Review Roundup For Kirby And The Forgotten Land

Between a phantom-infested slice of Japan in Ghostwire: Tokyo and the tabletop anarchy of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, March 25 is a busy day for new game releases. You can add Kirby and the Forgotten Land to that list, as Nintendo’s adorable pink blob is back and ready to roll into action once again. Plus the little fella’s insatiable appetite has given him a few disturbing new abilities that’ll make this adventure particularly memorable.

Reviews have gone live for the game, and the reception so far is mostly positive. Reviewers have praised Kirby and the Forgotten Land for being effortlessly charming, gorgeous to look at, and fun to play thanks to its polished platforming mechanics.

“The culmination of 30 years of exploring the malleable mascot, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the most inventive and best entry in franchise history,” Steve Petite wrote in his Kirby and the Forgotten Land review. “The move to 3D brings Kirby’s signature mechanic to life in a way that wasn’t possible before. This feels like a new beginning for Kirby, as it maintains all of the familiar series trappings while presenting them in a cohesive, well-rounded adventure that is playfully imaginative throughout.”

For a wider look at the critical reaction to Kirby and the Forgotten Land, check out more reviews below, or check GameSpot sister site Metacritic for more impressions.

• Game: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Platform: Switch
• Developer: HAL Laboratory
• Release Date: March 25
• Price: $60

GameSpot — 9/10

“Kirby and the Forgotten Land is one of those games that’s hard to play without constantly having a silly smile on your face. It’s far more than just a cute and charming platformer with colorful visuals, though. This is one of the best platformers on Nintendo Switch thanks to its brilliantly designed stages and a dynamic arsenal of abilities that consistently shake up the moment-to-moment platforming and action. And FrankenKirby, if you’re reading this review, please don’t eat me. I don’t have any cool powers anyway.”–Steven Petite [Full review]

Destructoid — 9.5/10

“I’m an easy sell when it comes to Kirby, but Forgotten Land is easily one of my favorite entries in the series, and possibly my top game outside of Kirby Super Star–an all-time classic. I came in expecting a very serviceable Kirby adventure and got a lot more, but with those same straightforward and effortless virtues that past games have commanded.” — Chris Carter [Full review]

GamesRadar — 4.5/5

“Kirby’s latest adventure is an absolute treat and one you won’t want to miss. With more open platforming in an eye-grabbing 3D world, a generous helping of fantastic features in Waddle Dee Town, and the introduction of Mouthful Mode, Kirby and the Forgotten Land offers up a memorable experience that will undoubtedly make you smile.” — Heather Wald [Full review]

Game Informer — 9/10

“Kirby and the Forgotten Land is great and should not be missed for Kirby and platforming fans alike. This isn’t quite the pink puff’s rendition of Super Mario 64, but it brings the series successfully into the 3D realm and doesn’t need to rely solely on its latest entertaining gimmick. Kirby thankfully remains as charming as ever and this new adventure can effortlessly provide hours of glee.” — John Carson [Full review]

VG247– 4/5

“Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a little safe at points to make it a proper all-timer, but I’m not sure that was ever the intention. It’s a game that is easy to like, can be played by everyone, and sits nicely alongside other Switch exclusives from Nintendo. If Kirby becoming a car is everything you want in life, good for you, and welcome to your new favorite game of all time. For me, Kirby remains just below A-tier, which is still a great place to be. It’s often where some of the tastiest snacks are.” — Tom Orry [Full review]

IGN — 8/10

“Kirby and the Forgotten Land successfully warps the series’ already fun mix of ability-based combat, platforming, and secret hunting into the third dimension. The post-apocalyptic setting may not be as thematically interesting as Planet Popstar, but it is still lovely and vibrant, with cleverly designed levels that make consistently smart use of Kirby’s abilities. Despite the change in perspective, Forgotten Land maintains most of what I love about classic Kirby games–and if the future means more 3D adventures for our hungry pink hero, I’d be more than happy to swallow them up.” — Tom Marks [Full review]

VGC — 4/5

“Outside of Platinum, no one knows how to end a game bigger than HAL. We just wish they channeled some of that five-star magic into the more low key platforming leading up to it – that would be a game worthy of the Nintendo greats. As it is, Forgotten Land is another accomplished charmer from HAL’s inhalatory hero.” — Matthew Castle [Full review]

Polygon–Unscored

“Every time Kirby and the Forgotten Land showed me something new, I loved it. I smiled from ear to ear the first time I watched Kirby become a traffic cone, or throw his gob over a water tower. I loved that opening moment in each new area where I could run around the overworld and get peeks into the new areas I’d be venturing into. The cutscenes are gorgeous, and watching Kirby and friends take a nap in his little house is adorable–as it always is. But Kirby and the Forgotten Land burns too brightly, too soon, and that initial joy was hard to recall by the time the credits rolled.” — Ryan Gilliam [Full review]