Review: New Super Lucky’s Tale

When Super Lucky’s Tale was first revealed to the world as a Microsoft exclusive, a lot of Nintendo fans were disappointed. The adorable platformer featuring the playful Lucky looked like a perfect match for a Nintendo system. Now, a couple of years after the initial release, Nintendo fans get what they hoped for as New Super Lucky’s Tale landed on Nintendo Switch. Was it worth the wait? Time to find out!

Not the best start

As some of you might remember, we reviewed the original Super Lucky’s Tale back in 2017 and weren’t really pleased with the result, as you can read in our original conclusion:

Super Lucky’s Tale is a harmless kids game that has nothing new or special to offer except for its visual art style. While it’s a solid platformer on its own, the poorly designed camera and framerate issues are what’s keeping me from recommending this to anyone. Which is a shame because I do believe that Microsoft may have a potential mascot for its platform with Lucky.

As you can read, we noticed a lot of potential back in the days but the game was held back due to its own limitations, so why even bother porting it to Nintendo Switch? This must have been a question that was on a lot of minds, bringing Super Lucky’s Tale to Switch seemed like a strange move at first but in the end, it was worth it. This is far more than just a simple port, it’s safe to say that New Super Lucky’s Tale is the game that Super Lucky’s Tale should have been from the start and can easily be considered as the definitive edition.

The best version

When the team was asked to bring their game to Nintendo’s new console, they were extremely happy, pushing them to re-imagine certain elements while fixing the main issues of the original. The biggest change is the camera. Where we couldn’t get over the fact that we couldn’t freely control the camera in the original, this new version comes with a controllable camera right from the start. No longer will you be running around in 2D/3D environments without really knowing where you need to go due to a fixed camera. New Super Lucky’s Tale gives you the freedom to maneuver the camera in any direction you want it to go. This is a huge step forward and brings this game closer to its bigger brothers on the system, yes, we’re looking at you Super Mario!

A controllable camera doesn’t only offer more freedom and joy while playing, it also challenged the team to re-imagine the levels. Since there’s a lot more freedom, there are a lot of unused hidden areas in the levels that are in your reach for the first time. Most levels have been reworked so you can really benefit from this newly found freedom. It’s a blast discovering every little secret in the 3D levels and since this is a platformer that’s clearly inspired by the old day, collecting everything is a huge part of the fun. Thanks to the camera, you’ll never get bored and you’ll always want to challenge yourself to grab every piece of collectible in the level. The game still is targeted at a younger audience but even the veteran players will have to work hard in order to unlock everything.

Solid gameplay

Even without the improved camera, Super Lucky’s Tale offered some decent gameplay but thanks to the major improvements, it finally plays as a solid platformer. The game really gives you what you expect from it, fun open 3D levels, original bosses, an interesting move set (including the ability to dig holes), and gorgeous visuals. Just like the original, this version also comes with 2D segments but just like before, we didn’t really enjoy them that much. It’s not boring or frustrating to play but Lucky simply controls way better in the open 3D worlds instead of the more linear 2D levels. Those levels don’t necessarily do something wrong, they just fall a bit flat compared to how impressive the 3D levels are. That being said, gameplay-wise, New Super Lucky’s Tale really offers a solid experience.

But what about the performance? Well, compared to the Xbox One version, the framerate is lower (30fps instead of 60fps) but that’s something you’ll hardly notice. Lucky never really runs fast, this isn’t a Sonic game, so the framerate isn’t an issue at all. It’s a game where exploration is key so the camera can easily handle your slower actions. Even during boss fights we never faced drops, which is rather impressive! We tested this game on a regular Switch and a Switch Lite and I’m happy to confirm it doesn’t really matter how you’ll play this one; it will always look great! The visuals are a great match for the Nintendo Switch system and the team really delivered when it comes to performance. It runs as it should!

Conclusion:

New Super Lucky’s Tale is a great fit for Nintendo Switch and the improved camera really elevates the game to new heights. On Nintendo Switch, this is simply one of the better platforming games, even if it’s aimed at a younger audience, you’ll have a blast playing it. It’s a game that deserves your attention and shouldn’t be overshadowed by other games on the system.

8.5/10

Tested on Nintendo Switch