Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World is a ridiculously long name for a game. The pink puffball’s greatest adventure rightly went on to become his best-selling, but it was also distractingly marred by technical trickery to help make it shine on the aged Nintendo Switch.
HAL Laboratory has been able to wield a rainbow paintbrush to rework the game for Nintendo Switch 2. At the recent Nintendo Switch 2 Experience: London event, I had the chance to put Kirby through his paces in Meteor Shower’s Arrival, the game’s opening level, and the result looks resplendent and is shaping up to eradicate the original game’s shortcomings.
The Star-Crossed World content opens with Kirby and Elfilin witnessing a powerful heart-shaped meteor shatter in the skies above the Forgotten Land, showering crystal shards across the world. It’s unclear where the meteor came from, but the shards have an adverse effect on their surroundings and, not to be confused with the Terastal phenomenon in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, strengthen the Beast Pack enemies that you face with new attacks.
Star-Crossed World is to Kirby and the Forgotten Land as New Super Luigi U was to New Super Mario Bros. U, in that the game’s existing stages have been remixed with a heightened challenge. This not only doubles up the content for newcomers but, for those who have already beaten the base game like me, it’s a tantalising reason to revisit Kirby’s adventure to discover what new surprises it holds. I’m certainly intrigued.
As I made my way through the opening level, interacting with flowers conjured shimmering pathways for me to follow, whereas hitting gems would reveal chunky crystal platforms to hop across. I don’t think we have learned if the game has any new Copy Abilities yet, but we do know that Kirby will be able to gulp down more objects to access new Mouthful Modes. I got to use Spring Mouth, with which the pink puffball can perform a High Jump (A Button) and Smash Down (B Button). Constantly bouncing along, this can unsurprisingly be used to reach new heights, slam enemies and open up otherwise inaccessible paths.
Where you had to rescue Waddle Dees from the Beast Pack in the base game, Star-Crossed World tasks you with saving the hidden Starries in each stage. That won’t be easy, however. Even the game’s minibosses have been upgraded with new attacks, a confrontation with Crystal Wild Frosty demonstrating the heightened challenge that HAL Laboratory will throw at us.
For completionists, there are still in-game missions to complete and secrets to discover. There’s also the chance for a second player to join you in your quest as the spear-wielding Bandana Waddle Dee, not that I had anyone team up with me at the ExCeL London. For those that have not played Kirby and the Forgotten Land before, the character cannot use Copy Abilities or Mouthful Modes like the pink puffball but the chance to share the experience with family and friends is always welcome.
The game’s improved graphics are spellbinding. Nintendo has confirmed that the game runs at 60 frames per second, at 1080p in Handheld Mode and 1440p when docked in TV Mode. I only had the chance to play the game docked, but it really does look magnificent and I can’t wait to see how both the main game and the Star-Crossed World benefit from the hardware.
HAL Laboratory reached new heights for the pink puffball with Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and that creative spark looks destined to continue to shine in Star-Crossed World. There are a few months beyond the console’s launch to see what awaits us in this remixed adventure, but I look forward to conquering the challenge that it poses.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World will be released at retail and digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2 worldwide on 28 August 2025.
Will this play at 4k 60 fps docked ? If yes…is it upscaled from 1440p ?
The Nintendo Treehouse Live coverage confirmed that the game would be 1440p 60fps when docked in TV Mode