Kirby and the Forgotten Land may have come to Nintendo Switch in 2022, but it’s one of several games that Nintendo gave the Switch 2 upgrade treatment. Polishing this already solid adventure up was cool enough, but Nintendo and HAL Laboratory also brought the new Star-Crossed World expansion to the game that includes a new quest, reworked levels, new power-ups and more, and the whole package comes together as a fantastic way to re-explore one of the best modern Kirby games.
A perfectly-polished puff ball
Those who have been waiting to jump into Kirby and the Forgotten Land should wait no more. The Switch 2 version of this game is a brilliantly upgraded version and improves upon its frame rate and graphics, as well as bringing a full-on expansion, which we’ll get to in a moment.
The Switch 2 upgrade to the base game is well-worth your curiosity. I absolutely loved Kirby and the Forgotten Land back in 2022, but I’ll admit we were still looking at a game that worked within the limitations of the Switch. The Switch 2 version’s upgrades to the overall performance and looks of Forgotten Land take an already good-looking game and make it immaculate. The smoothness of the action and the perfectly polished sheen of the visuals hit me in a way that felt on par with 2024’s Astro Bot.
Worth noting as well, the Switch 2 delivered on these upgraded visuals and performance in both Docked and Handheld gameplay. I spent about half my time playing both ways and came away with few if any feelings about the differences in the experience, short of preference of where I’d like to play. I’m pretty sure players will be satisfied regardless of which way they play the Switch 2 version of Kirby and the Forgotten Land.
Star of Darkness sounds kind of bad...
The other main reason to upgrade Kirby and the Forgotten Land to its Switch 2 version is the Star-Crossed World expansion. Integrated into the main adventure, this expansion brings a variety of new levels, power-ups, Mouthful Modes, challenges and more. It’s not an enormous expansion, but it does provide some interesting twists on familiar courses and a new story to explore alongside it.
After you beat the first world’s boss, the Star-Crossed World expansion kicks in. A crystal meteor falls from the sky and crashes on an island, scattering crystals and mysterious energy throughout the world. The core of the meteor settles on a volcanic island where an Astronomer Waddle Dee greets the team and explains that it has become a fabled Star of Darkness, portending disaster. The scattered crystal energy takes on the form of small creatures known as Starries, which have the power to seal the meteor and stop its threat. And so, Kirby, Elfilin, and their gathered friends go off to save the Starries and seal the Star of Darkness.
What this amounts to is a hefty collection remixed levels (12 overall) in which you must save the Starries much like you saved the Waddle Dees in the base game. While these remixes are built out of existing levels, their progress is usually wildly different. For instance, the first level has you break various triggers and release energy paths that take you up a towering skyscaper caked with crystalized creatures, platforms, and pitfalls. There are all new challenges to finish, such as collecting the red coins on top of crystal formations, and it wasn’t long before we discovered a new Mouthful Mode: the Spring Mouth.
The Spring Mouth let Kirby become a hefty spring contraption, allowing Kirby to leap to massive vertical heights, as well as using his springy momentum to launch himself downward and crush anything underneath. This was fun for platforming, but we also came up against a crystal turtle with a building on its back. Certainly, players probably remember cracking a building turtle or two in the base game, but the Spring Mouth's vertical climb to crush these guys is quite satisfying.
The other levels have their own unique twists, power-ups and challenges, and since they’re integrated into the main game, you can play the Star-Crossed World expansion content whether you’ve finished Forgotten Land or are starting Kirby’s 2022 adventure for the first time. Even beside that, there's a new Coliseum Mode that lets you test your mettle against new combat challenges. It offers a nice little extra to challenge yourself with on top of everything else Star-Crossed World offers.
A Mouthful of improvement
Kirby and the Forgotten Land was an absolute treat of the 2022 gaming year. It landed on our Game of the Year Top 10 and never failed to bring a smile to most of the staff that played it. The Switch 2 version is a good reason to go back. With polished visuals and performance, Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World feels on par with the best modern platformers, if not a step above them. It’s a great way to experience Kirby’s last full-length adventure, with some excellent extras in the expansion for folks that have been through the journey and want something new.
These impressions are based on a Nintendo Switch 2 digital copy provided by the publisher. Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on August 28, 2025.
-
Shacknews
replyTJ Denzer posted a new article, Kirby and the Forgotten World + Star-Crossed World is a lovely addition to an upgraded adventure
