Published by RedDeer Games, Lucky Luke: Clock is a $5.99 clock app for the Nintendo Switch. With minimal interactivity, the point of this app is to prop your Switch on your desk using the kickstand and casually watch the time tick by. RedDeer published other “apps” for the Switch like AAA Clock and nOS so this Lucky Luke version can be seen as an extension of their other releases.

Lucky Luke is a lesser-known comic book series that debuted in the mid-1940s (although it is more popular in Europe). Luke and his horse Jolly Jumper often encounter the Dalton Brothers in this satirical take on the American Old West and this app casually demonstrates this.

There are basically two “modes” in this simple app: the time keeping section and the simple mini game.

The main draw is the obvious clock mode which is presented in two different scenarios: an animated Luke riding his horse directly into the camera and another with him resting by a campfire. Both vignettes allow for the user to select between an analog or digital clock and then can adjust the clock size. The horse-riding animation is much more active than the campfire setting but both are well drawn and animated. Also, if you watch long enough, subtle things will happen like Indians sneaking from behind bushes or an extra bird will fly across the screen. Simply put, this is literally just like the clock that is hanging on your wall right now only it is displayed with small Luke animations, a character you might not know.

Also, in case you wanted to go to the extreme, Lucky Luke: Clock also features an alarm function in case you didn’t have a smart phone or clock on your bedside. Will anyone actually use this feature? Probably not but it is here.

The only other form of input comes from the dynamite catching mini game. Just like a Game & Watch title, the player needs to catch dynamite from both sides of the screen using the shoulder and trigger buttons. Unfortunately, this mini game is nearly unplayable because all dynamite falls to the same place on both the left and right side. This means the player won’t know to catch the dynamite high or low (RB or RT, for example) with each toss, resulting in game over after just a handful of tosses. As far as I can tell there is no bonus for playing well but this mini game isn’t design to hold your attention for long anyway.

Since the Switch keeps track of time regardless, this Lucky Luke version is moot but the best part comes from the soundtrack. The somber, relaxing tunes that transition from one to the next is rather comforting. It is oddly calming.

It is easy to make fun of Lucky Luke: Clock because it is a simple apps that doesn’t really do anything. Plus, since it features a mostly unknown B-tier character, and costs $6, I can’t really see American Switch owners getting much from this. If this was $0.99 without a sale, I’d maybe be able to recommend it more if you are one of the few people that want to use your Switch’s kickstand and display a battery-sucking clock on your desk all day. Instead, you might just want to prop up your Nintendo Mario or Zelda Game & Watch re-released systems and watch those clock animations instead.

(Also, since this is just a simple clock app, I am not giving this “game” an official score.)

By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com

X/Twitter: @ZackGaz

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