Image provided by Nintendo.
This year marks the 30th anniversary for Nintendo’s pink puffball, Kirby! And with it comes the newest installment of the series, Kirby and the Forgotten Land. This game, released on March 25, 2022 for Nintendo Switch, features the heroic little alien exploring a post-apocalyptic world in order to save his friends, the Waddle Dees, with the help of Bandanna Waddle Dee, and his newest friend, Elfilin. It is also the first full-length Kirby game that is a 3D platformer, whereas earlier versions chronicling the star warrior’s adventures were typically in 2D.
As you play the levels, you will be able to save waddle dees who act as the sort of collectible of the game. They were typically a common enemy in the Kirby franchise, but here they are hidden from sight or unlockable by completing a puzzle. The more waddle dees you save, the more levels, mini games, and buildings you unlock in Waddle Dee town. One such mini game, the Waddle Dee Cafe, takes inspiration from the real Kirby Cafe in Japan, even featuring food you can purchase from the cafe.
One feature of a lot of Kirby games is that they are not too hard. If you’re looking for a challenge you will not find it, even if you pick “Wild Mode,” over the easier setting “Spring Breeze Mode.” So while this may not be the difficult challenge many are looking for, if you wish to have an intro of sorts to video games or just want something to relax to, then this game is perfect. The main gimmick of Kirby games are the copy abilities: powers Kirby gains by eating up an enemy with that power. This game brings back some iconic ones, such as Tornado and Needle, along with a few new ones: the Drill ability allows you to dig underground to find special items, while the Ranger ability gives you the power to shoot enemies with a gun. Copy abilities can even be upgraded, and with it Kirby will don a different hat for each one. Another new addition is mouth-full mode, letting Kirby suck up items, such as cars and traffic cones, and using them to battle enemies or solve puzzles.
You can also add a second player to the game, who will be assigned the role of Bandanna Waddle Dee. However, the game will usually have the camera on player one, and if they die, it’s game over. Additionally, you can only add one extra player, which is odd because in the past you could play with two more. Some games, like Kirby: Return to Dreamland, have Meta Knight and King Dedede as playable characters. They are here in the game but are not playable. You can’t even play as Elfilin, despite being a new character to the series. They act more as a guide, pointing out things that might be obvious to the player.
So if you enjoy eating your enemies and looking cute while exploring an abandoned planet Earth, then you should give this pink puffball a chance.
Raven Arroyo is a senior that grew up in Fremont. This is their second year at the Hatchet and they are interested in writing about books, movies, tv shows, and video games. They enjoy reading, riding their bike, taking care of their plants, painting, and writing short stories. Raven can often be found carrying around a notebook to write down ideas for possible stories. They hope that someday they will be able to publish a book of their own.