Kirby and the Forgotten Land- Co-op Impressions
On the 3rd of March, Nintendo revealed a new trailer for their upcoming game: Kirby and the Forgotten land, alongside a free playable demo. This demo has the first three levels of the game and is an excellent way to see if the first 3D entry in Kirby’s repertoire is worth your time. Over the weekend, my girlfriend and I played through the opening hour or so of the game to see Kirby’s cute and fun gameplay holds up in a completely new plane.
It's important to note that the impressions found within this article reflect a two-player experience of the game, which of course makes the majority of games a lot more fun. However, the game does play differently for both players. Instead of Kirby duplicating himself through some infinite space power (which I wouldn’t be surprised if he managed), the second player assumes the role of ‘Bandana Waddle Dee’. Perfect for forcing your little brother to play as Bandana Waddle Dee lacks any of the suction or copy abilities Kirby is most known for. Instead, he has a spear. This may sound underwhelming, but playing as this little guy was actually a lot of fun. Your movepool may be more limited than the titular pink puffball, but you still have access to some flashy skills, such as a spear helicopter that lets you hover in mid-air, or being able to launch your weapons at unassuming enemies from a distance. Not to mention that getting hit doesn’t remove Mr. Waddle-Dee’s ability to use all of his powers (which is telling who the superior of the two is, but we don’t have time for that argument here). This little brown guy has his own special powers that probably won’t leave you feeling out.
Now, while Bandana Waddle Dee is surprisingly fun, the star of the show is Kirby. Of course, my girlfriend had to play as the cute puffball himself, but I can vouch that his moves are as engaging as ever. Kirby’s classic copy abilities return- with the sword, bomb and cutter abilities all working very well in three dimensions. However, the best new feature is the wonderful ‘Mouthful Mode’, where Kirby can transform into a seemingly infinite amount of possible things. This includes a cone, a vending machine and, yes, of course- A CAR! While Kirby is no stanger to getting behind the wheel (or, I suppose, being the wheel- seen in Kirby’s Epic Yarn below), Kirby controls superbly as a vehicle, crashing into enemies as he pleases- all while having a cute smile on his face. These mouthful certainly modes hold a lot of potential- especially as new areas open up as the game progresses. I personally can’t wait for house Kirby. Will he be able to secure a deposit? Will he pay his mortgage? I can’t wait to find out.
The levels so far have a slew of optional secrets and objectives- which is sure to increase the replayability. This (along with the minigames teased in the new trailer) proves that this is more than just your average race to the end of the level romp. The final of the three levels involves facing off against a massive gorilla- the first of the ‘Beast Pack’ that are presumably the main antagonists of the game. This boss was surprisingly quite difficult- which was a welcome change after the breeze of the previous two levels. With fast attacks and an intimidating size, if bosses continue to follow this formula, I’m sure they’re just going to get better and better.
The story of the game presents itself as simplistic- having to rescue as many waddle-dees who have been captured as possible. Unlike other games like Super Mario 3D World, these waddle-dees are much more loveable (especially according to my girlfriend) than boring old green stars, so I’m sure a lot of players will be more inclined to search and save as many of them as possible. The captors of these little guys are the Beast Pack, who don’t seem to have much of a motive so far (apart from being a bunch of meanies), although I’m sure they’ll be expanded as the game goes on. There are also these flying mouse type creatures that just add even more to the adorable cuteness of the game (ESPECIALLY according to my girlfriend).
All in all, it seems quite charmingly simple as far as the story is concerned so far. However, with Kirby’s track record for god-like final bosses, I’m excited to see what monstrous abomination Nintendo has in store for us towards the end of the game. This is especially with everyone’s favourite ball no longer being stuck to a 2D plane. Did I say excited? I meant terrified. Absolutely terrified.
I think the one word that really encompasses Kirby and the Forgotten Land is ‘fun’. Its fun to jump about and fight enemies in two player mode. Its fun to look at the really cool landscapes interweaving nature and man made architecture. Its fun to listen to the joyful tunes that Kirby always delivers. Its simple fun. Thats what Nintendo always does best, and its a joy to discover that its what they’ve done (very well) again here. Kirby’s first true 3D outing is shaping up to be something really special- especially in co-op . So much potential and innovation has already been shown in the first three levels, and I for one am very excited to see what the rest of the game has in store. If the first hour is anything to go for, this may just be the best Kirby game ever put out- and I’m all for it.
Oh, and did I mention that when Kirby is a car, Bandana Waddle-Dee rides on the back? Yes, you’re right. This is Game of the Year 2022.
