Kirby’s latest adventure caused quite a stir when it was revealed during a Nintendo Direct in September.
The prospect of playing a full 3D Kirby adventure was something fans of Nintendo’s popular hero could only dream of.
Thankfully Kirby and the Forgotten Land looks to change the formula of the main entry Kirby games.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an original story that transports our pink hero and the Waddle Dees to an unknown land.
After meeting the mystical Elfilin and learning about this new world, Kirby sets out on an adventure to defeat his new enemies while saving the captured Waddle Dees.
Now, this isn’t the first time Kirby has abandoned his 2D side-scrolling formula, with the likes of Kirby's Blowout Blast and Kirby 3D Rumble teasing the concept in short action games.
But Kirby and the Forgotten Land goes that extra mile giving fans the first fully 3D Kirby platformer in something much more akin to Mario Odyssey. Kirby and the Forgotten Land will see players tackling a series of levels situated in different worlds.
Kirby will need to complete a set of objectives in order to rescue the Waddle Dees hidden on each level.
The first couple of levels are filled with bright and colourful locations that fans will be familiar with, mixed with the abandoned urban structures.
The game appears to retain a lot of the classic features while introducing some new experiences.
Kirby comes fully equipped with his signature copy ability and loads of past foes return granting Kirby to use his famed sword, cutter and even fire ability from the start.
There are other famous enemies who have also been dragged into this new world like Bronto Burt and Bouncy.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land introduces a new ability called Mouthful Mode. This grants Kirby the power to swallow objects scattered throughout each level.
He can eat cars, vending machines and even stairs. This new hilarious power comes with a diverse range of skills to defeat enemies and access new areas.
My favourite at the moment is the Stair Mouth ability because Kirby simply flattens everything in sight.
All the rescued Waddle Dees will be sent to Waddle Dee Town which will be filled with shops and other extra features.
The more Waddle Dees Kirby rescues, the more new extra features will be unlocked. There are a ton of hidden secrets on the world map, but the most exciting is the Treasure Road stages. These are time-based platforming challenges that focus on a specific copy ability.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land also features local co-op mode where the second player will control Kirby’s frenemy Bandana Waddle Dee.
He comes complete with fierce combat skills and great traversing abilities. It’s really fun to see how he and Kirby work together, especially during the mouth mode moments.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is shaping up to be a great mix of the pink hero's classic outings merged with several new elements that aims to offer an experience never seen before.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is out for the Nintendo Switch 25 March
