Kirby and the Forgotten Land is another game in the series where the story is seemingly not that important. These games tend to favor gameplay over gripping tales. That’s part of Nintendo’s brand. The premise finds Kirby flying around on his iconic star before he and his friends are sucked into a vortex that opened in the sky.
The lovable pink puffball finds himself in a ruined city in which a bunch of seemingly evil birds are kidnapping Waddle Dees. That’s the setup for Kirby’s latest adventure. While the gameplay in Kirby and the Forgotten Land may seem familiar though, there are quite a few changes players should be aware of before jumping in.
8 Try Out Wild Mode First
There are two difficulty options for players to choose from in Kirby and the Forgotten Land right from the very beginning of the game. First, there's Wild Mode, which, as the name might suggest, is this game’s interpretation of the most challenging difficulty level. Then, for those looking for a slightly easier ride, there's the aptly named Spiring-Breeze Mode.
The latter of the two gives players more health, while the former option gives them more Star Coins. That is the currency of this game which allows players to purchase and upgrade a multitude of things, including Kirby's copy abilities. Even on Wild Mode though, the game is a bit of a cakewalk, so players should really try that option out first. If it does prove to be too hard for them, the difficulty setting can be changed in the menu at any time.
7 Rebuild Waddle Dee Town
One of the more interesting mechanics in Kirby and the Forgotten Land involves Kirby retrieving Waddle Dees. It’s not a new thing for the Kirby series, but this time it feels like more than just a silly collect-a-thon. This is because as well as granting access to boss stages, these lost citizens now also unlock new things in the hub world, i.e., Waddle Dee Town.
To unlock the most basic set of buildings in the hub world, players need to collect 60 Waddle Dees. They should be able to acquire that many after just the second world and should aim to do so as early as possible. This will unlock the movie gallery, Kirby’s house, the aforementioned way to upgrade copy abilities, an online item exchange house, and the cafe.
6 Pay Attention To Mission Goals
Each of the stages in Kirby and the Forgotten Land has a varying amount of Waddle Dees present in them. The end will always reward players with three Waddle Dees trapped in a single cage. There are also mission goals (both stated and hidden) that payers can see in the pause menu. Acting on a stage will reveal what those goals are.
For example, there is a stage in the second world that requires players to crack open four coconuts. Doing so will unlock a hidden Waddle Dee. With that in mind, players shouldn't be afraid to explore stages and interact with as many different things as they possibly can, from objects like coconuts to any shining spots that they happen to see.
5 Explore The World Map
The world map in Kirby and the Forgotten Land is actually quite deceiving. Like a more traditional world map, it has main stages that cannot be unlocked unless the previous stage has already been completed. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a linear platformer in this way. However, there are also several special bonus stages that can be unlocked once these normal stages have been cleared.
These bonus stages are called Treasure Roads and will reward players with the Rare Stones that are required for upgrading copy abilities. What players might not realize though is that these areas can sometimes be unlocked just by pressing A on the controller while on the world map. With this in mind, players shouldn't be afraid to explore the world map for secrets. They can even gain other things like Star Coins this way as well.
4 Amiibo Support
Kirby and the Forgotten Land supports Amiibo which relate to the series and Nintendo games as a whole. Whether players use figures from the Kirby franchise, like Meta Knight or Kirby, does not matter. All Amiibo figures will reward Star Coins and food.
Using an Amiibo at the right time could be crucial for survival if players are about to die. This is also a great way to rack up Star Coins fast. It may take work to scan in the Amiibo, but, if players have the time, then they should definitely do it.
3 You Can Charge Abilities
Some tutorials pop up throughout the entire adventure. This is not a new thing for this series, nor video games as a whole. What may not be obvious though is that all of the copy abilities that Kirby acquires will have a secondary attack of some sort.
Sometimes, these abilities can be charged up. For example, the sword and hammer can be charged to create a whirlwind attack. The fire ability can create a flying fireball technique if players use it while descending from the air. Playing Treasure Road stages might help players release a power’s true potential, so they really shouldn't slip out on them.
2 How To Unlock Co-Op
There is a co-op mode in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which shouldn't really surprise any longtime fans of the series. After all, most Kirby games tend to have at least a two-player option. It's arguably the best way to play the game, and can serve as a great bonding experience for those with younger children.
If players are planning on picking the game up to play with a friend, family member, or significant other, then they need only clear the opening area of the game to unlock co-op. This should take about fifteen minutes at the most. After this, the co-op option will become available. The game supports local couch co-op only, which is something else players should be aware of before starting their adventure into the forgotten land.
1 No Reason To Fight
Just to reiterate for those under any illusions, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is not that difficult of a game, no matter which difficulty setting players choose to play it on. If by some miracle the game does still feel too difficult even on Spring-Breeze mode though, then there is another way to avoid danger: run away from enemies as quickly as possible.
This is not an RPG that requires players to kill enemies to level up and grow stronger. Enemies can be easily bypassed by flying directly over them or from the side like crossing a giant chasm. Since levels are more open, running away is more of a viable option than any entry in the series before and a valid strategy for those having trouble with the game.
Kirby And The Forgotten Land was released on March 25, 2022, and is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
