In my humble opinion, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of the best Kirby games of all-time. Opening up the pink puffball's platforming escapades more than ever before, the 2022 adventure very much felt like a big step forward for my favorite Nintendo character. It really shined bright on the Switch too, with beautiful, inviting stages and creative level designs that playfully made the most of Kirby's copy abilities. Complete with memorable boss fights and the newfound Mouthful Mode power – that allowed the hero from Planet Popstar to use his stretchy physique to assume the form of everything from a car to a vending machine – I didn't think Forgotten Land could get any better… until it did.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Kirby and the Forgotten Land not only makes the colorful, mysterious setting even more easy on the eye – with smoother frame rates and richer textures – but the addition of Star-Crossed World also folds in a new story that opens up the most memorable stages in fresh, inventive ways. As a lifelong fan of Kirby, it feels quite special that my first foray on Nintendo's latest console brought me back to a game I already loved and did it in a way that proved playing Forgotten Land sure can be enhanced.
Starry-eyed
Even though it's frankly hard to believe it's been three years since Kirby and the Forgotten Land released, revisiting it after all that time has only given me a renewed appreciation for the platformer. With a fresh save file booted up on the office Switch 2 console, I end up starting over from scratch to give myself a bit of a refresher on the adventure, and happily (should you want to do the same if you're also a lapsed player) it doesn't take long to see the new Star-Crossed World side of the Switch 2 edition.
Once I clear every respective level in the opening Downtown Grassland area and take down the first boss – Gorimondo the giant King Kong-like gorilla – a big meteor crash lands in the ocean and forms a little volcanic island.
Upon investigating the scene, it turns out that the meteor is actually the Star of Darkness, which looks every bit as threatening as its name implies. With a jagged volcanic shell surrounding what looks like a glowy, beating heart, I'm introduced to an adorable Astronomer Waddle Dee who says that this star will bring disaster, and "something horrifying" may be unleashed from it if we don't do something to stop it.
That's naturally where Kirby comes in. Tasked with stopping the Heart of Darkness alongside going up against the Beast Pack in the main storyline, Star-Crossed World plays out alongside the base game, and as I soon come to discover, complements it perfectly.
By rescuing little celestial beings known as Starries, who are able to restore a crystal barrier around the ominous star and stop it from coming back to life, the objective to stop the ominous star does very much mirror what you do in the original experience – where you have to save Waddle Dees in each level to unlock new areas and restore your home base of Waddle Dee town. And just like the Waddle Dees, some of the Starries are hidden around a stage, or are locked behind secret objectives that you'll discover as you explore and experiment with Kirby's copy abilities.
But what makes the starry side of the adventure so novel is the way they give you incentive to return to certain levels and see a whole new side to them. As a more open experience, it feels very fitting that instead of shoehorning in completely fresh ones or an entirely new location, we get to peel back more layers of existing stages. For me, it adds even more depth and a grander sense of scale to the platforming.
New heights
Kirby and the Forgotten Land review: "A delight from start to finish"
Returning to the very first Point of Arrival stage, for example, immediately gives me a taste of the ways the Star-Crossed World expansion transforms the environment and opens up pathways to areas that I couldn't access before. From hitting a small switch-like starryflower that forms a platform made of crystal that I can jump up to reach a rooftop, to coming up against crystal forms of all of the enemies, I soon discover a new Mouthful Mode that's an utter blast to mess around with.
Known as Spring-Mouth, the form sees Kirby essentially wrap himself around a large spring, which then allows him to jump really high and smash back down to the ground. Being so bouncy proves to be very handy in a level that has a lot of verticality to it. With dilapidated, abandoned skyscrapers that nature has reclaimed towering over the level. Before, I could never have reached the top of these buildings, but the spring makes it possible to reach new heights and break through structures when I use its high jump ability by hitting A, and then smashing back down with B.
But I also love how Mouthful Modes in the original adventure make a comeback in fresh ways, too. Returning to my favorite Wondaria location, which is full of delightful carnival-themed levels, I practically squealed with excitement when Kirby essentially transformed into a roller coaster by creatively putting the Pipe Mouth mode to use. With a crystal coaster track now snaking up high above the amusement park, I get to roll down it as a giant pipe, and it's so fun that I can't resist repeating the ride.
Alongside crystal forms of mini bosses (like Crystal Wild Frosty), Star-Crossed World also introduces another foe known as Galactal, that's tougher than most. Acting on behalf of the evil meteor, the fiend is determined to eradicate the Starries you're trying to save, and it'll put up a fight whenever it pops up in a Starry stage.
After destroying the first layer of its crystal shell, its attacks will get more aggressive and it'll start hiding beneath the ground to catch you out. After hitting enough to destroy a second layer, it will continue to change up its tactics until you inflict enough damage to get rid of it. As fun as it is to see the existing enemies get a fresh look, it's great to have a new foe enter the picture.
There's already so much to love about Kirby and the Forgotten Land and its mysterious world (which even has its own language). And just when I thought I couldn't love it any more than I already do, Star-Crossed World enters the scene to bring together an even more complete platforming adventure. In all honesty, I only wish it was brought in earlier, and that it would also come to the original Switch. But with more polished graphics and new story content, the Switch 2 edition is the best way to experience this gem if you haven't already. While the original experience is absolutely fantastic to begin with, if you're looking for another excuse to revisit it on the latest console (and you're willing to spend money on the upgrade), this is your star-shaped sign.
For more Kirby goodness, check out our Kirby Air Riders Gamescom 2025 hands-on preview.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
