Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a big release for the powerful little protagonist, bringing his brand of interstellar adventure to the Nintendo Switch in a major way. While the 3D presentation and world design is the most immediately noticeable element, Kirby and the Forgotten Land hasn't lost the charm and simplicity that colors each of Kirby's adventures along the way. The result is something that, while not as earth-shaking as Metroid Dread was for its respective franchise, remains a compelling and exciting new look for Kirby.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is light on story, as those familiar with these games might have expected. Kirby is immediately caught up in a plot to kidnap the Waddle Dees and ends up on a planet that closely resembles Earth, had it been abandoned long ago. The mossy cityscapes, long-forgotten beaches and other environments are both aesthetically pleasing and a little unnerving. The balance is maintained well, and it's only strange if a player chooses to dwell on it for a while - early on, a trip through a decrepit mall offers up a lot of questions, only some of which get answered along the way.
The primary innovation for Kirby and the Forgotten Land is also made possible by this new environment. Mouthful Mode offers up some great means of traversing the world, whether it be as the already-famous Karby or in many other more niche transformations, like swallowing a vending machine. Mouthful Mode is also powerful, combining a change in pace as far as traversal is concerned with an immediate benefit to dealing with enemies in addition. Watching Kirby attempt to maintain these forms and how they impact his adventure is always a joy, and the quirkiness never fails to land.
Traditional Kirby features are also on full display in Forgotten Land. Long-standing power-ups like swords, bombs, and more make their triumphant return, and the 3D world means their usage is even more fun than before. Kirby's Chakram ability is a great example of this, with the ability to keep his weapons spinning away from him as he dodges enemy attacks. There's more strategy available in Kirby and the Forgotten Land and, while it's not a particularly challenging game, the few instances of tricky bosses or enemy setups are solvable in multiple ways, making for a customizable journey.
Another success for Kirby and the Forgotten Land is how that malleable journey is buoyed by a wonderful soundtrack and an immaculate additional system in Waddle Dee Town. As Kirby progresses through the game, he rescues the kidnapped Waddle Dees and brings them to an encampment where they can join their friends, slowly building up an entire community. That community adds features to the game over time, including RPG-style upgrades to power-ups. If players enjoy using the Chakrams, for instance, they can upgrade them to be more effective - and throughout the game, finding power-ups that are preferred is always fairly easy, except in sections explicitly designed to introduce a power or mechanic.
For all its successes, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is also somewhat limited by its approach. The core of its gameplay still feels rooted in the principles of a 2D platformer, and while Forgotten Land does enough to feel exciting, it also features some dearth in action as Kirby progresses through environments. It's fairly easy to mindlessly spam whatever ability Kirby currently has to traverse the world, and simplistic additional goals and secrets in each environment don't offer much in the way of reasons to replay each level. Boss design is interesting from a visual perspective but, outside of a few stellar instances, they're mostly just large enemies with predictable attack patterns.
That being said, it would also be strange for Kirby and the Forgotten Land to suddenly depart from the identity that's made Kirby titles so widely loved. While the simplicity of its presentation and gameplay will no doubt result in some players finding the game a little less captivating, that same approach will enamor plenty of children and adults alike. Not everything needs a gritty reboot - though even here, Forgotten Land does feature several apocalypse tropes - and this Kirby adventure never forgets its roots.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an excellent marriage between gameplay innovation and accessibility. For every enemy that perishes if caught in a light breeze, there's a power-up that immediately makes exploring a level feel completely different than the last. Between the permanently brilliant visuals, the warmth of Waddle Dee Town, the mini-games that pepper the overworld map, and the many variants of Mouthful Mode, Kirby and the Forgotten Land does nearly everything right in bringing Kirby into modern console gaming. It's well worth a look for anyone who wants to put having fun first, and in that sense, it's a game that never fails to bring a smile to its players' faces.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land releases on March 25, 2022 for Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a digital download code for the purpose of this review.