While Kirby may not garner the same respect as some of Nintendo’s other mascots, only a handful of years have gone by where the Japanese publisher has not released a new platformer or spinoff title featuring the pink puffball since his debut title nearly thirty years ago. With multiple appearances on nearly every Nintendo platform and over 38 million copies sold, the Kirby series has quietly established itself as a mainstay through its mainline platformers and various spinoffs. While Kirby has embraced 3D graphics since the start of the millennium, however, his traditional platforming adventures have always been sidescrollers, with Kirby Air Ride, Kirby’s Blowout Blast and Kirby Battle Royale being the only spinoff titles to properly utilize 3D spaces. Considering Mario and Link have been exploring sizable open spaces for over two decades now, it has been somewhat surprising to see Nintendo be so hesitant to give their ever-hungry pink blob the same sort of step forward that the series could take advantage of.
That finally changed in 2021 when NintendounveiledKirby and the Forgotten Land, a post-apocalyptic adventure that will allow Kirby to fully explore the ruins of a mysterious island where he must save the Waddle Dees from an evil group known only as the Beast Pack. Much like his side-scrolling titles, Kirby will be tasked with jumping and floating past various obstacles, as well as inhaling enemies to defeat them and copy their abilities to use for himself. The Forgotten Land will introduce at least two new copy opportunities, the Drill which enables Kirby to dig underground and surprise unsuspecting enemies, and the Ranger which gives Kirby a gun-adjacent weapon to defeat enemies from a distance. The new and returning copy abilities will be able to be upgraded in the Waddle Dee Town, the main hub area that will gradually be populated with the rescued inhabitants who will in turn unlock minigames and other rewards for Kirby to take advantage of.
Recently, Nintendo raised the curtain on the Forgotten Land’s most substantial new mechanic,Mouthful Mode, which grants Kirby the ability to inhale and control larger objects, such as a car to drive around in, a vending machine to spit out various objects at nearby enemies and a cone and scissor lift which both enable him to reach higher areas. While the manner in which Kirby swallows and embodies the object of choice is unique in its appearance, the mechanic itself seems directly inspired by the likes of Super Mario Odyssey, wherein Mario threw his new friend Cappy onto other objects and begins to become them and take advantage of their skill sets. Considering Odyssey has yet to receive any DLC or sequels that fully explore the potential of this copying mechanic, providing Kirby with a similar ability as the flagship mechanic feels less like rehashing a popular feature and more like an exciting opportunity to flesh out one of Nintendo’s more creative ideas in recent years.
Fortunately, Kirby won’t have to explore the Forgotten Land on his lonesome, as a second player can join in on the fun as Bandana Waddle Dee, although it’s unclear if your partner can also enjoy the benefits of Mouthful Mode. Players can also compete against one another online in the aforementioned minigames. With Kirby’s signature flair for platforming and copying being bolstered by open 3D spaces and new ways to interact with the world alone or with a friend, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is shaping up to be one of the pink puffball’s most promising adventures to date. If the creativity we’ve seen so far can continue throughout the length of the post-apocalyptic journey, then the Switch could have its next exclusive must-buy platformer when Kirby and the Forgotten Land launches on March 25.
