Kirby and the Forgotten Land

 

I just finished Kirby and The Forgotten Land. I became a fan of Kirby maybe just 6 or 7 years ago, exploring the GB, SNES and N64 games. I never bothered to try them out back when I had those consoles. Kirby games never really interested me but since playing many of them, they’ve grown on me quite a bit. You kinda have to understand what they are first, though. You’re there to appreciate cute characters huffing around, colorful and relaxing little worlds and happy music. It’s all leisurely and relaxing, There’s no timer, no urgency of any kind. It’s just you and Kirby walking around magic caves, green fields, around mountains and other such beautiful places.

I’ve seen a lot of people saying this game is too easy so let me address that for a second. Look at the character design, the way the stages look and just the general atmosphere of this game. Now tell me what the target audience for this title is. Of course it’s easy, it’s a game for school children, you’re not playing Kirby to improve your platforming skills, you’re there to take a stroll with Kirby while some catchy tune is playing in the background and a soft breeze goes by. You’re there to enjoy yourself. Maybe it’s difficult for 9 yo but it’s probably not going to pose much of a challenge for you. Also, as a side note, it makes sense it’s easy. Kirby is the most powerful creature in the universe. He can actually gulp down a black hole without breaking a sweat (check the manga), so keep that in mind while you’re playing this game.
Yeah it’s too easy at times, so why play it at all? First it has all that relaxing, cute atmosphere and endearing characters I told you about. If you like that it’s reason enough, but there’s something else. For me, playing Kirby is like having a small window into how children perceive the world in a way. The innocence of Kirby’s universe grows on you and it feels nice to be part of it, even if it’s for a little while. Speaking of which, this game is quite big as far as Kirby games go, so you’ll be in there for a while. It was quite a pleasant playthrough for me.

I my opinion this is one of the best 3D titles of the series. Back when they released the trailer I thought they were going to try to turn yet another cherished series into an open world full of nothing but I’m happy to report they didn’t. It’s a lighthearted platformer with lots of different environments to explore, a lot of collectables (there are over 200 capsule toys to collect in this game) and many interesting enemies to interact with. Also there are tons of minigames this time, a lot more than in any other Kirby title.

As far as difficulty goes, this game is not difficult but still can pose a challenge, especially on the several time attacks. Some of those I still can’t beat under the required time (it’s not necessary though, you just get a few extra coins for your effort just finishing them is enough). Since the platforming is not difficult, you’ll have plenty of time and peace of mind to wander around looking for the lost Waddle Dees. They’re scattered and lost all around the stages and it’s funny how some are hidden right under your nose and still you can’t find them. The plot is simple enough, and doesn't even need its own paragraph. One day, a vortex swapped the land and many Dees got sucked into another dimension. You go in in order to find and rescue them.

The music is fantastic. All the tracks are readily available on YT and you can check it for yourself. I particularly liked the music for the Wondaria stages, which are absolutely brilliant. They have that nostalgic Kirby tune to it but introduces something new and catchy as well. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHv3vWHbgPw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yq_8thBr98 and tell me if that doesn’t sound pretty good indeed. The Winter Horn world music is pretty good too, like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw_SIdt3vfE .

So all in all I’m very happy to see how well this Kirby game came out. It really stayed true to its nature and managed to add a lot to the series. I hope they make another one soon.