Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Good, Wholesome Gaming

I do not believe I ever mentioned talking about the Kirby franchise on this blog before, and with the release of Kirby and the Forgotten Land on the Nintendo Switch, this seems a perfect time as any to talk about the pink puffball and my experiences with playing Kirby games.

Kirby is one of my favorite video game characters. Kirby exudes joy and cheerfulness while having a unique curiosity of the world around him. Not to mention, Kirby is also extremely tough and can beat any monster that terrorizes the universe. The original Super Smash Bros on the N64 is where Kirby really went mainstream for video games, but Kirby had games dating back to 1992 (and as of this year, this is the 30th anniversary of Kirby). I remembered playing many Kirby games on my Game Boy when I was younger, as well as playing as Kirby on various Smash Bros games. The Kirby franchise has not had any terrible games, but I would not say that there was a universally acclaimed Kirby game. There were some great games, sure (Kirby Super Star and Planet Robobot, to name some examples), but there was no Kirby game that was a true standout. After the poor reception of Kirby Star Allies on the Nintendo Switch, it was obvious that the lack of need to deviate from the 2D side scrolling video game was making the franchise stale, and the franchise needed a different direction.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is Kirby's first fully-3D platforming game, and this game is genuinely one of the best video games on the Nintendo Switch. In the basic terms, Kirby finds itself in a post-apocalyptic landscape and must rescue the captured Waddle Dees from the Beast Pack (who are the enemies of this game). This game is still in a level format and Kirby needs to get to the end of the level, so Kirby and the Forgotten Land functions like Super Mario 3D World rather than Super Mario Odyssey. The gameplay is no stranger to previous Kirby games where you swallow enemies and take their abilities, but the things you can do with those abilities feel more fleshed out than previous titles. There is the new 'Mouthful Mode' where Kirby can swallow objects much larger than it, and then it becomes the thing. If you ever wanted to become a staircase in a video game, then this game is for you.

The thing about Kirby and the Forgotten Land that impressed me the most is its attention to detail. Rescuing Waddle Dees and building Waddle Dee Town is where I feel the attention to detail really shines. I had way too much fun running around and saying hi to all the Waddle Dees, and then I can go into my house through the chimney and sleep on my big bed with my Warp Star pillow. Moving Kirby around feels so satisfying and fluid that I cannot think of another video game where moving your character around felt so good. The music for this game is unsurprisingly excellent, and it is a hallmark for Kirby games. Even the graphics look stunning for a Switch title, with the only issues coming from framerate drops on faraway enemies (which is more a Switch hardware issue than the game itself). There is also a sizable amount of side content in the various worlds and within Waddle Dee Town. I also like that there is now a permanent upgrading system for your copy abilities through the Weapons Shop where you need to find blueprints to take to the Waddle Dee (and then pay some coins and rare stones) and he will upgrade your copy ability for you.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the Kirby experience that myself and many others were waiting for, and this game is no doubt the best Kirby game I have ever played. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is not a groundbreaking game by itself, but it is a turning point in the franchise and I believe it can revitalize the franchise. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a better game than Super Mario 3D World, and I think it is just shy of the pinnacle of Switch titles, where Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey would be. I was able to 100% this game in about 25 hours, and my only gripe about this game is that I wish it were longer. Here is hoping for some DLC soon.