Successful upgrade: "Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + The Star Shard World" impresses
27/8/2025
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Kevin Hofer
Three years have already passed since Kirby's first adventure in 3D. Now Nintendo is giving the game the Switch 2 upgrade. "Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + The Star Shard World" is definitely worth it.
I haven't touched a game with the pink ball since «Kirby's Adventure» for the NES - although it enchanted me as a ten-year-old. I couldn't get enough of swallowing enemies to take on their abilities. Over thirty years later, I'm finally picking up the controller again and sucking up everything that isn't nailed down with Kirby. Even in 3D, Kirby has lost none of his magic. As a more mature and hopefully also better gamer, the additional content «The Star Shard World» does it for me in particular.
Since «Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + The Star Shard World» is a new edition, I won't go into every detail. For that, it's best to take a look at the test of the original.
Kirby doesn't need a story
In the main game, Kirby finds himself stranded in a new land haunted by a pack of beasts. This pack has captured hundreds of Waddle Dees. To free them, Kirby teams up with Elfilin, a cute flying creature with mysterious abilities. Later, the Waddle Dees found the town of the same name, which acts as a hub and in which Kirby can complete various mini-games. The latter are fun - I particularly like the fishing - but I spent less time with them than with those in «Kirby's Adventure» in 1995, but I had more time for games back then because I didn't play a new one every few weeks.
The story formula also remains true to «The Star Shard World». Here, a meteorite crashes into the sea and forms a mysterious island that poses a threat. To banish this danger, Kirby must search for Astralinis. These flying, bright blue stones with arms and legs are supposed to be able to avert the impending disaster.
In terms of the story, neither the main game nor the expansion do anything new. However, this has never been the strength of Kirby games, but rather their world and gameplay.
Source: Kevin Hofer
Great world
In the main game and the update, I search the self-contained, linear levels for Waddle Dees or Astralinis. I can also collect other things such as stars, which I can exchange for upgrades, or complete special challenges. It's particularly fun to meticulously search for everything. Because it feels like there's something hidden behind every rubbish bin.
The levels are beautifully designed. The world is reminiscent of our own in a distant future in which civilisation has perished. With Kirby, I explore overgrown shopping centres, deserts full of skeletons or the typical beautiful beach. The expansion turns some levels into Astralini sections: I begin at the same starting point as in the original level. However, this changes by touching crystals and I am taken to completely new places. For example, the sea splits at the beach and I suddenly find myself exploring the seabed.
I particularly enjoyed the challenge rooms «Street of Treasures», which are cleverly designed. They focus on a copy or full stuffing skill and I have to prove my ability to get to the finish line as quickly as possible.
Hammer gameplay
I run and jump around with my pink protagonist in the best platform game style. In typical Kirby fashion, I take on the abilities of certain opponents by absorbing them. I have twelve copy abilities at my disposal, which I can upgrade using hidden blueprints. My favourite is still the sword, which is my faithful companion, especially in the boss battles. But the drill, which I can use to dig into the ground, is also pretty cool.
Unfortunately, there are no new copy abilities in «The Star Shard World». But there are three new stuffed modes. These are items that Kirby can absorb in addition to his copy abilities and whose shape he takes on. These include a spring, which Kirby uses to jump really high, a cogwheel, which he uses to run along walls, and a shield, which he uses to slide and whirl over obstacles.
The new gameplay elements that result from this are pretty cool. They become really exciting in the later levels when I have to combine them. These passages are bursting with creative level design. At one point, I scramble along walls over lava pits with the cogwheel stopper, only to slide into the maw of a volcano seconds later with the shield stopper and daring manoeuvres. That puts a big grin on my face right there and then.
The soundtrack fits perfectly
The soundtrack is also fun and immerses me even more in the game. The recurring melodies are beautiful and the arrangements are complex, so I keep discovering new nuances. The composers have done a great job here. You can tell they had fun writing the music and they perfectly capture the mood of each level.
From child's play to «virtually impossible»
The easy level of difficulty is typical for Kirby games. Even on the more difficult of the two available modes, «Kirby and the Forgotten Land» is a doddle - at least until the final boss and then beyond. Personally, this didn't bother me because the game is still fun. After all, «The Star Shard World» becomes more challenging much faster - which is also due to the new, stronger enemies. Hardcore gamers should also get their money's worth with the new ultimate tournament ZX in the Colosseum.
The performance should be better
Although there is praise, there are also negatives. It is true that «Kirby and the Forgotten Land» looks much prettier on the Switch 2 than on the Switch. However, the game does not reach «next-gen» level. The performance isn't up to scratch either. In the level described above, in which I slide down the volcano with the shield, the frame rate suffers. This doesn't make the game unplayable, but it's still unattractive.
«Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + The Star Shard World» is available for Switch 2 from 28 August and was provided to me by Nintendo.
In a nutshell
Also a blast on the Switch 2
As with my last adventure with the pink ball in 1995 in "Kirby's Adventure", "Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + The Star Shard World" is great fun. It's just so much fun to control the funny Kirby through the brilliantly staged levels. Added to this is the highly polished platform gameplay.
The upgrade "The Star Shard World" more than justifies the extra price for the Switch 2 edition. The new levels are all beautifully designed and thanks to the new stuffed modes, there is even a breath of fresh gameplay air.
The only negative point for me is the performance. Although "Kirby" looks better than ever before, it doesn't exude a next-gen feeling. The frame rate also suffers in particularly elaborately designed levels. Either the Switch 2 is already reaching its limits here or it would have needed more optimisation.
All in all, Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + The Star Shard World is a feast. If you own a Switch 2, you should definitely get or upgrade the game.
Pro
- Fun throughout
- Wonderfully designed levels
- marvellous gameplay
- Successful addition with "The Star Shard World"
Contra
- Frame rate drops in the new levels
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
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