Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed Worlds Review
Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed Worlds
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Genre:
PEGI: 7
Comments:
These Nintendo titles are starting to become a mouthful, but if Nintendo wants to keep adding content this good to older games, I’m definitely going to be here for it! Kirby and the Forgotten Land was one of our favorite games on Nintendo Switch, and we don’t plan to hash out that review here, so check it out if you are interested! The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed Worlds is adding a host of stuff to an already fantastic experience.
If you own the original game on the Nintendo Switch 2, the brand new content can be yours via a paid upgrade. I was skeptical of the paid-upgrade system Nintendo was rolling out, but after playing through the added content in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, I knew there was value here. The game is also available as a complete bundle, hence the name Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed Worlds.
In Kirby, players will run around well craft worlds collecting a variety of items, killing enemies, and ultimately finding the end of the level. Kirby does so by taking on the forms of enemies and items in the world, giving him special powers that he can use to get over high walls, blast through walls, fight with a variety of weapons, and so on. Until Kirby and the Forgotten Land, I wasn’t really a big Kirby franchise fan, but that all changed. And I was really reminded of that when I loaded up all the new content.
All of this is started when a heart shaped meteor crashes into Kirby’s world, and a new story takes off. The result is remixed levels and tons of new extra content including more difficult bosses, more gacha content, and other things we cannot talk too much about! With two remixed levels per world, that’s an additional 12 levels to re-explore! As a result of the crash, crystal fragments called Starries are scattered throughout the world, and now Kirby has yet something else to find and collect. Once you finish the first world of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, you can unlock the new Starry Stages, and these go along with the main story seamlessly, something I had some concerns about.
The Starry Stages are phenomenal, as they highlight the worlds and levels we know with new areas to discover. Exploring these new areas and looking for Starries and other collectibles was a lot of fun, and as it’s been a long time since I last played Kirby and the Forgotten World, a lot of what I was doing did feel really new and unique. That’s a pretty solid selling feature for those that completed the original game when it first came out, if you ask me.
Honestly, if all Nintendo did was supply a new world and altered stages, I would be pretty happy, even at the upgrade price. That said, I was also thrilled to see and try out new Mouthful Modes. Kirby can now transform into a placard sign (making him a sled), a spring that allows him to jump and bounce to new heights, and a gear that allows Kirby to attach to walls and begin climbing vertically without the need for platforms. This not only allowed Nintendo to create new worlds within old worlds, but also added new puzzles and new solutions, something I think past players are going to really enjoy. Spring Mouth, Sign Mouth, and Gear Mouth are all fantastic new modes.
Another major improvement with this release is an added dash of difficulty. Listen, I’m not sure Kirby games have ever been the hardest experiences, but Kirby and the Forgotten Land felt relatively easy, at least when it came to regular enemies, and even numerous boss fights. That’s all changed here, as the crystals have made the enemies larger and more formidable. And while we won’t spoil any of the bosses or other major monsters, there is a difficulty spike here that will make those looking for more of a challenge really excited about. Still, I’m not sure the added difficulty is going to impact younger players. It will be a tougher experience, but I think Nintendo has balanced this better for all ages.
Other obvious improvements, if you’ve been playing older games on Nintendo Switch 2, is improved visuals and a much better framerate, now a steady 60 frames per second. The upgrade to 1080P in handled (up from 720P) and 1440P (up from 1080P) docked is a big improvement as well. And this is a game that deserves fantastic visuals. In a game like Kirby, improved graphics and framerate goes a long way in making the entire experience feel so much smoother, and ultimately more satisfying. While these aren’t reason enough to make the upgrade, they are an added bonus to go alongside a fantastic game with tons of new content.
Whether you are purchasing this for the first time, or simply doing the upgrade, I think the value is here. Nintendo did a great job not only adding new content, but improving the look and feel of the game as well. With new remixed levels, harder bosses, and so much more, there is so much here to enjoy!
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Article By Adam Roffel
