Kirby and the Forgotten Landrepresents many firsts for the 30-year-old franchise. The clearest example is that this is the first 3D platformer of the series, which is something fans have wanted since the GameCube era. The game’s free demo recently became downloadable on the Switch, and over the course of just three levels it is clear thatForgotten Landmakes full use of its new features to cement itself asKirby’snext step.
Many new, exciting mechanics await Kirby on his adventure.Kirby and the Forgotten Landintroduces mouthful mode, which allows Kirby to suck up and take control over real-world objects, like cars and traffic cones. Iconic copy abilities can be upgraded to new, more powerful forms, andthe game even has difficulty options. One last change is that certain enemies have received redesigns to fit the game’s theme. Despite seeming minor, this change solidly differentiates this game’s world from the rest of the series.
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Kirby’s Adventure Out of Dreamland
The first cutscene inKirby and the Forgotten Land’sdemoreveals that the game does not take place in Dreamland. Kirby is taking a nice, relaxing stroll when he is suddenly sucked up into a dimensional wormhole. On the other side is a completely abandoned land, which is overrun by the Beast Pack, the game’s new band of villains. Little is known of the Beast Pack other than the fact that they are terrorizing a village of Waddle Dees, and that every member is based on a real animal. Two members are revealed in the demo— Gorimondo the gorilla, and an unnamed leopard that Kirby is shown to fight in the demo’s trailer. These enemies are new, butForgotten Land’sbeastly theme extends to series regulars as well.
The first redesigned enemy Kirby encounters is Wild Edge, a beastly take on the usual mini-boss Gigant Edge. Wild Edge now sports a barbaric appearance, complete with a fur collar, spiked helmet, and tribal face paint. Mini-bosses aside, it is clear thatKirby and the Forgotten Landis not afraid to change some of the franchise’s most iconic characters to fit the theme. A trailer plays after completing the demo which shows a new form of the series' iconic first boss, Wispy Woods—it now looks more like a menacing palm tree than the usual gentle oak. Most notably, the trailer also shows a redesigned King Dedede, who now sports a leopard print robe, a feathered collar, and red face paint.
The Significance of Forgotten Land’s Beasts
Kirby and the Forgotten Land’snew beastly redesigns are more important than just a visual change. This change is similar to howSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Furymakes every enemy and object cat-themed. Changes to iconic characters are the quickest way for a developer to tell the player that the game is not within the world that they are used to—Dreamland does not contain animals based on reality, just as the Mushroom Kingdom does not contain an obscene amount of cats.
The game’s demo does a good job setting expectations for the new beast redesigns by revealing the few that it did. Since the game is currently not available, players can only wonder what other members of the cast will receive the same treatment.Forgotten Landis giving bosses a lot of attention, so other series staples, like Kracko, may come sporting a new look.Meta Knight is shownfor a moment in the trailer, though his beast redesign may be hiding within the game as well.
The new Beast Pack enemy designs are just one thing players can look forward to inKirby and the Forgotten Land.If the demo is anything to go off of, Kirby’s first foray into 3D is sure to be a ton of fun.
Kirby and the Forgotten Landis releasing on Aug 08, 2025 for Nintendo Switch.
