Review: Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

Kirby is one of Nintendo’s longest-running mascots, debuting in 1992 on the Game Boy with Kirby’s Dream Land. While not as globally iconic as Mario, Zelda, or Pokémon, the series has carved out a consistent niche by balancing accessibility with charm.

Kirby games are typically shorter, family-friendly platformers with forgiving difficulty, colourful presentation, and a trademark mechanic where Kirby inhales enemies to copy their powers. This makes the series approachable for younger or less experienced players, while still leaving space for inventive mechanics.

Within Nintendo’s portfolio, Kirby fills the role of a “gateway” franchise – not always blockbuster in scope, but a reliable platform for playful design ideas that sometimes ripple into Nintendo’s broader game design ethos.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World

Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World feels like HAL Laboratory polishing a good thing and stretching it just enough to justify revisiting.

The core remains the same: compact 3D stages built around clear, bite-sized objectives, Mouthful Modes that turn environmental set-pieces into short, clever puzzles, and one-button combat that keeps everything accessible. The Switch 2 Edition brings a smoother frame-rate and crisper presentation, while Star-Crossed World supplies a dozen remixed stages and new Mouthful Mode toys that nudge the platforming toward slightly more exacting challenges.

Gameplay is where the package mostly wins. Levels are dense rather than sprawling and you can zip through a route in minutes or poke around for collectibles and missions. I found it refreshing to play at my own pace, allowing me to scour for completionist vibes, or zip through for a micro dose of accomplishment after a tough day at work.

Mouthful Mode was a highlight and kept the experience relatively fresh through the relatively short playthrough. The DLC’s remixed stages rearrange familiar landmarks into new platforming puzzles and introduce three new Mouthful transformations that change how you approach certain segments.

For a parent-and-child playthrough this works well: my six-year-old son handled the straightforward sections and loved the visual gags, while I appreciated the sharper challenge in several DLC routes. He probably played through about 80 percent of the game of the game, only stumbling occasionally due to illiteracy.

It’s a pretty game without being remarkable. Textures are a bit sharper on the Nintendo Switch 2, effects pop more, and 60fps makes the platforming feel tighter, especially important for the new content.

The game retains its oddball post-apocalyptic charm: overgrown malls, abandoned parks, and neon ruins that still read as Kirby without trying too hard. It’s not pushing photorealism, but the aesthetic fits the gameplay and the upgrade is noticeable.

Value for money is the sticky bit. Star-Crossed World is a focused expansion, roughly a dozen remixed stages and some new boss rush content, not a full sequel. If you loved the base game and want more demanding platforming, it’s a tidy add-on; if you expect a content-heavy reboot, it will feel light. That price-to-content judgement will depend on whether you’re ticking off every last objective or just playing with a kid on the sofa.

Final Verdict

Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World doesn’t reinvent the franchise, but it doesn’t need to. The core design remains smart, compact, and fun, with the Switch 2 upgrade tightening performance and the DLC adding just enough new ideas to keep things interesting. It’s a polished, family-friendly platformer that lands somewhere between comfort food and clever experimentation.

The value question will come down to how much you enjoy replaying familiar spaces with new twists, but for me, and especially for my son, who carried most of the playthrough it delivered a steady stream of fun. Not essential Kirby, but certainly worthwhile Kirby. Cheapest I’ve found it on retail is R 1709 on Takealot and R 1 529 on the Nintendo eShop. Those upgrading from Switch 1 can expect to pay R360.