Is Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World worth the price?

I’m one of the biggest Kirby stans out there, but I’m also one of the franchises biggest critics. Yes, if a game stars Kirby, then I’m going to get it. Yes, I will be critical of it if the game isn’t fun. Or, I’ll be critical if a newly announced Kirby game seems whack. For instance, when rumors circulated of a new Kirby Air Ride for the Switch 2, I immediately noped out of it. But what about the announcement of a gussied-up version of Kirby and the Forgotten Land for the Switch 2? That’s a different story. I had a blast with the first game on Switch, so I knew that I would naturally have a blast with this. The game’s price tag is not cheap. If you played the original and don’t want to shell close to 80 USD for the same game with prettier visuals and about three hours’ worth of new content, then that’s valid. Remember, I’m a lover of all things Kirby and it’s been a couple of years since I played the original – a game I already hold in high regard. To me, it was worth it.

Kirby’s adventure starts on Popstar. While walking outside on a sunny day and minding his own business, a giant vortex appears in the sky. It sucks Kirby and a gaggle of Waddle-Dees into a strange new world not too different from our own. As he explores further, he sees some nasty critters capturing the Waddle-Dees and putting them in cages. Once again, Kirby needs to do what he does best: stop the meanies from being mean and figure out what’s going on. With the help of his adorable new friend Elfilin, Kirby will travel this bizarre new land and rescue the Waddle-Dees. Surprisingly, the end of the game has an info dump regarding what happened to the world and the reason for kidnapping the Waddle-Dees. Otherwise, it’s a standard Kirby tale filled with adorable characters and adorable moments.

The Star-Crossed content begins after clearing a few stages. A heart-shaped meteor falls from the heavens and spreads stardust across the land. Living pieces of the meteor called Starries have been scattered, and Kirby is the only one that can rescue them. Essentially, the Starries are celestial versions of the Waddle-Dees. By gathering Starries, the meteor’s true form will be restored. These stages are unlocked as each world is completed. While they aren’t groundbreaking, they do add some extra content in terms of levels, enemies, and discoveries. The way this content gets connected to the original feels a bit contrived, but seeing as this is a Kirby game, a strong narrative isn’t the most important thing and can be largely viewed from the background.

Kirby’s adventure takes him across green fields, snowy plains, abandoned malls, and more. The areas where the Starries need rescuing are covered with stardust, adding a really nice aesthetic to a game that already looks great. This should go without saying, but Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a gorgeously fluffy game. Kirby and all the creatures encountered are polished and perfect. Every area is detailed, lovely, and vibrant. The amount of care put into the game’s presentation cannot be understated. The music is great, and the voices are adorable, but they’ll fade into the background because you’ll be too busy ogling as much presentation as possible. Unlike most games, he doesn’t traverse the multitude of stages in 2D.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a full, 3D adventure that has you controlling Kirby (and Bandana Waddle-Dee if you have a buddy to play with) in every direction. Every stage is fun to explore because there are secrets everywhere. These can be collectible figurines, coins, food, or some of the captured Waddle-Dees. Fulfilling hidden objectives results in additional Waddle-Dees getting rescued. The Waddle-Dees that get rescued gather in an abandoned area of this new world and work together to build a town. So, the more Waddle-Dees you rescue, the more features you unlock in the town. Ultimately, the town will be filled with mini-games, an arena, a movie theater, and more fun distractions.

One of the Waddle-Dees in town can evolve Kirby’s copy abilities. Kirby comes with his usual arsenal: running, floating, jumping, sliding, guarding, and of course, swallowing enemies to gain their powers. Classic abilities such as sword and cutter have returned, and there are new ones such as ranger and drill. But, thanks to the ability to evolve his abilities, it’s accurate to say that there are dozens of brand-new abilities in this adventure. Evolve cutter to throw sawblades that ricochet off walls. Evolve ice for the ability to generate snowman that can sled towards enemies. To evolve an ability, you’ll need to find a blueprint and special stones. Remember: explore each stage thoroughly! To add, Kirby’s Mouthful Mode allows him to take the shape of a car, a vending machine, a scissor lift, and more real-world objects. Having more oomph behind his attacks is helpful because, by Kirby standards, this can be a challenging game. In fact, all the rewards from the epic boss showdowns will require you to emerge victorious without sustaining any damage. The entire game is filled with variety, action, and non-stop enjoyment whether you’re in a new stage or chilling in the Waddle-Dee town.

The added content and side-activities such as the various levels of the Arena make this one of the longer Kirby titles. I couldn’t find a timestamp, but I’m guessing my file was in the range of 15 to 20 hours after I achieved 100% completion. Reading that play time, the follow-up question is probably if it’s worth it. If you’ve never played Kirby and the Forgotten Land, then yes. If you have, then the answer isn’t as black and white. Kirby fans that couldn’t get enough of the original will enjoy it. But, if the original wasn’t anything special to you, then you’re better off saving your money for a new, proper Kirby game. (Air Ride does not and never will count.) For me, if you couldn’t tell, I had an absolute blast. Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World was the perfect way to break in my Switch 2. I was skeptical about both it and the console, but my journey through a favorite game made me sure of this decision. I’m excited to see what Nintendo’s most recent console and their best mascot will have in store for the future.

Overall, 9/10: High price aside, Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World is an amazing retelling of one of the pink puff ball’s best, modern adventures.