​New Super Lucky's Tale Review

By Kevin Mitchell  |  Posted: November 8, 2019

Lucky's journey began as an Oculus Rift launch title, where VR enhanced environmental exploration and vertical platforming. While 2017's Super Lucky's Tale for Xbox One and PC offered charming visuals, it suffered from control issues and camera problems. Now, Playful Studios has rebuilt the game exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

New Super Lucky's Tale stands as Playful Studios' finest achievement and one of the most engaging 3D platformers in recent memory. The golem mailman's "dad jokes" charm, and while visual fidelity has decreased from 4K, the redesigns and improvements create a smoother, more enjoyable experience.

The story follows the Guardian Order's betrayal by Jinx and his Kitty Litter minions. When the Book of Ages opens an unstable portal, it pulls in Jinx, his followers, and Lucky Swiftail. Following his sister's guardian legacy, Lucky must collect scattered pages across six worlds and confront Jinx. The game integrates the previously separate Gilly Island DLC mid-narrative, with Foxington unlocking after credits.

Hub worlds connect individual levels while offering their own collectibles. The most significant improvement is the fully rotatable, zoomable camera - a stark contrast to its predecessor's limited viewpoint that often led to fatal falls.

Lucky's movement has been completely reimagined. Now bipedal instead of four-legged, he moves with greater agility. Jumping feels precise and predictable, with improved double-jump mechanics and tail-swing reach. A new sliding mechanic adds mobility options. These improvements make the previous version feel antiquated by comparison.

Though family-friendly and generally unchallenging, the game never feels padded. Each world offers various clover pages through hub puzzles and level challenges. Levels contain four pages each: collecting 300 coins, completing objectives, finding hidden pages, and spelling "LUCKY." Players can tackle levels in any order within unlocked worlds.

The redesigned levels flow seamlessly, from tutorial to endgame. Diverse worlds include classic themes with unique twists: Sky Castle's doe-eyed golems, Veggie Village's farming earthworms, Wrestful Retreat's sports entertainment (featuring "The Penultimate Warrior"), and Hauntingham's ghostly carnival. Gilly Island adds house music-loving fish creatures, while Foxington's post-game challenges offer '80s-inspired visuals and increased difficulty.

Simply Put

New Super Lucky's Tale excels through charm, improvements, and refined mechanics. Despite its moderate length (12 hours) and general accessibility, it offers new levels, included DLC, numerous collectibles, and purchasable outfits. Minor issues include lengthy load times and the absence of level names in pause menus.