"Kirby and the Forgotten Lands" landed in my lap at an odd time. I had just begun my journey in Eldenring, and despite my experience with From Software titles, I had run into many difficulties. However, when I loaded up "Kirby of the Stars," I immediately laughed at its whimsical nature. While the game has a cute protagonist, the gameplay is simple and fun, the opposite of "Elden Ring" in every way.

Kirby's trademark abilities are still present. He can suck or swallow enemies into the hollows of the hero's stomach, and in doing so absorbs their power. While Kirby has long been known for such shenanigans, "Forgotten Earth" introduces a new power that extends the traditional Kirby gameplay that has long been a favorite.

In this "Kirby and the Forgotten Lands" review, we break down all of the pink puffball's latest adventures and explain why we think it could be one of the best Switch games, especially for kids and casual gamers.

"Kirby and the Forgotten Earth" will be released for the Nintendo Switch on March 25 for $60. That's a high price for a game that might take 10-15 hours to complete, but believe me when I say it has a lot of replayability. The co-op mode is also fun.

In co-op, you'll want to look at the best Switch accessories and find a good controller. In my review, I used a full pair of Joy-Cons for one player and a Switch Pro controller for the other.

"Kirby and the Forgotten Lands" is fantastic. After a game with an in-depth status system, complex gameplay mechanics, and challenging combat, the simplicity of the latest Kirby title kept me entertained from start to finish. Even the Wild Mode setting has few difficulties. Still, the jump to 3D breathed new life into the Kirby franchise.

Forgotten Land is a platformer in the vein of recent Mario games and reminds me of Odyssey right from the start. You progress through various stages, collecting items, finding secrets, and earning star coins. There are some light riddles to solve along the way. There are a number of secrets in each stage, and it is often necessary to replay the level to find them all. Finding the hidden paths gives the game a sense of satisfaction. In addition, there is an optional Treasure Road Trial where players can compete for time using Kirby's various abilities.

Kirby's games often experiment with new features. In Forgotten Land, Kirby introduces the "Mouseful" ability, in which he comically attempts to suck in large objects such as cars, vending machines, and stairs. This allows the hero to perform new tasks such as smashing through walls and breaking down the sturdy armor of enemies.

Of course, "Kirby and the Forgotten Earth" has many fan-favorite abilities, such as "Sword," "Fire," and "Cutter." I especially like the Ranger, which allows Kirby to fire his gun and hit enemies and targets at a distance. As you progress through the game, you unlock opportunities to upgrade these abilities to more powerful versions.

Forgotten Land also offers couch co-op with Vandana Waddle Dee, where the second player can use the character's spear to help Kirby through Forgotten Land.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land begins with the eponymous character teleporting to another world. A portal in the sky sucks him in (fitting enough, given Kirby's trademark power), and he wakes up on a beach. This new land has seen better days, its heyday of civilization long gone.

The landscape of the first zone evokes memories of "Nia": the city of Automata, where nature has reclaimed what humanity has built. You and Kirby will explore shopping malls, construction sites, and beaches. Things can start to feel the same, but the core of the game is strong enough to keep you playing even when things start to feel a little repetitive.

This forgotten land is not friendly. The enemies are a ferocious animal called the Beast Pack, which has captured all the Waddle Dees that have teleported into this world with you. Kirby's games are not famous for their stories.

Kirby's games are not famous for their stories, but they often have something interesting to tell. However, "Forgotten Earth" is an oddly frivolous story given its post-apocalyptic setting. The ruins of a lost civilization evoked a strange sense of melancholy, despite the game's upbeat tone.

"Kirby and the Forgotten Lands" looks much better, with vibrant colors, a lack of dropped frames, and whimsical sound. Kirby looks as good as in "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate," and so do all his abilities. The bosses are cartoonishly great as well.

The soundtrack is fairly forgettable, but blends well into the background. There is no spoken word, just text bubbles. All of Kirby's ability sound effects are great as well. I loved the sounds I heard on my Switch speakers, like firing the Ranger Gun and spewing Fire's upgraded magma.

"Kirby and the Forgotten Lands" is a short and sweet adventure, full of all sorts of antics and fun abilities. Each stage is full of variety and has lots of hidden things to do, such as captured waddle-dee and challenges. The optional Treasure Road stage allows you to test your skills using Kirby's powers.

I played about 10 hours with "Forgotten Land" and could have played more. Whether it's finding items for the remaining stages or playing cooperatively with my wife (with her holding Kirby, of course), this game has great replay value. I think the price of "Forgotten Land" is high at $60, but I strongly believe that Kirby veteran or not, you will have plenty of fun with it.