Arriving on the Switch in about three weeks (3/25/22), Kirby and the Forgotten Land has already launched a thousand memes, and a demo dropped this week.
What do we think about this? From my time with the demo, it was almost irresistibly charming, and I remain amazed at what Nintendo can do with good artistic design to crank out games on hardware that’s being left further and further behind. I want to see more of this Forgotten Land, and the variety in the trailer looks great.
On the other hand, the limitations of the hardware are getting harder to hide. Particularly noticeable here is the relatively low resolution of the Switch, and the choppy, reduced frame rate of animations for creatures in the distance. I think Bowser’s Fury did something similar. But what’s really keeping me on the fence is that my new Xbox arrives tomorrow as platforming goes, it was pretty light-weight compared to a Mario game. I don’t really know if this is typical, I don’t think I’ve ever played a “modern” Kirby game. And maybe it’s just because I’m playing what I assume are the first levels.
Anyway, demo’s out, so check it out for yourself. That seemed worth breaking this out into its own thread.
Yeah, I played a couple levels of the demo and there just wasn’t much to it. Maybe it gets more involved but I can’t imagine spending money on it based on what I played so far.
My understanding is that it’s not unusual for Kirby games to be somewhat light on challenge. It kind of makes sense, because Kirby’s abilities kind of obviate a lot of traditional platforming challenges. Also, in the lore, Kirby is the strongest being in the universe (no really, there’s Kirby Lore up the wazoo).
The last game, Star Allies, was panned for its lack of challenge throughout, but that was apparently rectified with later free expansion DLCs, which added like another half a game on top. I haven’t played the later DLCs though.
Kirby’s been incredibly easy throughout its history. As a kid, I would use the settings editor on the original Game Boy game to set it to 1 life and 1 HP and still win fairly easily.
Kirby has always been imagined as a beginner franchise. It’s aimed at those who’ve never played a platformer/video game before. However as the games are Sakurai’s brainchild there tends to be dark lore and completing the games tend to be be quite difficulty due to the various modes and requirements.
It’s not like the specs of the Switch got worse when the PS5 was released; I just think that Nintendo isn’t interested in making games at 10,000 background characters rendered at 4K with HDR.
I didn’t own a 4K TV when the Switch came out, so in some sense technology marching forward does make things look “worse” as expectations shift, but sure, my PS5 didn’t make my Switch worse.
But I’m still left playing a platformer with graphical compromises, especially that distracting animation frame rate dip for distant objects. It’s not in 4K, it’s not HDR, it’s not thousands of characters. It’s like five characters, and they look funky from a distance. Maybe Mario Odyssey did the same thing and it’s just been a while since I played it. Maybe Kirby is adding more environmental detail that I’m taking for granted that’s requiring compromises. Not really my problem why it is that way, it stands out.
Yeah, it looks like they’re halving the frame rate of extremely distant characters, which I noticed maybe twice while playing. I didn’t notice any other graphical compromises, and nothing that interfered with gameplay at all. That’s what I mean about priorities: I feel like Nintendo is more concerned about gameplay than subtle graphical background details. Everyone’s mileage will vary of course.
Having just played through the demo with my kids watching and cheering me on, I think I’ll have to buy this.
I’ve never played a Kirby game before but this was very entertaining, very chill, and super cute. Lots of small, delightful touches that were very endearing. If this gets decent reviews, I’ll buy in. Maybe even at full price!
Interesting observations in the opening paragraphs.
When Masahiro Sakurai first drew a couple of stumpy arms, big feet and blushing cheeks on a little pink blob, he was answering a call within Nintendo to make a game for everyone; a game, like the adorable Kirby himself, with no hard edges, where those who found Mario a mite too masochistic might find refuge. Ever since then Kirby has presented a refreshingly casual brand of adventure, serving breezy platformers where there’s never even the threat of falling off a ledge; you can just puff yourself up with air and float away.
