Netflix's growing collection of mobile games may have started small, but the company is committed to growing its collection. Netflix is adding new games to its Netflix Games service this month, the first of which is Lucky Luna, a vertically scrolling pixel platformer inspired by folklore. Announced today at Gamespot's Mobile Showcase, it's an attractive addition to a lineup growing in quality.
Inspired by the traditional Japanese tale 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,' you'll guide Luna through various traps, obstacles, and environments to unlock the secrets of her past. Unlocking these secrets involves collecting pearls and clues scattered across the game's environments.
Lucky Luna's environments are reminiscent of games like Moonlighter. A soothing color palette softens blunt pixels, and the soft ambient glow that permeates every level helps sell the game's mystery. Lucky Luna's beautiful music enhances this mysterious theme. Evoking feelings of radventure, it lifts and swells at all the right moments, even when you're flying through the levels.
But music and environments can't sell a platformer by themselves. Some of the best Android platformers, like Dead Cells, rely on clever movement mechanics, and Lucky Luna's original swipe mechanics give it a fresh take on platformer movement. Rather than pressing on screen buttons, you'll swipe to make Luna dash. It's straightforward to use and results in rapid but smooth gameplay. However, these unique controls mean there's no controller support.
Beyond the story, Lucky Luna offers an Endless mode. Here, the game drops players into procedurally generated dungeons with one life. Daily, monthly, and all-time leaderboards are available for all modes so that players can compete with one another for the fastest time.
While it isn't a massive leap forward for platformers, Lucky Luna is a quality addition to Netflix's library that existing subscribers should try. However, it's unlikely to be the title that turns Netflix's mobile gaming strategy into an overnight success.