Kirby and the Forgotten Land changed the franchise forever. When I reviewed it back in 2022, I praised its finish, its variety, and its accessibility, which made it a very interesting alternative to Mario or Donkey Kong when it came to 3D platformers. With all its goodness, the universal appeal of the character, and the millions of Nintendo Switch devices already in homes, it soon became the best-selling Kirby game in history, finally making a definitive leap from its 2D origins. And while HAL Laboratory develops the inevitable sequel to such a sizable hit (or so we bet), the adventure is being adapted for the newly released Nintendo Switch 2 with improved graphics and a helping of extra content.
The first clear feeling I got from the additional content, called Star-Crossed World, is that it's a proper expansion (small, but an expansion) to the base game, much more elaborate and decent than say, Jamboree TV for Super Mario Party Jamboree was last month. Where that seemed like a lazy effort, here they've taken care to expand on the original concept with much more interesting additions.
The highlight of the content that Star-Crossed World brings is the new Starry Stages, or rather, the ones modified by a falling meteorite. At two per world, with all their achievements and collectibles as in the original game, they provide enough curiosity and playtime for fans who completed the original to the fullest.
It should also be noted that while some Starry Stages reuse parts of the original stages, the truth is that most of them propose considerable detours or completely new areas, so it rarely feels like you're playing "the same stage with a different skin". Also, the secrets and achievements are pretty well hidden with a few exceptions, so players will feel right at home and will feel at ease exploring based on the mechanics they already knew and will now have to refresh and re-train for the more demanding sections.
While it doesn't reinvent the wheel (pun intended), this content also brings new transformations to spice up the traditional gameplay a bit. The Spring Mouth is fun, if feels a little too similar to the Snake Bananza power from Donkey Kong Bananza, which many will have as recently or are even playing in parallel (and Mario Spring, for the same reasons). Gear Mouth, however, is the true star of this content, with a very satisfying feeling in the controls and a more challenging and fresher climbing mechanic. The Sign Mouth, finally, is the excuse for some snowboard-style speed scenes that neither add nor subtract.
As you complete these Starry Stages and their added achievements and collectibles (no doubt a completist's delight), you may also decide to complete what you left out of the stages and challenges (routes) of your first playthrough, returning to enjoy the awesomeness of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, finishing upgrading and levelling up his fantastic abilities and getting more collectible capsules. Then you're left with a new challenge in the Colosseum, called The Ultimate Cup Z EX, a sort of ultimate Boss Rush; a challenge that hardcore users will appreciate.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition also means higher resolution graphics and framerate, which makes the already beautiful game look great on 4K screens and Full-HD handhelds too. I'm still annoyed, as with Mario Party, that it doesn't include native HDR on Switch 2, although I have to admit that it's one of the games that works perfectly with the simulated/forced HDR that the console itself does, as long as you have your screen set up correctly.
So, is the expansion worth it? Much more than Mario Party, but at the same time don't expect a lot of content or innovation. For me, it's more like a nice icing on top of what was a memorable adventure, as a way to expand on the original experience with the recipe of "more and better". If the Switch title was among your favourites, go swallow the expansion and bump it up a notch in our score, because you won't be disappointed and you'll enjoy a new story with a few additions. If you don't already own the original, you'd better give it a try before jumping straight into the €80 edition.
