It might have started off as a virtual reality title for the Oculus Rift before moving to the Xbox One as a console-exclusive to show off the power of the Xbox One X, but now developer Playful have brought their old-school platforming adventure New Super Lucky’s Tale to the Nintendo Switch. With each subsequent platform it has released on there seems to have been an extra word added to the game’s title, but the ‘New’ here actually feels quite significant – there’ve been a LOT of changes made to the game this time around that have seen Lucky’s little adventure evolve from being just a mediocre experience to a truly delightful one that platforming fans won’t want to miss.
New Super Lucky’s Tale puts you in the role of the titular fox who, through a series of unfortunate events, ends up getting pulled into a magical book known as the Book of Ages. This book is full of worlds that Lucky has been tasked with protecting, and with a heinous posse of cats on the prowl too, he has really got his work cut out if he wants to save the book and return home. Basically, it’s your typical platforming plotline, but its presented in a charming and endearing way so it’s easy to get invested in the tale as you work through Lucky’s adventure.
New Super Lucky’s Tale keeps things pretty simple as far its platforming mechanics are concerned: Lucky is able to jump, double-jump, dive underground, and use his tail to give enemies a smack. He has a new sliding ability this time around too, which flows into movement fluidly to make it even easier to maintain momentum as you run and jump across levels.
The levels themselves are all fun to get through, with both open 3D levels that encourage exploration and traditional 2D-style levels to get through. Each feature an array of enemies to take down, platforming sections to test your jumping skills and finesse, and puzzles to test your brain, so there’s a decent amount of variety to be found. There are even puzzle levels that change the gameplay formula up a bit, and some of them are TRICKY – they’re never frustrating, but you can expect to be perplexed for a good few minutes as you look to figure them out.
Between it all, there’s a really jolly time to be had in New Super Lucky’s Tale with the gameplay proving perfect for both younger gamers and those who enjoyed the ‘good old days’ of platforming adventures. There are plenty of collectibles and secrets to find along the way too, so there’s a good emphasis placed on exploring every nook and cranny of levels in order to see what the delightful world has to offer.
Of course, this is the ‘New’ version of the game, so you can expect some improvements too. The most obvious is the camera, which has changed from being restricted and only turning in increments to being completely free to control and able to zoom in and out on Lucky. Not only does this make the platforming a lot less restrictive, but it also allows you to appreciate the vibrant locales a lot more too. Honestly, the new camera is a game-changer for New Super Lucky’s Tale and improves the experience tenfold.
There are some other new additions such as Lucky’s aforementioned sliding ability, whilst levels, locales, the visuals and cutscenes have also seen some revamping in order to make them more enjoyable too. It’s as if Playful scored through the game and replaced all of its shoddy bits in order to give Switch gamers an experience that genuinely feels ‘New’, and in fairness they’ve done a great job of it. The game also comes with all of the previously released DLC so there are some extra levels and trials to play through, whilst there are plenty of costumes to unlock to revamp Lucky’s appearance throughout your adventure.
The only real flaw in New Super Lucky’s Tale is the difficulty, with the game rarely proving testing outside of the puzzle-based levels. After getting my platforming fix on the Switch with Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair and Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy as of late, I’ve been used to a stern test – rarely did any of New Super Lucky’s Tale’s levels challenge me though, with the platforming never feeling less than easy throughout. Of course, it doesn’t stop the game from being fun, but those who like a real challenge from their platformers might be a little disappointed.
Summary
New Super Lucky’s Tale improves upon almost everything we’d seen in previous iterations of the game and in turn has developed into a special little platforming adventure. Sure, it keeps things simple with its gameplay and it isn’t the most challenging of releases you’ll find in the genre, but it’s packed to the brim with charm and is an utter delight to play from start to finish.
Whether you’re complete new to Lucky’s adventure or returning to it after experiencing its more mediocre releases on other platforms, New Super Lucky’s Tale is a platforming joy that fans of the genre won’t want to miss out on.
Developer: Playful
Publisher: PQube, Playful
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Check out the official website through this link.
