Kirby and the Forgotten Land Review: The Series’ Best 3D Leap Yet
Nomadnest28.com Kirby and the Forgotten Land holds a title few sequels manage to earn: the best entry in the franchise’s history. This marks Kirby’s first real jump into 3D platforming, and the shift pays off with a level of variety and depth previous entries never quite reached.
Copy Abilities Finally Get Room to Breathe
Kirby’s signature Copy ability has always defined the series, but 3D space changes everything about how it functions. Puzzles gain extra layers, combat opens up new angles, and abilities you’ve used a dozen times in past games suddenly feel fresh again. The added dimension gives every power-up more room to shine than the traditional side-scrolling format ever allowed.
Six Worlds Packed With Secrets
Forgotten Land splits its adventure across six distinct worlds, and each one hides more than you’d expect on a first pass. Levels are stuffed with secrets, hidden paths, and clever design quirks that reward players who slow down and actually explore instead of rushing toward the exit. This is exactly the kind of platformer that keeps surprising you, even hours into the campaign.
Mouthful Mode Steals the Spotlight
The game’s biggest new trick comes through Mouthful Mode, a mechanic that lets Kirby swallow objects far larger than himself—cars, vending machines, staircases—and use them to solve environmental puzzles or steamroll through obstacles. It’s a genuinely charming addition, and it injects a layer of unpredictability into gameplay that keeps the core loop from ever feeling stale.
Treasure Road Adds Replay Value
Beyond the main campaign, Kirby and the Forgotten Land tucks in optional time trial stages called Treasure Road. These bite-sized challenges put your Copy and Mouthful abilities to creative use, testing precision and speed rather than exploration. Completing them feeds directly into a satisfying upgrade loop, pushing you to strengthen your abilities and make them noticeably more powerful for the stages still ahead.
Built for Solo Play or Co-op With Someone You Love
Whether you’re working through the campaign alone or teaming up with a friend or family member in local co-op, the experience holds up equally well both ways. Having a second player along doesn’t just add company—it opens up new ways to tackle puzzles and combat encounters together.
Final Verdict
If you’ve been on the fence about picking up a Kirby game, Forgotten Land is the one worth starting with. The jump to 3D isn’t just a gimmick tacked onto an old formula; it genuinely reshapes what the series can do, and the result feels like a delight from the opening level straight through to the credits. For Switch owners hunting for a platformer that balances accessibility with genuine depth, this is an easy recommendation.
