There are only 12 Copy Abilities in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and all but two of them are returning Abilities from previous games. Forgotten Land allows Kirby to evolve and strengthen his Copy Abilities by giving blueprints to the worker at the Waddle Dee Weapon's Shop. These upgrades can they be expanded upon by using Rare Stones and Coins to make Kirby's Abilities stronger and faster.
With Forgotten Land featuring larger levels and limiting Kirby's flight, certain Copy Abilities would have been great for exploring the new world. One can only imagine how the blueprint upgrades could have expanded upon these Abilities.
8 Magic Kirby
Magic Kirby first appeared in Kirby and the Amazing Mirror as a one-use Copy Ability. Pressing the B-button as Magic Kirby would shuffle through all of Kirby's Copy Abilities before picking one at random. This was changed in Kirby: Squeak Squad, where Magic Kirby could attack using stereotypical magician tricks. One included shooting flying cards and another sent out doves from Kirby's top hat to attack the enemy.
Magic Kirby would have been interesting to see in Kirby and the Forgotten Land because of its projectile attacks and its potential upgrades. Some later enemies hit hard and can be difficult to attack up-close without getting hurt. With Magic Kirby, players could safely attack from a distance - like Cutter Kirby.
7 UFO Kirby
UFO Kirby could attack with laser beams and laser blasts, but in Squeak Squad, the Ability Scroll gave UFO Kirby an electric shield that would damage anyone who came near. Plus, UFO Kirby is always in midflight and won't tire out. In a game where Kirby's flight has been nerfed, UFO would have been nice to have for going over bottomless pits.
In Forgotten Land, the second upgrade of Kirby's Ice Ability (Blizzard Ice Kirby) gives Kirby an ice shield that deals damage to anyone who attacks him while he's holding down any of the Block buttons. Unfortunately, this only works if Kirby is blocking. With the UFO Kirby's electric shield, he could still dish out damage and not have to worry about enemies bumping into him. UFO Kirby's laser blasts also allowed him to hit his enemies without getting too close.
6 Leaf Kirby
Leaf Kirby is one of the modern Copy Abilities of the Kirby franchise. It works similar to Tornado Kirby while also allowing Kirby to send up "leaf columns" for close-up damage, or attack from a distance like Magic or UFO Kirby. It seems Forgotten Land's Fleur Tornado and Storm Tornado took inspiration from Leaf Kirby's "leaf tornado" attack since pressing B/letting go of B at the end of Kirby's spinning would damage nearby enemies. If Kirby were to block while he had the Leaf Ability, he would be invincible. Letting go of the Block button would also damage opponents that were too close.
It's possible Leaf Kirby wasn't included because of the Tornado Kirby upgrades. One could also ponder how they could upgrade Leaf Kirby when it's already one of Kirby's more versatile Copy Abilities.
5 Throw Kirby
Throw Kirby allowed Kirby to inhale enemies or objects and toss them around. However, what makes Throw Kirby potentially overpowered is his invulnerability while he's holding his enemies. In fact, if Kirby turns his back on his opponent so that his projectile is touching them, it will damage them. This made it easy to fight stagnant enemies like Whispy Woods, where Kirby could just grab a falling apple and turn so that the apple was touching Whispy Woods. Players could then sit back and watch as Whispy Woods' health drained to zero.
Kirby's Throw Ability was probably left behind because of Kirby's Mouthful Mode and his ability to inhale multiple enemies at once (if he's close enough). Plus, if Throw Kirby kept the same perks he had in previous games, then players could win with little to no effort.
4 Ninja Kirby
Ninja Kirby is a fairly old Copy Ability first appearing in Kirby: Super Star. Over the years, it's gone through some development, and its diverse moveset would have been perfect against Forgotten Land's bosses. In Squeak Squad, Ninja Kirby could cling to walls and throw shuriken.
In later games like Triple Deluxe, the shuriken were traded for kunai. But Ninja Kirby could also attack up close and throw his enemies similar to Kirby's Grabs in the Smash Bros. series. Kirby could also perform a diving kick as Ninja Kirby, and would "bounce back" if he hit his mark. Ninja Kirby's speed and fast attacks would be helpful when taking on mobs of enemies and mini bosses.
3 Cupid Kirby
Like UFO Kirby, Cupid Kirby could fly without tiring outand attack while airborne. Holding down the attack button as Cupid Kirby would allow Kirby to shoot three arrows at once instead of one. However, unlike UFO Kirby, Cupid Kirby flying and attacks are slower.
If nothing else, Cupid Kirby would be fun to have simply for staying above enemies. It would also stop Kirby from falling offscreen.
2 Hi-Jump Kirby
The Hi-Jump Kirby's skills would allow Kirby to spring up into the air, damaging anyone in his path. Hi-Jump Kirby was useful against bosses like Kracko, but some players just used Hi-Jump Kirby to move faster through the level.
With as large as the levels are in Forgotten Land, having Hi-Jump Kirby's ability to bounce from one place to another could be useful. It would also help with dodging boss attacks such as Clawroline's knives. In addition, there are enemies that are hard to hit such as Foley and Scarfy that could easily be taken out with just one of Hi-Jump Kirby's attacks.
1 Parasol Kirby
Kirby could get the Parasol Copy Ability by inhaling Parasol Waddle Dees or a lone parasol. As Parasol Kirby, Kirby would "float" down to the ground if he jumped from somewhere high up. Flying while holding a parasol would damage any enemies in the way so long as Kirby's parasol came in contact with him. Some of Parasol Kirby's upgrades in previous games allowed Kirby to continuously spin the parasol in front of him as a "shield" against incoming enemies. It's hard to tell how Parasol Kirby could be upgraded in Forgotten Land.
While not as impressive as some of Kirby's other Copy Abilities, the parasol would protect Kirby from falling enemies or objects. Parasol Kirby would be protected from some of Tropic Woods' attacks or Bonkers' coconut bombs.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is available now on Nintendo Switch.
