[Nintendo Switch] Kirby and the Forgotten Land ROM Download

Kirby and the Forgotten Land ROM Screenshots

Kirby and the Forgotten Land ROM Description

Kirby and the Forgotten Land feels like a complete redirection for the series, similar to how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was for the Legend of Zelda series. This new entry takes Kirby on an entirely new 3D adventure. You might be thinking you’ve played 3D Kirby games before with Air Ride and Return to Dream Land, and you’d be right. But not like this—Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a true 3D platformer, unlike the limited 3D or 2D-in-3D models of previous spin-offs. And honestly, it’s an absolute blast.

Story and Presentation

The story starts with a sudden void opening up above Planet Popstar. As the swirling vortex expands, innocent residents of the planet get sucked in, including Kirby and Waddle Dee. The gang is scattered across this new world, where giant beasts begin kidnapping Waddle Dees. Now, Kirby has to rescue his friends and restore his home.

Especially for a Kirby game, the story of Kirby and the Forgotten Land seems more thoughtfully constructed, with extra attention given to the characters and overall narrative.

Core Gameplay Feels Like a Blend of Mario 3D World and Splatoon.

The core mechanic of the Kirby series has always been Kirby’s copying ability, and that continues here, where it’s translated wonderfully into 3D. Kirby can move, jump, fly, and float through levels as usual, although his flying is toned down to prevent making him overpowered. Speaking of that, right at the beginning, you can choose between standard or wild difficulty, both of which are still relatively easy, with wild being noticeably more difficult in boss battles where choosing the right copy ability seems more crucial. While exploring the new world to find his friends, Kirby will come across a new set of pieces that put his copying skills to the test. Whereas previous games encouraged you to use your abilities to defeat enemies, Kirby and the Forgotten Land feels different in how they focus those abilities on combat and platforming itself. It even builds on them through an upgrade system.

When you first start the game, Kirby has access to classic copy abilities like fire, ice, sword, and curling. They do the job of fighting enemies and provide that classic Kirby feel. You’re given various challenges to complete at each level, some explicit, some not. These might be collecting several Waddle Dee models, finding secret collectibles, or scouring the terrain for subtitles. They add replay value to each stage, providing more opportunities to rescue additional Waddle Dees and collect the in-game currency that later becomes very useful.

That currency is useful because as you rescue more Waddle Dees, they will start rebuilding their home. This is where you can upgrade your abilities via the weapon shop. It’s a nice mechanic to upgrade your firepower into a volcanic explosion or even turn your single curling stone into double curling. Seeing the evolution of these powers is fun and very handy in boss battles. Later parts of the game even encourage you to use them as platforming mechanics, like using wind power to activate parts of a switch in one fluid motion.

On top of the core copy abilities, Kirby can now inhale inanimate objects into a mouthful mode. While he can’t copy these, Kirby can still control them. It’s silly to execute but very charming. Despite the humorous effect, this essential platforming and puzzle mechanic makes exploring the levels even more delightful.

Vibrant graphics and charming worlds

Kirby and the Forgotten Land consists of 7 worlds, with stage counts ranging from 4 to 6 per world. Those are the main objective levels. However, several sub-levels feel like challenges to test out the different copy abilities. Each world also has a boss battle that pits Kirby against one of the beasts that kidnapped the Waddle Dees. These creatures are huge, lively, and full of character. They are reminiscent of the Mario 3D or Splatoon game boss battles.

Kirby in Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a visually stunning game. It’s portrayed in bright, vibrant colors, instantly evoking the upbeat and cheerful spirit the Kirby series is known for.

The art direction blends the whimsical cartoon aspects of Kirby’s art style with realistic elements to create an impossible yet perfectly harmonious blend. Kirby is animated with lively, humorous expressions in adorable cutscenes. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is genuinely oozing with charm, from the adorable creatures to Kirby inhaling large objects to the wanted posters plastered everywhere.

Video Trailer