Mario made the jump from 2D to 3D in 1996. Link did it in 1998. Samus Aran switched over in 2002. For Kirby, that year is 2022. Kirby and the Forgotten Land ($59.99) for the Nintendo Switch is the first main series Kirby game to feature fully 3D action, after over three decades and 12 non-spinoff games (16 if you don’t count Epic Yarn, Mass Attack, and Canvas/Rainbow Curse as spin-offs). Kirby makes the transition to 3D with aplomb, but it isn’t the sort of revolutionary step that Super Mario 64 or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time represented. This is the same enemy-swallowing, ability-copying, stage-exploring platforming we’ve come to expect from a Kirby game, just with more mobility and slightly simpler powers. Exploring the Forgotten Land Kirby and the Forgotten Land starts with a vortex that mysteriously appears on the planet Popstar, and sucks in Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight, and a bunch of Waddle Dees. Kirby finds himself on a strange world surrounded by conspicuou...
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the series' first real step into 3D action, and the game deftly makes the transition with its many challenges and secrets. However, there's less ambition on display than you might expect.
Makes the jump to 3D, while keeping the classic games' appeal; Numerous activities to undertake; Lots of secrets to find; Mouthful Mode is interesting, if potentially visibly upsetting
Mechanically simpler than other recent Kirby games; Fewer copy powers