In March 2022, Kirby and the Forgotten Land will mark the beginning of a new age for one of Nintendo's oldest franchises. Well before the new game was revealed, Kirby developer HAL Laboratory said that the next game in the franchise would be a step in a new direction, and so far HAL is delivering on that promise. Kirby and the Forgotten Land's 3D platforming and potential city building mechanics make it a Kirby game to reckon with and a potential star of the Nintendo Switch this year. Considering the fact that 2022 marks Kirby's 30th anniversary, the innovational game couldn't be more timely.
Now seems like a great time to look back on the franchise's history as well, though. Nintendo has been encouraging fan nostalgia lately with the introduction of a Nintendo Switch Online expansion pack that adds N64 titles to the service's game library, and little by little, new games are joining the N64 roster. This March would be a great time to put an N64 Kirby game on Nintendo Switch Online — namely, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. Out of all the franchise entries, Kirby 64 has stood the test of time as one of the most iconic, and since 2022 could be a year built around the celebration of Kirby, Nintendo has plenty of reasons to revisit this classic.
A Good Occasion for Kirby 64
Kirby and the Forgotten Land creates a perfect occasion for Kirby 64's return because the two games seem to be cousins in a couple ways. For one thing, Kirby 64 famously introduced 3D graphics to the platformer franchise, setting a new standard for the look of Kirby games. Kirby and the Forgotten Land takes the next big step by making the whole franchise three-dimensional, rather than sticking to its sidescroller roots.
They also share some notes of post-apocalyptic themes, between Kirby 64's Shiver Star and the abandoned urban landscape that makes up much of Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Releasing Kirby 64 on NSO would let newer Kirby fans take a glimpse at a predecessor with similar principles at its core.
Of course, releasing Kirby 64 on NSO would be appropriate for the broader occasion of the Kirby anniversary too. NSO already features a few well-loved Kirby titles in its NES and SNES libraries, including Kirby's Dream Land 3 and Kirby Super Star, but without Kirby 64 as a part of the service, the franchise lacks any representation in NSO's N64 expansion. Nintendo hasn't committed to any specific way of celebrating Kirby's 30th birthday, but it said it has multiple activities planned, one of which could be Kirby 64 joining the ranks of NSO. It'd certainly be a good way to generate some Kirby nostalgia.
Exploring Kirby History
Considering the last few years of major Nintendo anniversaries, it seems pretty likely that Kirby 64 or one of its other influential peers will become available again, whether it's through NSO or a complete remaster. Super Mario's 35th anniversary famously centered on Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a compilation of Mario's greatest 3D platforming adventures from three different consoles, while The Legend of Zelda's anniversary featured a Switch version of Skyward Sword. Anniversaries are inherently nostalgic events, and Nintendo loves to trade in nostalgia, so it only seems natural that Kirby's anniversary will involve the return of a classic game.
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards seems like a prime candidate to fill that role due to the recent addition of N64 games to NSO, as well as its inherent similarities to Kirby and the Forgotten Land. These influential and slightly spooky Kirby games are a natural pair, and Kirby 64's role in the franchise's growth make it more than worthy of the spotlight in 2022. Since the N64 expansion is still slowly adding games like Banjo-Kazooie, there's plenty of time for Kirby 64 to return, especially if it coincides with Forgotten Land.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land releases on March 25, 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
