On September 23, 2021, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory announced Kirby and The Forgotten Land with a trailer of Kirby interacting in an open-world 3D environment for the first time in the series. Soon, on March 25, Kirby and The Forgotten Land made its debut and Kirby fans were excited to take home the hungry adorable puffball on his new adventure.
Classic and new Kirby fans unite with their praises of the changes Forgotten Land made in Kirby’s playstyle, the world-building in a parallel dimension, and how they wanted to go to the Kirby Cafe in Japan when they go eat at the game’s Waddle Dee Town Cafe. So how did Masahiro Sakurai’s pink puff do in his latest adventure?
Forgotten Land’s Welcoming Change
Before Kirby and The Forgotten Land, there was a 3D Kirby game for the N64 called Kirby and the Crystal Shards, or Kirby 64 for short. While it is the first Kirby game for Sakurai‘s pink puff, its gameplay left Kirby fans desiring more. Kirby 64’s gameplay kept the traditional 2D gameplay in its new 3D environment. The game did keep the attention of Kirby fans thanks to the Ability Combo. Kirby can combine two separate abilities or two of the same ability to create strong power-ups, including becoming a fridge
Once Forgotten Land’s announcement and gameplay trailers were shown, fans became ecstatic to see Kirby walking and fighting in full 3D. Now with an open-world environment, did HAL Laboratory change Kirby’s playstyle?
How Full 3D Upgraded Kirby’s Gameplay
Forgotten Land has done wonders and created a foundation for future Kirby games that may come into the future. The game made classic fans salivate over the new control scheme. There’s your iconic Kriby puffball flight, suck-and-spit enemies, and absorbing enemies to copy their abilities. Now when the player has no Copy Ability, they can use the wide 3D space to avoid enemy attacks by walking or jumping around them, or you can use the new Dodge mechanic.
The Dodge is such an incredible need in this game. This mechanic is specifically made for the boss fights Kirby will encounter for their attacks require the player to use it. They teach the player to adapt to dodging as levels progress to introduce obstacles that try to stop Kirby.
Then we have Mouthful Mode. What a terrifying feature to have. In Forgotten Land, Kirby can suck in giant objects such as cars, giant traffic cones, and a lightbulb. Due to their sheer size, Kirby can use their functions in different ways to solve puzzles or destroy certain enemies.
Say there’s a crack in the wall but there is no Bomb ability around the area you are in. Kirby can see a car and you attempt to swallow it. Instead, his body is stretched around the car, then drives it into the wall, somehow. Mouthful Mode is a strange mechanic, but it works while fans grew concerned for Kirby’s health.
Open-World Exploration and Waddle Dee Town
One main thing Kirby fans dreamed of was exploring Dreamland in an open environment that wasn’t restricted to side-scrolling. HAL Laboratory took this feedback to heart when they realized they hadn’t experimented with 3D exploration since Kirby 64.
Forgotten Land provided Kirby fans way more than what they predicted this game would offer. With this open-world layout, they created an entire ecosystem that’s bursting with personality. Enemies are not just wandering around maps aimlessly to harm Kirby. Some are interacting with the environment around them like the Awoofies having lunch at an abandoned mall.
The dystopian environments are gorgeous and they all match the aesthetics of the locations they are inspired by. You would expect the areas might grow to become more depressing but they don’t. Each area you explore grows more vibrant if you ignore the enemies approaching you. Even the soundtrack is spectacular with bossa jazz and an atmospheric orchestra.
As you explore levels, you have the incentive to rescue Waddle Dees. They are needed to open boss gates to finish the level you are in. If you are unsure how to find them, HAL Laboratory gave these mouthless critters a sound cue of saying “Wa-Wa” for you to find them if they are hidden well.
Each Waddle Dee Kirby rescue will head over to Forgotten Land’s hub, Waddle Dee Town. This ruined town rebuilds as Kirby progresses his journey. Features will be added as a part of town services including the return of the Arena that made its debut in Kirby Super Star. Seeing the Waddle Dees having their way of life is charming and adorable. You can watch them talk to each other, play music, fish, help them in the cafe, and many more.
Why You Should Play Forgotten Land
Kirby and The Forgotten Land is a love letter to long-time Kirby fans. This is the definitive Kirby game that not only satisfied the Kirby community but welcomed those who looked down upon Kirby and a new generation of fans who were afraid to play their side-scrolling adventures.
For over 30 years, Kirby was seen as a children’s game franchise. Because of Forgotten Land’s gradually increasing difficulty, it provided a challenge that doesn’t rely on using specific abilities to overcome it. The game promoted skill mastery for the challenge it set for classic and new players to learn.
It was thanks to the Kirby community’s feedback that HAL Laboratory experimented with Kirby in full 3D. If it wasn’t for their experience with Kirby 64, Forgotten Land would have never been made. After Kirby’s 64 success, Kirby’s franchise remained in its side-scrolling gameplay for the next 22 years.
The games that tried to explore a full 3D Kirby were Kirby’s Air Ride, a Kirby-themed F-Zero racer, and Kirby’s Dream Course, an SNES Kirby golf game. While they succeeded as Kirby spin-offs, they were the closest experience of a possible 3D Kirby during their era.
Forgotten Land made that dream blossom into something refreshing for Kirby. We have high hopes for the new foundation it has laid for future Kirby games. If you want to pick up a copy of Kirby and The Forgotten Land, visit the Nintendo eShop for a digital download, or visit your local game provider!
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