Kirby and the Forgotten Land was already an incredible game.
It is a charming and gorgeous showcase of level design, complementing unique and varied power ups.
It didn’t need an expansion, but the fact it’s getting one in the form of a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is all the more reason to dive back in or give this wonderful 3D platformer a go for the very first time.
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Star Crossed World
Kirby and the Forgotten Land‘s expansion is called Star Crossed World.
After besting the base game’s first boss, an ominous meteor crashes into the ocean. Its arrival triggers dramatic transformations of 12 of the game’s levels, which you must conquer to quell the threat.
There are two of these “Starry Stages” to find in each of the six worlds. If you’re starting from scratch, they’ll unlock incrementally. But if you’re booting up a completed save file like I did, all 12 are available from the get go.
Calling these stages a “remix” of their existing counterparts would be underselling it.
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Parting the seas like Moses to explore the ocean floor is hardly comparable to a level that once limited you to paddling on the surface.
These are all new levels with all new power ups and tougher enemies to fight.
Spring, Roll and Slide!
Transformations are what makes Kirby, Kirby!
“Mouthful mode” set the stage for so many unique challenges in Forgotten Land, as Kirby inhaled and transfigured himself into cars, gliders, unstoppable rollers and a cone that could shatter rock with its point.
Many of these return in the Starry Stages with three new additions:
- Spring mouth
- Gear mouth
- Sign mouth
Despite its ridiculous name, sign mouth was by far my favourite.
By inhaling a foldable sign, Kirby would transform himself into a sled to slide down hills at speed, barreling through enemies and unlocking faster routes with precise jumps.
Inhaling a gear would allow Kirby to roll up walls at a decidedly slower pace. Leaping from surface to surface can be a little tricky, and you’ll need it to find some devilishly hidden collectibles tucked around corners.
Transforming into a spring has never been a mechanic I liked. I didn’t like the power up in the Super Mario Galaxy games and the snake transformation was my least favourite of the bunch in Donkey Kong Bananza. To Kirby’s credit, his spring is better than either of those. He still moves fast enough while on the ground and jumping is incredibly responsive.
Taken together, these three new power ups combine to create some of the best levels in all of Forgotten Land.
Short and Sweet
If you’re not a completionist (and you’re booting up an old save file to access all of the new stages immediately), you can easily power through Star Crossed World in a day.
Collecting every starry and completing every challenge is decidedly tougher.
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It took me roughly 10 hours to 100 per cent the Starry Stages and collect all of the 85 new figures.
If you’re particularly sadistic, there’s also a new and brutal new boss rush waiting for you at the colosseum. Besting the original colosseum challenge without dying was tough enough. This new challenge feels like something out of a Dark Souls game.
After two measly attempts, I could only get through four or the 12 rounds!
Is it worth it?
Nintendo is selling Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star Crossed World for $109.95.
You can find it cheaper in store and if you already own the original, the upgrade pack is $30.
12 stages for $30 is about right when the base game had 32.
If you’re a Kirby fan or a parent with kids, this one’s a no brainer.
And if you’re looking for something to play on your Switch 2 before Hollow Knight: Silksong comes out next week, this Switch 2 Edition is arguably the best yet.
An early copy of Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star Crossed World was provided to 9news.com.au for the purpose of this review.
