New Super Lucky’s Tale Review (Nintendo Switch)

Back in 2017, Microsoft treated fans to the release of the “most powerful console of all-time” with the Xbox One X. This advanced system boasted new and improved specs, performance speeds, and a range of other additions. Its launch lineup, however, was a bit lacking. One game, in particular, was put to the test, albeit unfairly. Playful Corp’s Super Lucky’s Tale had the difficult task of being a launch title to show off this incredibly advanced hardware. It, unfortunately, it was unable to gain a positive reaction while also having its own slew of issues. To make matters worse, this 3D platformer launched only two weeks after the highly-acclaimed Super Mario Odyssey. The original game seemingly never stood a chance.

Now, luckily, the developers have gone back to the drawing board and released the game in a definitive package. New Super Lucky’s Tale on the Nintendo Switch takes the game and makes much-needed adjustments to help Lucky gain an audience that he deserves. With new improvements to the camera, controls, alongside others, this is by far the best way to experience the game. There are a few issues within it as well, yet despite this, the game feels better now than it did back in 2017.

A Happy-Go-Lucky World

New Super Lucky’s Tale is a 3D platformer that feels very similar to platformers of the Nintendo 64 and Gamecube era. Titles like Ty the Tasmanian Tiger and Banjo-Kazooie come to mind while playing this. That’s because each level is filled with collectibles that help to unlock the world’s boss fights. Each level has its own sense of exploration as different objectives and obstacles need to be uncovered to reach the end. Along the way, four pages are able to be earned to help progress the game. One is earned from completing the level, another for collecting five letters that spell L-U-C-K-Y, snagging 300 coins earns another, and finding a hidden section of the level holds the last of the four. These pages help unlock the world’s final section while also adding a bit of depth to each level. On the other hand, doing these same four actions throughout every section grows tedious and can become a chore in later areas.

Each world and level have their own unique atmospheres and layouts to them. One section can have you exploring a tropical beach while another takes you to a harvest festival. It’s nice having such variability and discovering what section is going to come next. The game’s hub worlds also feel lively as NPCs spruce up the environment and provide some fun lines of dialogue. Within these hubs are also a Costume Shop where players can dress up Lucky with the coins they earn in levels, as well as some hidden puzzle sections. These puzzles serve as more side-quests with a page that can be earned to lead into the overall total. However, they’re a lot different in design compared to the main levels. Worlds alternate with some having players place a statue in a certain area while others have a marble maze that must be traversed. The marble portions felt wonky due to the game’s controls not translating well to it while the statues, although fun at first, grew to be a tiresome activity. They are nice breaks from the main game but can become overly done as you progress.

Problems with Difficulty

In total, this game can take around 6-8 hours to complete everything in it. Without going through every level or collecting all four pages, it can be finished in as low as 5 hours. I say this because it’s very easy to skip level altogether and quickly complete sections. The game uses a lock on the boss fights that can only be opened with a certain amount of pages earned. This requirement, though, is very easily attainable and often times is done without much effort. It’s great knowing that you can finish things at your own pace, yet at the same time once it was unlocked I couldn’t help but want to just run to the boss areas. Still, this is much better than the original release where almost every page had to be collected in order to open the final boss’ door.

Not only is it very easy to get to these later portions, but the levels themselves also are not hard at all. Barring the Guardian Trials, which is unlocked after the final boss fight, platforming sections and enemy encounters do not pose enough of a threat to feel a challenge. This helps make this a relaxing title to kick back and unwind with but to those searching for a difficult platformer may want to look in another direction. Some levels do contain a sense of difficulty, boss fights as well, yet for the most part, it’s not really there. When the Guardian Trials do arise, though, they’ll more than likely get under your skin at first since there is no real lead up to them.

A Truly Definitive Edition

Playful Corp included both of the original’s DLCs but they aren’t shown in a separate area. It’s very much enjoyed how the two were integrated into the main game. Gilly Island makes its appearance in between worlds three and four, while the Guardian Trials are a fifth island. There are also other noticeable additions and fixes like a tighter control scheme and a better camera. While playing this back in 2017, it was a frustrating experience not knowing how to control Lucky properly and not being able to move the camera how you wanted. With these two being fixed, it feels like how the game always should have been played and is much more enjoyable.

On the topic of control schemes, Lucky is such a breeze to take control of now. His simple move set is fantastic and allows for platforming to be smooth and refined. Also, the new ability to slide on hard surfaces makes getting around and traversing more enjoyable. The developer also included more quality of life changes like better textures, shadows, and story beats to help this product become complete. Although, this title does suffer a bit from slowdowns when a lot is happening on-screen and framerate issues. They aren’t noticeable enough to ruin a playthrough.

With Lucky having a second chance in New Super Lucky’s Tale, the game is now incredibly enjoyable. On the Xbox One, I had no reason to want to continue past the first world, here, on the other hand, it was tough for me to want to put it down until it was completed. There’s no better time to experience this title and it, fortunately, plays well in both handheld and docked modes. Anyone looking for a fun and not-so intense 3D platformer, this version on the Nintendo Switch is a great option and the best way to experience it.

Thank you to Playful Corp for providing us with a review code