‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’ Review Roundup: ‘Best Kirby Game Ever’
Kirby and the Forgotten Land reviews have started rolling in, and it looks like this might be Kirby’s best adventure yet. Critics have raved about the Nintendo game’s addicting gameplay, cute graphics, and lighthearted nature. On the other hand, some thought it could use a bit more challenge and substance. Here’s our Kirby and the Forgotten Land review roundup.
‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’ is Kirby’s first 3D adventure
After 30 years of Kirby games, it’s finally time for the pink fluffball to fully step into 3D territory. Kirby and the Forgotten Land takes players on an adventure through a lost city, complete with an abandoned shopping mall and broken roads. The evil Beast Pack has kidnapped the land’s Waddle Dees, and it’s up to Kirby to rescue them. Along the way, players can revive Waddle Dee Town back to a thriving community with mini-games and more.
In addition to Kirby’s classic copy abilities, Kirby and the Forgotten Land introduces Mouthful Mode. Kirby can inhale various large objects like a vending machine, car, or light bulb to help him get around and take down enemies in a unique and creative way.
Many critics loved the charisma of ‘Kirby and the Forgotten Land’
The word “best” has appeared in many reviews so far: best Kirby game, best Nintendo Switch game, etc. Many critics have mentioned the smiles that Kirby and the Forgotten Land brought to their faces. Giving Kirby and the Forgotten Land a 9 out of 10, GameSpot commended the game’s charm:
“Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of those games that’s hard to play without constantly having a silly smile on your face. It’s far more than just a cute and charming platformer with colorful visuals, though. This is one of the best platformers on Nintendo Switch thanks to its brilliantly designed stages and a dynamic arsenal of abilities that consistently shake up the moment-to-moment platforming and action.”
Meanwhile, Nintendo Life appreciated the game’s creativity:
“This first fully three dimensional mainline entry in the franchise is bursting at the seams with fun and inventiveness, managing to transpose everything we know and love about past Kirby games to this all-new arena whilst adding plenty of delightful new aspects as it goes. Mouthful Mode is just as daftly entertaining as it looked in the trailers, each and every level is packed full of secrets and dripping in wonderful detail, and there are enough side activities, collectibles and co-op fun here to keep you entertained and coming back for more for a good long while. What a grand way to celebrate 30 years of Planet Popstar’s finest.”
GamesRadar+ called this a “new era” for Kirby:
“The way Kirby and the Forgotten builds on the traditions of the series really makes it feel like we’ve entered into a new era for the pink puffball. The bigger, more open 3D setting full of challenges and inventive features makes this an unmissable adventure for long-time fans. And for newcomers, I can’t think of a better introduction. There’s just no holding back my excitement about what the future may hold for the series going forward. Kirby and the Forgotten Land truly is a delight from start to finish.”
Others thought the game lacked substance
Kirby’s newest adventure is definitely a crowd-pleaser, but it’s not flawless. Some critics thought the game’s charm wore off when it became repetitive. Many of Kirby’s new abilities are introduced very early on, so there’s nothing fresh by the middle of the adventure. The Verge, for example, compared Kirby and the Forgotten Land to cotton candy:
“Much like the carnival confection, Kirby is fluffy, cute, pink, and very sweet. It looks attractive and is so very fun to eat but the minute you put it in your mouth it dissolves. Gone so quickly, you barely noticed it was there. That’s what it’s like playing Kirby and The Forgotten Land; fun for the moment, but lacking any real substance. And that’s okay! Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s surgically deployed cuteness is more than enough to outstrip its relative emptiness.”
That worn-off charm could come from the fact that Kirby’s 3D journey isn’t exactly challenging. AusGamers notes:
“At any rate, what’s here is fun and it’s Nintendo and there’s co-op for families or friends, but it’s all just so incredibly lite-on. And I say this with full appreciation and love of the likes of Super Mario Odyssey and Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Yoshi’s Crafted World — there’s no challenge outside of 100% collection of items and in beating Treasure Road times, the rest is simply a cakewalk, and unfortunately all the bad doggo Awoofys in the game can’t make me think otherwise.”
Kirby and the Forgotten Land arrives on Nintendo Switch on March 25.
