Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the platforming series' first leap into 3D, and it is bringing many new features to the table. One of the showcased features of this game is the ability to upgrade Kirby's copy abilities beyond their basic level. While a few examples have been shown in trailers, not much is known about the new, evolved forms. That is until recently, when Kirby and the Forgotten Land's demo gave players the ability to mess around with a few of them.
Copy abilities are a staple of nearly every Kirby game, so it is exciting that Forgotten Land is pushing the boundaries of what they are capable of. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is a fan-favorite for its ability to combine copy abilities, so the upgrades here may be loved in their own right. Kirby and the Forgotten Land's demo grants access to a few familiar abilities, being Cutter, Sword, Bomb, and Ice, but their upgraded forms feel anything but that.
Chakram Cutter and Gigant Sword
First of Kirby's abilities with upgrades are the iconic Cutter and Sword, which become Chakram Cutter and Gigant Sword, respectively. Out of all the abilities shown, Chakram Cutter has the most significant changes. Differing from the original Cutter, Kirby can throw two chakram blades in rapid succession to defeat foes. These boomerang return quickly in a wide arc, and can even be charged to grow to a massive size at maximum range before zooming back. On top of this, when Kirby is in close proximity to an enemy, he lets loose a quick few slashes before finishing the foe with a suplex.
Gigant Sword is a major upgrade over the base Sword ability. Sharing its appearance with the newly redesigned mini boss, Wild Edge, Gigant Sword grants Kirby a massive blade to swing around. Its range reaches much farther than the base Sword, both on the ground and while spun in the air, and it hits much harder. Kirby also gains access to a powerful forward slam while using it that is great for tackling stronger enemies.
Frosty Ice and Chain Bomb
The other two upgraded abilities showcased in Kirby and the Forgotten Land's demo are Frosty Ice and Chain Bomb, the stronger forms of Ice and Bomb abilities. Frosty Ice becomes much more powerful than before, on top of giving Kirby an adorable walrus beanie. Kirby can still blow icy breath to freeze foes in place, but doing so also builds a snowman on the ground. Kirby can keep blowing on the snowman to make it grow, and then push it into enemies to deal massive damage depending on its size. The Ice ability in particular is shown to have unique interactions with the demo's boss, so it will be interesting to see what properties some other abilities have.
Chain Bomb feels like the least significant upgrade shown in the demo, but it definitely still has its uses. The standard Bomb ability allows Kirby to rapidly throw bombs in every direction, as well as to carefully lob them in an arc. Chain Bomb is the same, but causes the bombs to chain together when in proximity of each other. The chain of bombs detonates after a short while, giving Kirby time to add more into the mix. This power can definitely be useful in areas with many enemies, but the demo did not present any.
Overall, Kirby and the Forgotten Land's ability upgrades feel like a very positive change. They turn the usual copy abilities into something new and worth experimenting with. This, in conjunction with the game's jump to 3D and the fact that it takes place in a different universe, make Kirby and the Forgotten Land feel like a fresh, exciting start for the 30-year-old franchise.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land releases on March 25, 2022, for Nintendo Switch.