Such effortlessness might be boring, were it not for the effort put in by the designers at HAL Laboratory to keep presenting new ideas to keep you entertained. Kirby, at its best, is a procession of new toys to tinker with, new mini-games to be distracted by and new enemies to ingest so that you might take on their powers. They’re bountiful things, the maximalist approach part of their magic.
I just find it fascinating that my 4 year old has been taken so completely by Mario, but found Kirby completely boring, at least in Kirby Allies. I would have figured it would be the opposite. Maybe he sees my interest and lack of interest and duplicates it? It seems like the more he fails in Mario, the more he wants to play it. So I feel like the extra challenge level is what makes him more interested in it than Kirby.
It’s out today! Did anyone go for it? When I checked Metacritic yesterday it was at a solid 84, with the main complaints that it was too easy. The main selling point: pure cuteness.
Almost, @Ephraim! I came this close to buying it last night, but realized I was only going to do it because my main computer was busted. So when I had to reconfirm my password to process the purchase and I couldn’t remember my password and I didn’t have the computer hooked up to go check my email for the password reminder…I just said “screw it” and didn’t Kirby.
But now that the part to fix my computer has been delayed a day, I don’t know if I’ll be able to hold out tonight as well. No one post favorable comments in this thread for at least 24 hours plz.
I’m more tempted than ever after how difficulty Tunic was at times. I could use an easy game! But I haven’t quite finished cleaning up some post-game stuff in Tunic. We’ll see how I feel when that wraps up.
I came here intending to post in the “Games my young kids can actually play” thread and noticed this dedicated thread.
My 6-year-old is loving this game. It is a simple platformer and he’s playing on the offered Easy mode, but I’m super impressed by how gently and thoroughly the game has ramped up its complexity. He struggled to engage with Mario Odyssey’s more abstract sandbox design and modal inputs. But in Kirby he is demolishing Soulslike bosses by comparing equipment movesets and power tradeoffs, scouring levels for optional goals, and completing challenge courses for equipment upgrade materials. All of which was introduced a tiny step at a time. Plus, there is zero time pressure in levels (outside of short, retryable challenge sequences) and a co-op mode made for a parent to assist as a generic sidekick while Kirby gets to remain the star of the show.
I was very skeptical of this game’s longevity based on the first level and janky animation. But it has a ton of creativity, only gets better looking as it progresses, and is genuinely fun to scour for secrets. I don’t know whether the non-easy-mode gets interesting for grown up players, but this is pretty incredible as a teaching game for kids.
Also, it’s a straight-up (spoilers) Lovecraftian horror game. Not mythos-lite, but a literal death-cult awakening an Old One to end the world and send them off to the land of dreams.
I hope you’re talking about the low frame-rate motion on distant enemies here because this is a pretty package from where I’m sitting! :)
I bought this over the weekend on the strength of the demo which was just an utter delight.
Look folks, I recently finished Doom Eternal and all the DLC on Nightmare. I battled with Elden Ring. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the fizzy, refreshing and light tonic I need. And, y’know, I’m glad this isn’t any more platformer than it already is because we’ve got the annoying plumber for all that. I’m so tired of falling to my death so when I first realised Kirby could hold his breath and float and rise–oh! And you can’t fall off most edges either! For kids Forgotten Land is great but what’s really charmed me in the absence of challenge is just how surprising, creative and satisfying everything is.
Swinging a sword, tossing bombs, dashing in your car, ejecting soda cans at enemies–it all feels great. I also appreciate how each level has a bunch of unique objectives to find more Waddle Dees, so in the mall you have to not get lost, or on the first beach level there’s a hidden objective to complete the rooftop word which made me cackle when I discovered it. It was a reward for being curious and I love that. The demo doesn’t feature the world map which is home to all the challenge levels that are a nice way of sharpening your skills with certain abilities (in addition to the weapon shop Waddle Dee’s tips). I just upgraded the fire ability to some molten monstrosity and Kirby now spews magma boulders and it’s absurd. I can’t wait to see what else is in store.
Edit: oh and I adore the ice skating and pirouettes that come with the frost ability.
