When rumors started to fly about a new "Kirby" game back in 2021, I was pretty excited. I enjoy the series a lot, and I liked "Kirby Star Allies" back in 2018, so I was ready for another "Kirby" adventure. And then it turns out Nintendo leaked it online on the day of a Nintendo Direct...hang in there, Nintendo; as someone with a small bladder, holding it in is hard. Regardless, I did not expect the pink puffball's next adventure, "Kirby and the Forgotten Land," to be his first mainline 3D entry. This spelled even more good news for me: after decades of 2D and 2.5D entries, it felt like it was time for Kirby to gain an extra dimension in a 3D platformer. My excitement rose with more content being released, and I was hopeful that this would be one of Kirby's biggest titles. Little did I know, though, that I'd love it enough to call it his best adventure yet.
"Kirby and the Forgotten Land" takes everything that I love about the "Kirby" series, balls it all up into one package, and then expands on it by adding a lot of unique new ideas and features. I'm already so happy the series finally made the jump into a proper 3D platformer in a mainline game, and even if it's not quite the "Super Kirby Odyssey" a few of us joked it would be, that's not a bad thing because the 3D transition is great. The 3D gameplay offers a greater amount of exploration, and the level design is so fantastic that it's hard to not want to explore every nook and cranny of each level in search of collectibles. I also appreciated the game allowing you to upgrade Copy Abilities to make combat even more interesting, and the addition of Mouthful Mode added to both the goofy charm of the game and the exploration-based gameplay. The platforming and combat controls are as fluid as ever, and visually, this game is a treat. The series retains its wildly colorful design but also shows a lot of growth in the level of detail across its environments and character designs. There's also a TON of content and side missions to explore that's extremely fulfilling, and while the game might seem easy on the surface, it provides quite a challenge. Don't let it catch you napping; this game will keep you honest at certain points.
I guess if there's anything negative I can say, I will agree that some of the mini-bosses can be a bit repetitive. It's not too bad, though, especially when you upgrade Copy Abilities to the point where you can steamroll them. Plus, by that point, it's fun to challenge yourself to see if you can get through them without taking damage.
I wasn't sure any "Kirby" game could top "Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land" as my favorite in the series. That game held the top spot for so long that I'd assumed it would stay there uncontested. Now, "Kirby and the Forgotten Land" has claimed the throne. This game is everything fun and lovely about the "Kirby" series all in one, with meaningful innovations and growth in the formula to satisfy newcomers and veteran fans alike. This makes me excited to see what Kirby could do after this in his next journey; now that he's taken the plunge into 3D, how much more will he grow? We might not get that answer for a few years, but in the meantime, play this game. It'll probably be hard to not crack at least one smile while playing it.
Final rating: 10 out of 10 "Fantastic"