In yesterday’s Nintendo Direct, it finally happened:Kirbyhas made the full jump to 3D.Kirby and the Forgotten Landwill be the first full 3DKirbyplatformer, fulfilling the promise thatKirby Air Ridemade on the Nintendo GameCube so many years ago.Kirby is seen moving through an abandoned city, with an assortment of wide-open environments to run and jump through. It seems like HAL Laboratory is really going as hard as it can for Kirby’s big 3D platformer debut, as all of Kirby’s signature mechanics are on display here, amidst a mysterious environment that is sure to hold story revelations.
After several side games and minigames experimenting withKirbyin 3D, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a game actually commit to bringingKirbyto this medium. However, by doing this,Kirby and the Forgotten Landexposes itself to the pitfalls that many games before it have dealt with while transitioning to 3D.Kirbywas built for and operated under 2D rules for decades, so it’s hard to say how natural putting him in a 3D environment will feel. Hopefully, it will work out, butKirby and the Forgotten Landmay need to stumble so a future game can run.
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The Potential Problems with Kirby Going 3D
Few transitions to 3D have gone flawlessly. Nintendo may have the best track record across all its franchises, but it can’t be understated how deeply ingrained 2D gameplay is into theKirbyfranchise. There is a very particular way those games are made to feel, and directly translating that into 3D likeKirby and the Forgotten Landappears to be doing could cause some problems. To its credit, the game does appear to accurately recreate what modernKirbyplays like. Kirby has floaty jumps and tumbles when falling from a height just like in his older games. Even the animations used by copy abilities look familiar. However, platforming and fighting in 3D just isn’t the same as it is in 2D. HAL Laboratory needs to pay close attention to makingKirby’s traversal feel just as satisfying as it always has been.
Another potential issue isKirby’s Legacy mechanics. The most obvious issue in a 3DKirbygame is the handling of flight.Kirbyhas always been defined as being a platformer where the player can choose to fly around any obstacles. In a 3D game, this might allow for players to simply circumvent the level geometry. By the looks of things, HAL has already taken this into consideration and implemented a maximum height for Kirby’s flight, but this doesn’t change the fact that this may need to be anotherlinearKirbygame with no explorationjust because it’s there.
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What Kirby May Have to Leave Behind in 2D
Kirbyprobably won’t be able to keep everything going forward into 3D gaming. First and foremost, the multiplayer that definedKirby’s main games for the last decade will probably have to take a backseat, at least for a little while. It can certainly creep back in and besimilar toSuper Mario 3D World, but for now, the focus should be on ensuring thatKirby’s dimensional transition goes as smoothly as possible.Kirby Star Allieswas probably built up with such a huge roster for that very reason, giving many ofKirby’s mainstays an exciting send-off. Even so, there’s still a good chance that Kirby’s various helpers (and the other colored Kirby’s) will return as part of challenge modes or the usual assortment of mini-games. More 3DKirbygames will probably be made after this, so HAL can limit the scope of this one to make sure that what it made will work.
That scope must include copy abilities, but the real question is to what extent.Kirby’s list of abilitieschanges from game to game, but it appears that the usual mainstays are still present. What isn’t clear as of right now is how their move list looks, and just how many copy abilities there will be. Ever sinceKirby Super Star, his abilities have gained a gradually growing fighting game-esque move list, and not all of them will be able to transition to 3D. The wayKirby and the Forgotten Lands' first trailer is cut seems to emphasize the core functions of each copy ability. This helps simplify things when it comes to designing the environments and the various collectibles and side paths containing them, but players will have to wait and see how many ofKirby’s light beat-em-up elements will be preserved.
The Benefits of Kirby Going 3D
It can’t all be doom and gloom ifKirby’s transition to 3D has been anticipated for so long. Most of the concerns one could have aboutForgotten Landare just well-meaning worries with incomplete information, and most fans are too excited for 3DKirbyto let that get to them. It seemed likea prototype for a 3DKirbyplatformerhad been brought up once a generation ever sinceKirby 64: The Crystal Shards, withKirby’s Air Ridetaking the role of the first truly 3DKirbygame on the GameCube. Only two otherKirbytitles have had full 3D movement ever since then, and those areKirby’s Blowout BlastandKirby Battle Royale, both for the 3DS. Both of those games very noticeably felt like they were tests for 3DKirbytitles, one for the platforming and the other to demo the copy abilities.
Now,Kirby and the Forgotten Landis using everything HAL Laboratory has researched and learnedoverKirby’s 30 yearsto make a true 3DKirbygame. Even thoughKirbywould be remiss to completely discard 2D gameplay, it’s nice to finally see this treasured mascot joinMario,The Legend of Zelda, and so many other Nintendo franchises in the 3D realm.Kirby’s beautiful environments will be able to take on their grandest form yet, andKirbycombat will have its first major innovation in years.Kirby’s signature relaxing platforming and casual puzzle-solving is back in full force, and it looks likeForgotten Landcould be the revolutionaryKirbygame fans have been waiting for.
Kirby and the Forgotten Landwill release in Spring 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
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