A familiar world, reborn with starry-eyed wonder.
When Kirby and the Forgotten Land first arrived, it felt like a breath of fresh, pastel-coloured air for the pink puffball.
Kirby’s first full leap into 3D platforming, managed to be both cosy and inventive, striking a rare balance between accessible for all players and rewarding.
Now with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, Kirby returns in a newly polished package bundled with a major expansion titled Star-Crossed World.
Let’s set expectations early. Much like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, this is not a completely separate game.
Instead, Star-Crossed World is a hefty level pack stitched onto the original campaign. While that may sound like a simple remix, the result is far more exciting.
The setup sees a glittering meteor crash into the Forgotten Land, birthing glowing crystals that spread throughout existing stages. This is more than a reskin, as levels have been reshaped, twisted, and expanded in dramatic ways.
Familiar areas suddenly open into vast new routes thanks to shimmering “starry platforms,” activated with a satisfying smash of a flower.
These often reveal entire sections of level that were never accessible in the base game. It gives the same thrill as glitching past boundaries in an N64 platformer, except here it is official, polished, and begging to be explored.
The expansion adds twelve new levels, each packed with surprises. A standout is a reimagined Point of Arrival that sends Kirby scaling skyscrapers instead of simply navigating streets, a perspective shift that cleverly re-contextualises what you already knew.
It is a textbook example of Nintendo squeezing maximum creativity out of existing levels without ever feeling lazy.
Kirby’s signature Mouthful Modes receive some brilliant new additions. The spring transformation is the highlight, turning Kirby into a bouncy coil that slams with hilarious force.
It feels like a natural evolution of the traffic cone gag from the base game. The gear form unlocks vertical puzzle-platforming opportunities, whereas the sign form basically turns Kirby into a snowboard! Together, they fit seamlessly with the existing toolkit and keep the vibe silly yet satisfying.
Story-wise, things are thin. The meteor arrives, levels unfold, a final boss appears, credits roll. Kirby has always been more about vibes than plot, so this is no great loss.
If there is one real criticism, it is quantity. Twelve levels fly by quickly, and just as the expansion finds its rhythm, it is over.
That said, it is hard to complain too much when the central issue is simply wanting more. Star-Crossed World does not reinvent Kirby, but it deepens Forgotten Land in smart, playful ways.
Coupled with the Switch 2’s visual upgrades and smoother frame rates, this package makes a strong case for both newcomers and veterans to dive back in.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World is not just a reminder of how good Kirby’s first 3D outing was, it is proof that Nintendo still knows how to take something familiar and make it feel like magic all over again.
Words by Zak Baker
