Today, I’m adding one more game to the list of games that have seen improvements when played on Nintendo Switch 2. Let’s have a look!

Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World

Genre: 3D Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local), Additional Online Content

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Review:

When Kirby and the Forgotten Land was announced as one of the first Nintendo Switch 2 games to be receiving a paid Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade, I have to say I had my concerns about it. Yes, this is a game I maintain is one of the absolute best games on the Nintendo Switch, and an improved version of the game on Nintendo’s newest hardware can only be a good thing, but at the same time this wasn’t some graphically-busted game like Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet that really needed performance enhancements.

What’s more, the added content the game would receive seemed like it might be a half-hearted attempt to justify the price tag, just reworking the game’s levels with a few additions rather than actually making new content. And when Super Mario Party Jamboree: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV released and was pretty much exactly that, a clunky, poorly-made add-on designed to make its price tag appear justified… well, let’s just say that I felt like I had reason to worry about Kirby’s big upgrade.

Happily, I can report that this isn’t another case of Jamboree TV-itis. Unlike that game, Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World is indeed a noticeable upgrade to the original game, alongside new content that’s well worth playing.

Let’s start with the improvements to the original game first. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Kirby and the Forgotten Land doesn’t seem to have a drastic effect on the resolution (apparently the overall resolution is improved, but the difference is subtle), or improvements to the textures, or character models of the game like you got in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. However, that’s not to say there’s no major improvement here. The framerate has been doubled from the original version’s 30FPS to 60FPS. This improvement extends to the choppy framerates of enemies seen in the distance, which are still lower relative to the overall framerate, but now appear to be moving at the prior version’s 30FPS cap. Not perfect, but a huge improvement all the same.

Also, it’s a minor note but one still worth mentioning, the loading times have also been improved here. The original version’s loading times were pretty good so it’s not like this absolutely needed a fix, but it’s still nice to see that the original game’s 8 seconds to load up and 5 to get into a level have been cut down to 3 and 4.

Finally, let’s talk about Star-Crossed World. While this originally looked like it would just be slightly-altered versions of the levels that were in the original game, this turns out to be far from the case. While each of these new levels do indeed start out in slightly-altered versions of areas that were in the original game, they quickly diverge from the path already trod in the original game and head off in new directions, and once that happens you’re in 100% new and unexplored territory, in many ways like getting a proper expansion pack to the original game, albeit one that’s much shorter than the original game was.

To be fair, these areas do reuse assets from the original game, but they also add plenty too. The most noticeable of these are areas transformed by a crystalline comet, which has an impressive gleaming, glittery effect that’s quite a sight to behold. In addition to this, you’ll encounter numerous new crystallized enemies, along with new “mouthful mode” transformations.

Also, in stark contrast to what we saw in Jamboree TV, this new content has been worked into the already-existing content of the original game, with these levels selectable on the world map right beside the original game’s levels. And players who prefer to take on the original game’s challenges first are free to do so, or if you prefer you can play both as you progress through the campaign. That said, these newer levels are tougher than what was in the original game, with enemies that take more damage to put down, so you might want to save it until after you complete the original game.

None of this new content truly transforms Kirby and the Forgotten Land into something wholly new, even if some of the new levels and mouthful mode transformations are delightfully creative. However, given how excellent Kirby and the Forgotten Land was, they kinda’ don’t have to – this new content only adds to what was already a masterpiece.

So in terms of value, is this add-on worth $20 if you have the original? I think absolutely – the framerate improvements alone are excellent, and the new content is wonderful. Combining the two I think you more than get your money’s worth with the expansion. As for the whole package, is Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World worth $80 as an overall package? That’s a bit tougher to say, but I’m gonna’ say yeah. This is unquestionably the best version of a truly magnificent 3D Platformer, one of the greatest the genre has ever seen. If any game is going to be worth $80, I’d think it’d be a game like that.

tl;dr – Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a family-friendly 3D Platformer that marks Kirby’s first fully-fledged 3D adventure, and it is an outstanding game that is one of the best titles in the Kirby franchise. While I have a few complaints about the relatively easy difficulty level, overall this game is an absolute blast to play, full of personality and originality, all while drawing inspiration from some of the best Mario and Donkey Kong games, as well as Kirby’s own 2D adventures. What’s more, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition doubles the framerate and adds a collection of excellent new levels to play through. If you enjoy Platformers, you should absolutely get this game.

Grade: A+

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I hope you enjoyed this latest batch of Nintendo Switch 2 Difference Mini-Reviews, and found them to be helpful! Want to see all Nintendo Switch 2 Difference comparisons? Check out this page for links to every article where I’ve included these comparisons!

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