For Nintendo, the transition from flat-plane 2D gaming to a full 3D experience kicked off in earnest with Super Mario 64 – with most key franchises following suit in short order. Except one. The Kirby series remained on a side-scrolling path across the generations and while I adore side-scrolling games, I couldn’t help but wonder how this series might play in full 3D. Now, we finally have some answers. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the first fully 3D movement-based series entry and I love it.
Forgotten Land has players taking control of Kirby across a wide range of stages while platforming, flying and copying enemy abilities, much like prior games. However, the shift in perspective allows for a shake-up in its level design that is very welcome. It’s still a retro style of game design but this new entry brings a lot of fresh ideas to the table with elements like the new ‘mouthful’ objects that directly influence mechanics.
The transition of Kirby’s basic functions into the 3D space is challenging from a game design perspective, but the developers have done a good job. Take Kirby’s flight ability, for instance. You want to keep levels constrained enough for game flow purposes – but restrict this ability too much and it loses that Kirby essence. Kirby’s inhaling ability is also more difficult in 3D – on a 2D plane you basically engage this action while facing an enemy but in 3D, you need to consider all 360 degrees around the player. If it’s difficult to suck up your foes, it would become frustrating – Nintendo hadn’t really solved these issues in any comparable N64 games either.
With Forgotten Land, we finally have the chance to see this work and this is interesting to me as I think they’ve managed to strike a perfect balance here by relying on subtle auto-correction. Gulping foes, for instance, relies on an auto-positioning of sorts that just lightly guides you when pressing the button. Furthermore, while flight is fully intact, there are limitations on how long and how high you can fly. It still maintains that sense of freedom you expect but it’s just constrained enough to keep you within each section. In that sense, I think the controls are perhaps the game’s biggest triumph – the act of moving Kirby around feels great, and all of his actions are easy to execute in 3D.