Review: Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch
Pretty in Pink
Kirby and the Forgotten Land has been released one week ago exclusively for the Nintendo Switch and after a short delay caused by the late arrival of the code provided by Nintendo, we bring you our impressions of the latest adventure of the prettiest puff pink ball in the history of video games.
Crowning 30 years of 2D and 2.5D of Kirby platformers, Nintendo brings us the first fully-fledged 3D title featuring one of the most underrated and sometimes forgotten heroes in its portfolio. Yes, Kirby is maybe not Link or Mario, but he is as much a part of gaming history as the others.
We have to admit that Kirby and the Forgotten Land is our first game with the pink blob, but we instantly fell in love with it. We first tried the Demo and after that, we enjoyed the full game.
With a campaign that offers between 8 and 10 hours of unforgettable adventures and with the possibility to enjoy it alongside a friend in co-op, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is truly endearing and unique. The story follows Kirby as he tries to find and save the inhabitants of Waddle Dee Town, who have disappeared after a strange event. Using his significant forces and abilities, our pink hero must search every nook and cranny for the lost Waddle Dees.
With brand new abilities, like Mouthfull Mode, which allows us to swallow any and all objects in the environment and transform into them, plus the already classic Copy ability returning, each stage and challenge will feel fresh and rewarding. Add to that different collectibles, time trials, and other surprises, and the 8 or 10 hours mentioned above can double or even triple.
The levels are gorgeous, the enemies will make you smile and the occasional boss fight will spice things up a little. After completing stages we can return to the town and personalize some aspects of it. Don’t want to go into too many details here because we don’t want to spoil the experience for any of you. Suffice to say that there are enough reasons for you to return and replay each stage multiple times in order to unlock everything available. The animations look great and are some of the most imaginative & original out there.
All Nintendo games have a little magic in them, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land is no different. It’s a joy to play and even just to watch someone smiling while they explore these fantastic worlds.
Thanks to an accessible level design, brilliantly constructed stages, a huge level of attention to detail, and a superb soundtrack, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of the most enjoyable, endearing, entertaining, and amusing experiences on the Nintendo Switch.
Sadly, Kirby and the Forgotten Land has no accessibility options for low vision and blind players, so I wasn’t able to try it out, aside from joining Alina in her adventure. The game runs great both in docked and handheld mode and it even offers the players an extra easy difficulty option, which is welcome, but it would have been nice to also have a dedicated accessibility suite.
In conclusion, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of the best and easy to get into platformers on the Switch and it’s definitely a reason to own the hybrid Nintendo console.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land invites all gamers to a colorful adventure filled with action, challenges, and joy. The soundtrack is insanely fun and the gameplay is addictive. If you are not disabled, you should be able to enjoy Kirby and the Forgotten Land to the fullest, alas, I will still have to keep hoping that Nintendo will make accessibility for the visually impaired a priority for upcoming projects, but until then, I can still enjoy spending time with Alina while she has fun with these games.
Verdict: Amazing
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Review copy provided by CDMedia
Victor Dima
