The Action Platformer is my favourite genre of video game. The Nintendo 64 was the golden era for me and since the late 90’s, it’s been a long harsh drought for good 3D platformers. That is until now with the Nintendo Switch, which has slowly been bringing the genre back and I am rejoicing. Although, all of the platformers on the Switch have not been gems or necessarily done the genre proud. New Super Lucky’s Tale is the latest to take the task of reviving the genre. Honestly, it’s one of the best I’ve played on the system and I’ll tell you why in my New Super Lucky’s Tale Switch Review!

To note, a review code for the game was supplied for review by the game’s publisher Playful.

Kitty Litter

Lucky, a young fox, gets separated from his older sister because of the devious Jynx and his band of baddies knows as the Kitty Litter. After he gets sucked into a portal, Lucky must set out across several worlds collecting pages to reform the powerful Book of Ages. The book is the only way to take down Jinx and be reunited with the only family he has left. Are you brave and skilled enough to guide Lucky back home?

Gameplay

Like any proper Action Platformer, there are collectibles galore, a double jump and several varied worlds with colorful inhabitants. The variety of level types is fantastic. There are five different types of levels spread across the game, providing a great experience. I will briefly discuss each type of level:

2-D Side Scrolling Level – Get from the start of the level to end- very straight forward.

3-D Level – Usually tasks you with helping out an NPC with a specific quest or collecting items. Some of these can be impressively large levels.

Auto Run Level – Lucky will run automatically and the player attacks, jumps and tunnels to avoid enemies and obstacles to reach the end of the level.

Statue Puzzle – Very Zelda-like puzzles that require you to push statues around tracks to unlock sections of a level.

Ball Puzzle – Lucky is shrunk down and placed into a ball on a maze board. The player controls the board to move the ball around and collect coins in the maze.

Finding all the Pages

The statue and ball puzzle levels only provide you with one page after completion, but the other three types offer four pages in every one. How to get all four pages in those levels:

1. Find the letters L-U-C-K-Y hidden around the world

2. Collect 300 coins

3. Find the hidden page off the beaten path

4. Reach the end of the level

At the end of each world there is a unique boss battle against one of the Kitty Litter members. The door to the boss fight is unlocked after collecting a certain number of pages. However, no boss door requires you to get all of the pages in any of the worlds. Therefore, there is an option for a completionist to collect everything then fight the boss or a more casual player to get what Lucky needs and advance the story.

Sights & Sounds

Playful did an outstanding job taking note of what already exists in other games and blazing their own path in regards to world and character design. Instead of the common forest, fire, and water type worlds, they went with a sky castle, farming country, tropical island, peaceful dessert, and haunted carnival. Each world’s inhabitants are equally original. Worms run the farm world, wrestler yetis are in the dessert and neon colored ghosts attend the carnival. Lucky is also aided by tiny golems that provide solid comic relief and “Dad Jokes”.

The levels and worlds are gorgeous and original along with the animations. It is a real pleasure to look at all the scenery through the game. I enjoyed the music because it kept reminding me that I was on an important adventure.

Like most games in the genre, characters speak with the weird (and slightly annoying) mumble sound. However, in NSLT most of the NPCs mumbles are done with accents. Examples of this are the sheriff worm and the farmer worms. The sheriff and farmer sound exactly like how a Southern American Small Town Sheriff and Yokel farmer would sound. Even though the creatures you talk to do not say any real words, they’re given extra personality with their accents. Lucky also gives off a young boy-like hopeful cheer, which made me want to see him succeed. It is obvious that he is a young fox, but how his sounds are done really brings his age and courage through.

Questions, Comments Concerns

Honestly, I would have liked to have been able to spend my collected money on power ups/perks over cosmetics. Outfits are of no interest to me, but don’t be fooled, that did not stop me from collecting as much loot as possible in every level. I know there are plenty of people that like to customize their characters- I just do not care for it that much.

*SPOILERS* There is an entire bonus world after you defeat the final boss that offers some amazing additional challenges and game play. Some of the post story content was fairly challenging and reminded me of the secret worlds in the Mario Galaxy games.

I completed that game entirely, including the bonus world. There is a cut scene after beating the final world but I am not sure if you have to 100 percent the game to unlock it. Of course I will not spoil it, BUT if you did enjoy the game I recommend playing the rest to view it.

My only two minor complaints would be the load time length and the fact that you are collecting pages for books. Playful did a great job making original characters and worlds, but dropped the ball with having the same item you gather in Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, and the Yooka-Laylee games.

Final Words:

I officially have a new favourite game that I have ever reviewed and it is NEW Super Lucky’s Tale. Even though the game is geared towards a younger audience in the challenge department, it was still so well done.

New Super Lucky’s Tale is the perfect game for a parent to introduce the action platformer genre to their children. It is a light-hearted enjoyable adventure and feels completely acceptable at the price of $39.99. It seems like Playful acknowledged the game is not the most challenging or longest game out there and in response nailed it with the price point. If you were looking for more of a challenge, then I would recommend Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. However, I had a lot of fun 100%ing NSLT. It is a great option if you are looking to take a break from some of the more challenging games on the Nintendo Switch.

Therefore, I give NEW Super Lucky’s Tale by Playful on the Nintendo Switch my score of

Game Info

Switch Release Date: November 8, 2019

Price: $39.99

File Size:

Mode(s): 1 Player

Genre: Action Platformer

Publisher: Playful

Developer: Playful

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