- Final Fantasy IX (Nintendo Switch)
- Megami Tensei: Soul Hackers (Nintendo 3DS)
- Streets of Rage 4 (Nintendo Switch)
- Pixel Puzzle Collection (iOS)
- Hero Emblems (iOS)
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Nintendo Switch)
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Nintendo Switch)
I got this game for my birthday with the rationale that I would play it with my child, on recommendation from a friend who played this game with their child. This game is mostly pretty good for that. I played in Spring Breeze mode, which is basically easy mode, to ensure that my child did not get frustrated with the experience as they have trouble with the controller frequently.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is basically a standard Kirby game but in full 3D, with a largely fixed camera angle to aid in 1: hiding collectibles just at the edge or outside of view and 2: ensuring a consistent experience for platforming. It succeeds on both those fronts. Kirby now platforms with full 3D movement. You might imagine this would create problems given Kirby can fly, but the game accommodates this by essentially putting up invisible ceilings for Kirby unless you find the "proper" way up, at which point you can then fly above that ceiling until you then drop back below it. If I read these words before playing the game I would think it sounds frustrating and arbitrary, and to an extent it is arbitrary, but the game isn't cruel and the way up usually isn't that hard to find, so it rarely if ever wanders into frustrating territory. The only truly frustrating bits are the ones I have with most Kirby and 3D platforming games: getting a "perfect" score on key challenges and finding all the various hidden and unlockable items and tidbits can be frustratingly hard (even in Spring Breeze) and platforming and aiming in 3D can be a PITA. Regularly I struggled with tapping the analog stick in one direction only to have the spring-back on the stick turn me in the opposite direction. And the platforming frustrated by me and my child. On levels with lots of pits (which are really just damage hazards) they would just start jumping into pits until they died so they could revive after that section of the level was finished. And this is a problem Spring Breeze doesn't fix.
Graphically this game is a joy. It's colorful, maintains good frame rate, and the art style is such that everything looks crisp and lovely. There's also a pronounced depth of field effect in some areas which blurs foreground or background visuals, but it never feels like it obstructs viewing the level because it's applied carefully. There are also some almost RPG-like elements in that as you explore and rescue Waddle Dees your home-base town expands, offering new mini-games and services. One of these is a shop where you can switch abilities freely. In some levels you can find scrolls and use rare stones earned by completing challenges back at the store to upgrade powers. Every power but one can be upgraded twice, with the upper level powers typically being more useful and more powerful.
Each level features 5 challenges. The first is always to complete the level, rewarding 3 Waddle Dees. Then there are hidden Waddle Dees throughout each stage, anywhere from 4-6, typically. This is always the second challenge. Then there are other challenges, ranging from eating 3 of a special food to getting through an environmental hazard area without taking damage from that hazard (falling, freezing, catching on fire, etc...) to finding hidden areas to touching or activating all of a key object in the environment. The challenges are all hidden (except completing the level) until you do the first example of a multiple-objective challenge, at which point it is revealed. And if you complete a level with any challenges not yet revealed, the next challenge in the list will be displayed so you at least know what to focus on next time you play the level. Bosses also have challenges, though they are more typically about beating the boss in a certain span of time or with a certain weapon or without taking damage, though each boss does at least have one unique boss-battle-specific challenge.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land introduces Mouthful Mode, wherein Kirby envelops some giant object and you then utilize some unique mechanic in the level for a bit or participate in what is effectively a mini-game. Sometimes these are challenging, though mostly they're just a change of pace to break up the platforming gameplay. Throughout the level there are special challenge levels called Treasure Roads. They are strictly single-player affairs. You're equipped with a particular power at a specific level and tasked with completing the challenge level within a minimum time. Doing so gets you a rare stone which you can use with star coins to upgrade your powers.
Forgotten Land's 2-player co-op mode is what makes this great to play with kids. If you play co-op mode the second player is a Bandana Waddle Dee with a spear who can stab, spear toss, and fly. The helper doesn't get to absorb powers, but is innately empowered. And when the helper dies, there's a Revive bar that replaced their health bar. When the Revive bar refills that player can tap A to jump back into the game. And like other Kirby games with helpers when 2P moves off the screen (the screen is largely centered on Kirby) they warp to Kirby. While this doesn't make platforming areas any easier for the second player (they may just want to die and sit out that bit) it does help with boss battles and more exploration and combat-oriented areas.
I very much recommend this game, for either single player or two-player play. It's great for parents with kids and also easy enough for novices, though it definitely has difficulty spikes, mostly revolving around various challenges and a few bosses.