minigames, and 14 tech demos that showcase the console's different features and design in a virtual exhibition setting resembling the console.[2]
The game was controversial upon announcement and had a mixed critical reception upon publication, primarily due to it being priced and sold separately rather than being bundled as a pack-in with the console.[3][4]
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Gameplay
The game is essentially a "digital gallery" of small minigames, each designed to demonstrate certain functions of the system. There are 4 main activities, namely the following, collecting stamps at podiums that mark each point of interest on the accessory the player is on, tech demos that show off a feature of the Switch 2, minigames with a high-score system, and information desks that teaches the player about a certain part of the console followed by a quiz at the end of each.
As the player progresses, the player earns medals, and a checklist displays how many they have left to collect.[5]
The game also features challenges that require a USB webcam, the GL/GR buttons found on the Charging Grip or Pro Controller, and a ultra-high-definition television. The missions can be skipped, but completing them with the accessories is needed to obtain a gold medal.[6]
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Release
Welcome Tour was announced on April 2, 2025, in a Nintendo Direct focused on the Nintendo Switch 2. The title became controversial when it was announced that the game would be paid rather than a pack-in title, costing $9.99USD or $14.99CAD. Many consumers and journalists believed the game should have been free with the console, drawing negative comparisons to Wii Sports for the Wii. Reggie-Fils-Aime, former president of Nintendo of America, also seemingly criticized the decision after discussing the importance of pack-in titles.[7]
The title was released on June 5, 2025, the same day as the Nintendo Switch 2, via the Nintendo eShop.[8][9]
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Reception
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Reception
According to review aggregator website Metacritic, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour received "mixed or average" reviews, based on 52 reviews.[10] At the time of its release, the title was one of the lowest-rated titles of 2025 according to Metacritic, in a list of games with more than 7 critical reviews, and is Nintendo's worst-reviewed game since Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival (2015).[23] 25% of critics recommended the game, with a top critic average of 61/100, according to OpenCritic.[11]
Criticism mainly focused on the game being a paid addition, rather than a pack-in game for the console.[5][10][19][14] Critics negatively compared the game to Nintendo Land for the Wii U or Astro's Playroom for PlayStation 5, both of which were pack-in titles.[18][22][24] Nintendo Life gave a positive review of the game, writing that the game is a "calming, surprisingly engaging hardware exhibition with a handful of cool minigames".[19] Conversely, James Stephanie Sterling gave the game a 1/10, opining that Welcome Tour "might be the laziest piece of shit a publisher's ever put out".[22] Edge wrote that any enthusiasm was "inauthentic", and "forced through the mouths of NPCs" gawking at features in the exhibit.[14]
Japanese outlets were more receptive to Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. Game*Spark wrote that the minigames worked well at demonstrating the technology and would appeal to people interested in technical specifications.[25] Kenta Hatakenaka of GAME Watch compared the game to 1-2-Switch and Wii Play, noting that the games are examples of game software that introduces introduces console hardware through mini-games. He also opined that Welcome Tour stands out by offering a deeper explanation of the mechanisms compared to those earlier titles.[26] Toshin Kagami from Real Sound praised the game for clearly explaining the mechanisms in an easy-to-understand way and found the tech demos interesting. He also notes that the game provides a good experience as a virtual museum. However, Kagami criticized the minigames and the pricing, writing "I wouldn't recommend this to people who just want to play fun games on the Switch 2."[27]
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Notes
References
External links
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