Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the first 3D Kirby game - and it might be the last

Kirby's next outing after The Forgotten Land might not be 3D.

When asked by The Washington Post if Kirby would remain 3D going forward after the latest game in the franchise, HAL director Shinya Kumazaki stayed mum on the possibility. "It doesn't necessarily mean this will be the standard going forward," said Kumazaki, adding that The Forgotten Land certainly was a "fresh new look" for the Kirby series.

"We hope to go beyond what is currently imaginable and challenge ourselves to create new and innovative Kirby games," Kumazaki added. Additionally, the director added that the 3D nature of Kirby and the Forgotten Land makes it an "important milestone in the long history of the series."

The Forgotten Land associate producer Kei Ninomiya added that "I feel that what we achieved in this game has opened up more possibilities for future Kirby titles. We hope to continue this momentum and explore new genres and new ways to play in the future."

Right now, it certainly doesn't sound as though Nintendo and development studio HAL have a plan set in stone for the future of Kirby. Then again, it had been four years since the last main Kirby game prior to The Forgotten Land launching last week, so it could well be a fair few years before we see the next Kirby game on the Nintendo Switch, if a new Kirby game even launch in the console's lifespan at all.

Check out our full upcoming Switch games guide for a complete look over all the other titles coming to Nintendo's console this year.