2022 is a big year for pink puff Kirby. It’s not only Kirby’s 30th anniversary, but an entirely new video game is coming out that is completely different from the platformers of Kirby’s past.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land was first announced in a Nintendo Direct in September 2021, immediately grabbing the attention of Nintendo fans everywhere. Before the Nintendo Direct, Kirby fans were already whispering about a mysterious leak on the Japanese version of Nintendo’s official website. A title translated to say “Kirby Discovery” popped up on the site next to a picture of Kirby staring into an abandoned city.
The trailer shined some light on the leak, showcasing Kirby in a semi-open-world environment. The initial trailer showcased a mysterious empty city set on an unspecified planet. Kirby washes up on shore and then makes his way through the strange new environment. The openness of the levels is a completely new concept for Kirby.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch
The game’s initial trailer announced that Kirby Forgotten Land was coming out in early 2022. Since then, Kirby fans have been given a more concrete release date: March 25, 2022.
The game is already available for pre-order on Nintendo’s shop and elsewhere. More information keeps coming out about Forgotten Land leading up to the release.
More footage is being shown of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and it seems to have similar gameplay to Mario Odyssey in the sense that Kirby can explore levels a bit more freely than in the past. Kirby will encounter enemies in each level, some of which can be absorbed to get copy abilities. Confirmed copy abilities for Kirby so far include:
There will also be a new Mouthful Mode for Kirby, allowing him to absorb objects and use their abilities to traverse the map in different ways. This includes a vending machine, lightbulb, water, and a car. This was showcased in more detail in a Nintendo Direct in February 2021.
Not much is known about the story so far. Fans still are not too sure where the game takes place, although the city does look like something that would be on Earth.
The plot so far appears to center around Kirby solving the mystery of the Forgotten Land, finding out what happened to the strange abandoned place he shows up in. Meanwhile, Kirby also rescues kidnapped Waddle Dees from the Beast Pack. New villains and mysterious characters have been showcased in the trailers as well, including Elfilin.
The rescued Waddle Dee will populate Waddle Dee Town, providing new amenities that help Kirby on his adventure. This includes a weapon shop where you can upgrade copy abilities. Kirby can also fish, which is an entirely new experience for Kirby fans.
Yes, Kirby and the Forgotten Land will have multiplayer modes. Kirby can partner up with the coveted Bandana Waddle Dee for co-op adventuring. There may be other multiplayer elements in the game as well, but those have not yet been announced.
There are seven different Kirby amiibo, including some from Kirby’s line and some from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s line. It’s currently unknown if these amiibos will be utilized in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and what they would do if they are compatible.
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