Everyone’s favorite adorable pink puffball returns in an all-new 3D adventure! Gracing the 3D realm officially for the first time, Kirby embarks on a quest through a mysterious and unknown land chock full of enemies, surprises, and a boatload of things to do. As a kickoff to Kirby’s 30th anniversary, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is shaping up to be an unforgettable adventure. Here’s why you should be excited about Kirby’s upcoming game!
5. Diverse Overworld
This time around, Kirby finds himself in the eponymous forgotten land. It’s a realm unlike anything else Kirby has ever seen, which is quite the statement given the pedigree and number of adventures he has under his belt (this probably being due to the cancellation of previous 3D Kirby games).
Kirby and the Forgotten Land takes players to a world where civilization has been left behind and overtaken by nature. From metropolitan cityscapes, desert wastelands, tropical resorts, and even a fully functioning amusement park, Kirby’s adventure will take him through a myriad of varied and diverse locales, each with its own unique set of enemies (old and new), themes, puzzles, and environmental storytelling (more on that later).
Each of the main regions has its own set of sub-level zones, requiring the player to clear through them sequentially before facing off against a boss (or bosses) to mark the end of each region. The player accesses whichever area they want to visit via Kirby’s trademark warp star, letting players replay any level and area they’ve completed so far. Very standard Kirby fare in a world quite unlike anything we’ve seen before. Every area also has collectibles that contribute to the…
4. Cute Main Hub Area
A major portion of Kirby’s quest, aside from the usual shtick of beating up interstellar bad guys and eating copious amounts of food (which are not mutually exclusive things), revolves around rescuing Waddle Dees.In most Kirby cases, these docile, adorable marshmallows serve as enemy cannon fodder, put in place to be pulverized by Kirby (and players) on a powertrip. However, much of Kirby’s efforts in Forgotten Land have him rescuing the Waddle Dees from the Beast Pack, who are (you guessed it) beast-like foes that capture the poor Waddle Dees in cages for some nefarious reason. It’s time for Kirby to be the hero he always is.Upon rescuing the Waddle Dees, they are then safely transported to the main hub world of Forgotten Land: Waddle Dee Town. Here, the rescued Waddle Dees will populate and rebuild the once crumbled ruins into a more suitable place to stay, not just for themselves but for Kirby and his allies as well. Waddle Dee Town serves more purpose than being a mere collectathon for players. The town offers a variety of services, like a restaurant, hat store, post office, gift shop, and even a battle arena where players may cross a familiar face (or mask in this case). There are also minigames for players to access where they can serve food to a massive line of hungry Waddle Dee customers or unwind and relax at the fishing pond. While the functions of the aforementioned services have been deduced based on the appearance of the storefronts, they have not yet been fully described. However, they serve as proof that Kirby’s efforts in rescuing the Waddle Dees will be rewarded, quite literally. Players need to rescue specific amounts of Waddle Dees to refurbish parts of the town. If nothing else, seeing the adorable Waddle Dees go about their day, chilling in all their cute glory is enough of an award all by itself.
3. Returning and New Copy Abilities in a New Space
It’s not a Kirby game without his trademark copy ability. Kirby and the Forgotten Land brings back classic copy abilities like Cutter, Hammer, Sword, and more, while also introducing new ones to the table, like Drill and Ranger. No two abilities showcased so far share the same niche, warranting use and experimentation for the sheer amount of mayhem players can cause when unleashing their power. All the main copy abilities can be further upgraded at the shop in Waddle Dee Town to further amplify Kirby’s power.On top of standard copying, Kirby’s inhale now affects objects found in the world, like cars and vending machines, with mouthful mode. Similar to how in Mario Odyssey, Mario could use Cappy to take control of various objects in the overworld, Kirby can do the same to great effect. As a car, he can traverse the world at great speed and as a vending machine he can spout out snacks as attacks against enemies. He has a variety of these Mouthful abilities that will aid players depending on the circumstance in a mouthful of creative ways.What sets this game’s abilities apart from previous titles is the fact that Kirby can use his powers in a 3D space, not limited to his usual 2D platforming confines. This liberating degree of movement diversifies how each ability can be used in this newfound space, best illustrated by the new drill ability. Kirby can burrow underground and tunnel his way around to find hidden items and even lay a special attack on an enemy should he drill a circle around an unsuspecting foe. This type of move/attack and interaction would not be possible was this game stuck to its usual 2D roots, and we can’t wait to see how many new things we can do, not just with the abilities, but also with the space we use them in.
2. Co-Op Kirby Adventure
Most recently unveiled is the Co-Op functionality in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Though Kirby can most definitely solo most of his adventures (and he most definitely boasts a resume that purports such), adventuring is always better with a friend at your side.Fan-favorite Bandana Waddle Dee makes his Forgotten Land debut as Kirby’s Co-Op partner. Despite not having Kirby’s powerful copy ability, Bandana Waddle Dee makes up for it with his spear prowess. He can use it to puncture foes, throw it in an arc to deal with pesky enemies at range, and even fly with his Waddle Copter move to rain down spears on enemies below him.It’s interesting to note that Bandana Waddle Dee will be present throughout cutscenes and minigames, as shown in trailer footage when Kirby, Bandana Dee, and Elfilin eat Kirby-themed hamburgers and also when Kirby and Bandana Dee relax for a bit of casual fishing. It’s neat to know that Kirby’s co-op partner will get some screen time, too.It is not known if Bandanna Waddle Dee is the only co-op ally or if there are other playable characters, whether unlockable or purchasable. The only downside to co-op is that currently, it will be local only, unable to be played online with friends, which is a huge shame given how fantastic Forgotten Land looks when played alongside a buddy. Regardless, we’re happy this option exists anyway, and we hope for an online multiplayer update/expansion sometime down the line. Fingers crossed.
1. Unraveling Story
Upon seeing all the trailers released so far, many are left with more questions than answers about Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s story. Currently, it appears that the Forgotten Land is a place outside of Dream Land or even Planet Pop Star, given that Kirby is drawn into it by a mysterious glowing wormhole at the start of the game. Over the overworld map, these portal-like rifts can also be found scattered throughout many landmarks. The reason for these rifts is not clear, but it wouldn’t be unusual for a Kirby game to have some sort of eldritch, otherworldly being who is behind all these strange happenings.Then, there’s the Beast Pack, the main antagonists Kirby will be pitted against in Forgotten Land and Elfilin, Kirby’s guide and partner. Why is the Beast Pack out to get Kirby? Why are they capturing Waddle Dees? Is Elfilin someone Kirby can trust? It wouldn’t be the first time something so cute and innocent would serve as the ultimate and horrific big bad at the end of the game. On top of it all, however, is the world itself. Just what is this place Kirby and the players find themselves in? Why does it stand in such stark contrast to all other worlds Kirby has visited previously? Did the rifts take Kirby to a world resembling ours or did they transport Kirby somewhere further (or potentially behind) in time? The weird radio signal noises in the trailer as well as the rocket ship motifs in the amusement park have us wondering about this. What makes us further this line of questioning is how differently titled this game is in other regions. Named “Kirby of the Stars: Discovery,” as opposed to the Forgotten Land, it has us further questioning what bearing this “discovery” aspect will have on the story and the Forgotten Land at large.Our burgeoning questions will be answered in due time when Kirby and the Forgotten Land releases on March 25, 2022, for the Nintendo Switch.
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