For many, Lara Croft is synonymous with Sony PlayStation and the classic "tomb raiding" of the late 90s. However, the Lara Croft Collection brings together a different, often overlooked era of the heroine's history. This collection bundles Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light and Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris—two isometric, arcade-action titles that strip away the gritty realism of the "Survivor" trilogy in favor of pure, puzzle-solving fun.
Now ported to the Nintendo Switch, the question isn't just if these games hold up (they do), but if this specific port offers the "best" way to play them on the go.
Technically, no. Ethically? That's up to you. However, from a pragmatic standpoint:
For the retro collector, the NSP is superior because it decouples the game from the Switch hardware. In 10 years, when the eShop dies, the NSP will live on your hard drive. the lara croft collection switch nsp best
On the Switch hardware, the collection performs admirably. Feral Interactive has a reputation for solid Switch ports (seen in Alien: Isolation and the Total War titles), and they deliver here.
The "Best" Aspect: If you are looking for the "best" version of these games graphically, the PC or PS5 backwards compatibility versions win. However, if you define "best" as accessibility and convenience, the Switch version is the winner. Being able to jump into a tomb for 15 minutes in handheld mode, or instantly drop-in/drop-out with a friend on the couch using two Joy-Cons, offers an experience other platforms struggle to match.
| Feature | Switch Version (NSP) | PS4/Xbox One Version | PC Version | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Portability | Excellent (Native Handheld) | None (Remote Play only) | None (Steam Deck除外) | | Visuals | Good (Lower shadows/textures) | Best (Higher resolution/textures) | Best (Scalable) | | Performance | Stable 30 FPS | Stable 30-60 FPS | 60+ FPS (Hardware dependent) | | Co-op | Local/Online (2 Player) | Local/Online (2-4 Player) | Local/Online | | Loading Times | Fast (Internal Storage) | Fast | Instant (SSD) | For many, Lara Croft is synonymous with Sony
If you search the keyword, most results point to this specific half of the collection. Why? Because Guardian of Light is widely considered the best isometric Tomb Raider game ever made.
Why it’s the best:
Performance on the NSP: The game runs at a silky 60fps in docked mode and a locked 30fps in handheld. The "best" NSP scene release has no stutter when entering the Spider Tomb. For the retro collector, the NSP is superior
The base game on the eShop is approximately 5.2 GB. The "Best" NSP release is usually found in the 4.8 GB to 5.1 GB range. If you see a file claiming to be 1GB, run away—it is either a broken update patch or malware.
The optimal scene release (usually from groups like SUXXORS or Venom) uses proper Sigpatches and doesn't strip out multi-language audio. Stripping out languages you don't need (like French or German) can save 500MB, but the "best" release keeps the English and Japanese audio intact for cutscenes.
The Switch is the "best" console for local co-op, and these games were built for it.
The collection compiles two isometric, puzzle-action adventure games developed by Crystal Dynamics.
Unlike the main Tomb Raider reboot trilogy, these titles focus on arcade-style action, cooperative puzzle-solving, and fixed-camera perspectives.