[Review] Kirby and the Forgotten World – Give Kirby his 30th birthday

When Kirby and the Forgotten World was announced, I was thrilled as a Kirby fan. How cool would it be to play with Kirby through an open 3D world! However, the question is how classic 2D gaming platforms make the transition to 3D. After all, we’ve seen more games where that didn’t work out well. Without giving away too much, I can already tell you that Kirby succeeded more than perfect!

When a quiet day on Planet PopStar is interrupted…

The latest adventure with our big pink friend isn’t set on PopStar planet this time. Kirby and Waddle Dees on Planet PopStar One day immerse themselves in the forgotten world, where everything turns out to be wrong. To make matters worse, Waddle Dees is kidnapped and it’s up to Kirby to save them. Kirby will have to pass a total of six worlds through the known world map, each consisting of different levels and a boss. Boss fights are very original and fun to play. From a monkey to a dangerous cat, you can imagine her very crazy. Each world also has different bonus levels which are a type of mini-game that takes advantage of the powers that Kirby has. By playing these you can unlock different items. Overall, the game offers a fairly simple story and concept, but it does more than do well and fits in well with the Kirby franchise.

Perfect transition to 3D

When you start playing the first few levels, one thing comes up quickly. The transformation to 3D was perfectly implemented by HAL Laboratories. You still have that familiar old Kirby feel, but in a way we’ve never seen before in a full 3D world. While levels generally have a linear path to follow, there is always more than enough to explore to keep it interesting. The different worlds and levels are wonderfully varied. One time you find yourself in an abandoned shopping mall, while the next time you visit an abandoned amusement park and you wind up quickly on a roller coaster. It’s also nice that the controls work almost perfectly and the game can be accessed in 3D as it has always been in 2D. Since the game is not too difficult, it is a pleasure to play through the many levels. By the way, this is also possible with players in co-op mode. It’s nice that the second player can join at any time as bandana-Waddle Dee.

Distinctive and refreshing

Much of the gameplay is familiar. Kirby can still copy the powers of enemies and that’s totally possible again. In total, you have 12 powers to take over including familiar old powers as well as some new powers. Fortunately, there are also plenty of innovations to be found. First of all, of course, there’s the mouth shape where Kirby transforms into an object. This could be anything. Think of a car, tower, or soda machine. By transforming into an object, you can then solve puzzles again or reach certain parts in a level that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach. In fact, Mondvol’s shape never feels redundant. It is really a fun and original addition to the game and it brings many interesting puzzles. As for the classic copy options, there’s also something new to be found here. You can upgrade these to make the attacks stronger. This is also a nice new addition, especially because in Kirby and the Forgotten World the later levels can get very hot.

The upgrades take place in the shop located in Waddle Dee Village. Give the blacksmith some items (which you can find again in bonus levels) and Kirby’s abilities will be upgraded. By the way, this is not all you can do in the village of Waddle Dee. This beautiful village offers all kinds of extras. You can watch movies, play fun mini-games, pull gas from vending machines and more. The perfect place to relax in between playing levels! The village also gets a little bigger as you progress in the story mode.

audiovisual

Kirby and the Forgotten World look beautiful on the Nintendo Switch. It still amazes me what HAL has managed to get out of the Switch’s relatively limited hardware. The worlds look sharp and detailed, with bright colors splashing across the screen. In addition, the realms are very lively. It has to be said that the game runs at 30 frames per second, which makes the gaming experience less smooth. As delightful as the graphics are, the same can be said about the sound. Distinctive music that feels fresh too: HAL provided an audiovisual gem.

Conclusion

Kirby and the Forgotten World is Kirby’s biggest, sweetest, and funniest adventure to date. Switching to 3D works perfectly. With 6 worlds, it’s still not a very long adventure, but with plenty of additions, this Kirby title will keep you occupied for more than 10 to 15 hours, depending on your playing style. Add to that the beautiful graphics and you’ve got a game that every platform fan should play!

+ Kiby also plays a great role in 3D
+ Fun and varied levels with plenty to discover
+ Mouth shape offers real added value
+ Graphically the game looks beautiful

– …even though it’s at 30fps
– Story mode can still be played very quickly

DN grade: 8.5