Confirming a last-minute Kirby game leak, Kirby and the Forgotten Land was announced for Nintendo Switch during the September Nintendo Direct, and it’s an ambitious-looking 3D platformer reminiscent of Super Mario Odyssey. Kirby and the Forgotten Land will mark the character’s most significant release on the platform yet, with Kirby Star Allies having been in the vein of the series’ classic games.
Ahead of the Nintendo Direct’s start, assets and a Spring 2022 release window leaked for a then unrevealed Kirby game. It appears the Nintendo of Japan website updated its release schedule too early, revealing both “Kirby Discovery of the Stars” and Bayonetta 3’s 2022 release, the latter of which was previously undated. Having come directly from Nintendo, it was a safe assumption the information was legitimate, and it seems it ultimately was.
Friday’s Nintendo Direct didn’t wait long to announce Kirby and the Forgotten Land with a trailer, which included both cinematics and gameplay. A true 3D platformer, Kirby will wash up on the shores of the titular forgotten land and use his trademark copy abilities in a fight against new and returning enemies. The game’s setting is a “mysterious world full of abandoned structures from a past civilization,” including overgrown skyscrapers, abandoned theme parks, and a mall reclaimed by nature. True to the leaked information, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is slated to release on Nintendo Switch in Spring 2022.
Much like a recent Kafka reference on Kirby‘s official webpage in a slip-up by Nintendo, Kirby and the Forgotten Land‘s obviously post-human world is an interesting mix of mature themes and cute, cartoony Kirby charm. After an ominous opening showing the deserted city, Kirby’s trek through Anthropocene ruins confirms his Warp Star will be making an appearance, as well as the iconic ability to inhale enemies and spit them back out. Of course, Kirby’s signature copy abilities also return, including the Legend of Zelda-like Sword, Needle, and more, all of which appear to have been changed and finetuned to better suit 3D platformer gameplay.
At the Nintendo Direct, it was also announced that a new Nintendo Switch Online subscription tier will add Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games to the Switch library for paying customers. Included among NSO’s Nintendo 64 offerings will be Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, which marked the pink puffball’s first foray into 3D graphics.
Though Kirby Star Allies is a 2.5D game and the character’s other Switch spin-offs include modern graphics, as well, it seems fitting Kirby and the Forgotten Land should arrive on the platform as a full-fledged 3D platformer alongside The Crystal Shards‘ triumphant return.
Source: Nintendo/YouTube
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