Kirby and the Forgotten Land has finally released, and so far, the variety of new features that HAL Laboratory has conjured up make it a solid game overall. Not only do Copy Ability evolutions give players engaging choices in combat, but their blueprints serve as excellent rewards for players who venture off the beaten path. Mouthful Modes have also been invaluable in modifying both combat and puzzle solving in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Manipulating the terrain to Kirby's advantage has never been so charming. HAL has also created an important roster of optional objectives in the form of Treasure Roads, which are specifically designed to test the player's skills.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land players need to find blueprints to upgrade Copy Abilities, but they also need to bring Rare Stones to Waddle Dee's Weapon Shop. Rare Stones are chiefly found at the end of Treasure Roads, each of which features a time challenge focused on using Copy Abilities in specific ways. These roads help players learn more about Copy Ability uses while rewarding them for mastering Forgotten Land gameplay, but the time element leaves something to be desired. Right now, the reward that players get for beating Treasure Road target times simply isn't worth the trouble.
Treasure Roads' Timed Reward
Some of Kirby and the Forgotten Land's Treasure Roads are pretty simple, merely asking Kirby to battle through enemies as quickly as possible, while others come with tricky puzzle-solving or platforming challenges that will really put pressure on the player. Each Treasure Road also encourage players to reach the end within a certain time limit, but Rare Stones aren't locked behind these timed goals. Completing a Treasure Road in any amount of the allotted time will grant players a Rare Stone, while beat the course within the time limit will give players 50 extra Star Coins.
Beating the Treasure Road time goal may give players bragging rights, but the mechanical benefits really aren't worth it. Kirby and the Forgotten Land's levels are littered with Star Coins, meaning players will rack up far more money simply by continuing to play the game. If players really need to earn a couple dozen extra coins to afford a Copy Ability upgrade, then they might as well play the Waddle Dee Cafe's minigame instead. It pays considerably better than the Treasure Road time goals while taking up less of the player's time.
Upgrading Forgotten Land's Treasure Roads
The lacking rewards earned by beating Treasure Road time challenges are particularly disappointing because of Kirby and the Forgotten Land's other collectibles. There's lots of more interesting rewards that HAL could've offered players who complete the additional objective. Maybe Treasure Roads could've offered players exclusive figurines that can't be obtained from Forgotten Land's levels, or maybe players could've gotten a second Rare Stone for their troubles, making it a little easier to afford Copy Ability upgrades. Star Coins simply aren't hard to come by in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, meaning the handful of coins earned by beating the time challenges is quite the letdown.
It's possible that HAL Laboratory will make a change to this feature down the line. Updates to Kirby and the Forgotten Land could introduce new Treasure Roads with more robust rewards, or even retroactively change what players have earned by meeting the Treasure Road time limits. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is short enough that many players will already have completed these goals by then, so HAL will have to decide whether it wants to hand out free rewards or post new challenges. Even if the time limit rewards are a letdown, Copy Ability upgrades certainly make Forgotten Land's Treasure Roads worth beating. They're solid challenges, and Rare Stones can unlock all kinds of fun combat experiences exclusive to the new Kirby game.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is available now for Nintendo Switch.
