Unlike Nintendo’s more popular sword-slinging or mustachioed mascots, Kirby hasn’t gotten the same kind of respect, despite starring in dozens of games, dating back to the Game Boy and NES. Maybe it’s because Kirby games are typically easy enough to be written off as kids games. Maybe it’s more of a hurdle to give such a shapeshifting character his own identity. Maybe it’s just hard to take a sentient pink blob seriously. Whatever the reason, Kirby is back in a big way on Nintendo Switch 2, and the first of two games starring the puffball this year is already setting a high bar for what a Kirby game can be on the new console.
While it’s not an entirely new game, it’s easy to say that (deep breath) Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World is the definitive version of the title. The original Kirby and the Forgotten Land launched on Switch in 2022, immediately proving that Kirby can thrive in three dimensions as well as the series’ usual 2D, and maybe it should have made the jump sooner. On top of using Nintendo’s new hardware to make the game look and run significantly better, Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s Switch 2 Edition adds new levels that are among the best in the entire game, making it an easy contender for one of the best Switch 2 exclusives out right now.
