Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Only near the end does the game crank up the difficulty substantially, mainly by rehashing old content with a few more enemies and fewer health items thrown in. At that point, though, you'll have upgraded Kirby's health and power, too. By the time I was refighting a bunch of old bosses, now with higher health bars, I felt like I was just going through the motions...But Kirby games have never been about mechanical challenge. Players come to these titles for a lighthearted romp where Kirby's ever-changing abilities provide a fun and dynamic diversion. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is more of the same, providing a smooth platforming experience that goes down so easy, you'll barely even notice you swallowed it.

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From its rapture beginnings to its M. Night Shyamalan-like twist ending, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a shining example that Kirby warrants his lion’s share of open-world treatment alongside other Nintendo properties like Legend of Zelda and Mario.

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.

There’s a cotton candy allegory to be drawn here. Much like the carnival confection, Kirby is fluffy, cute, pink, and very sweet. It looks attractive and is so very fun to eat but the minute you put it in your mouth it dissolves. Gone so quickly, you barely noticed it was there. That’s what it’s like playing Kirby and The Forgotten Land; fun for the moment, but lacking any real substance. And that’s okay! Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s surgically deployed cuteness is more than enough to outstrip its relative emptiness.