When Nintendo held its first Switch 2 Direct, we learned about Switch 2 editions of games and among these was a new version of Kirby and the Forgotten Land entitled Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Land Star-Crossed World. This version comes with improved visuals, frame rates and loading times, but also new content in the form of the Star Crossed World expansion. Before we get to the new content, we should probably catch up on what Kirby and the Forgotten Land is.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the Kirby series’ first foray into a full 3D platformer and the results are nothing short of incredible. Obviously this is different from how a Mario 3D platformer works, but that just helps Kirby and the Forgotten Land stand out more. Kirby has all of his usual power absorbing abilities, along with options to upgrade abilities and Mouthful Mode, in which Kirby absorbs an object that affects his body and allows him to change form, like a car, stairs and more. These Mouthful Modes are needed to move through different areas, and part of the joy of Kirby and the Forgotten Land is just how creative the game is.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land was already a gorgeous game, but Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Land Star-Crossed World pumps up the visual quality to new levels and the game now runs at a solid 60 frames per second, along with less of a smeared look in the display. I also noticed several smaller changes and fixes that are not major things worth mentioning, except to note that Nintendo seems to have addressed some complaints fans had and improved the flow of things. Okay now that we got that out of the way, it is time to move on to what is new.
In Star-Crossed World, a mysterious meteor has crashed and now there are new problems for Kirby to solve. This new expansion sees twelve new levels added that include remixes of some existing stages. However, things get far more impressive as you continue on and some improvements for the Kirby franchise overall are introduced.
I should add that these remixed stages should not be seen as disappointing ideas in any way, because these are very inventive takes on the existing stages, full of flash and honestly just come off as better. Now the new levels in general add something fans have wanted for a while in Kirby and that is a harder difficulty. Not to say that this is Souls-like levels of hard, but that new twists on levels like the iciness added creates a lot more challenge for platforming, even when using Kirby’s flying abilities.
It is honestly such a breath of fresh air that a developer did not just crank up the difficulty but added a way to increase the challenge that makes sense to the game and it is clear HAL has managed to take what they learned with making a 3D Kirby game and do new creative things with these new skills. Along the way, you will fight new creative mini-bosses, reuse the mouthful mode transformations in very exciting ways, and that is before we get into Kirby’s new transformations, which are extremely well done.
Star-Crossed World manages to use the features of the Switch 2 such as the improved HD Rumble in ways that really let you feel the impact of the game. The platforming feels better overall and these remixed stages do not feel like HAL went the easy route when making this new expansion. These remixed stages ultimately feel very different from the stages they are based on, and that becomes more clear as you continue on.
I do need to add that I am not including any spoilers here, beyond what Nintendo has already shown. This is because there are some big surprises in Star-Crossed World and longtime Kirby fans will be delighted by most of these. I can note that the new Mouthful Mode transformations, like Gear Mouth, Spring Mouth and Sign Mouth are extremely fun and do feel like they are pushing the game further than the base game did. All of this combines to provide a ton of new experiences that stand apart from the base game of Kirby and the Forgotten Land in a good way. This is not even going into what is new in the hub town, but I will let you see that for yourselves.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land was already one of the best games HAL and Nintendo ever put out, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World just makes that experience so much better. Some recycled bosses do feel like a bit of a let down for the new content, but that is the only real issue with Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World. Otherwise, this is easily one of the greatest 3D platformers ever made, and a game that is Kirby at his finest.
If you played the original Kirby and the Forgotten on Nintendo Switch and are unsure if upgrading is worth it, then be assured that not only is the new content amazing, but you will want to replay the base game as well, just to see how much it has been improved overall. For the price of the upgrade, you are getting a remaster and a DLC expansion that will keep you playing for hours. And if you are new to Kirby and the Forgotten Land, then Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World is a masterpiece just waiting for you to jump in.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World gets a recommendation from us, and we hope to see more Nintendo Switch 2 Editions like this in the future.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
