Playtonic Games has announced a release date for the Nintendo Switch version of its Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor, Yooka-Laylee. The colorful 3D platformer will launch on Nintendo’s hybrid console on December 14th.
Yooka-Laylee was originally revealed for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Wii U. While the game released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in April of this year, the Wii U version was scrapped following the announcement of a Switch port of the title. Playtonic initially gave a release window of sometime in 2017, and we now have a solid date for the middle of the December.
“The Playtonic team has spent many, many months optimising Yooka-Laylee for Nintendo Switch,” Playtonic wrote in a post on their website. “Players can expect a quality experience both on and away from the television and on top of that, Switch players will benefit from the huge list of updates we’ve added since launch such as a brand new camera mode, control improvements, menu options, music… and a lot more!”
Some features unique to the Switch version of Yooka-Laylee include single Joy-Con support across all eight multiplayer modes and a custom achievement system. This will be the first version of the game that allows for portable play, since the Switch tablet can be undocked and played on-the-go.
You’ll be able to pre-load Yooka-Laylee on the Switch eShop beginning December 7th. When the game launches on December 14th, the data will already have been downloaded so you can get your retro platforming on as soon as humanly possible. The game will retail for $39.99, the same price as on other platforms.
A 90’s Kid gave Yooka-Laylee a 9.5/10, saying “It’s an intelligent and humorous adventure not just as a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, but completely on its own.” You can read the full review here for more details on gameplay, characters, and all that nostalgia.
