InKirby and the Forgotten Land, the titular plucky protagonist is far from home, which means HAL Laboratory has lots of liberty to come up with new features for fans to enjoy. So far, HAL is clearly making the most of its freedom while developing the newKirbygame. The game’s post-apocalyptic setting blends standardKirbybiomes with the looming remnants of a lost society, resulting in a totally different atmosphere forKirby and the Forgotten Land.HAL is also encouraged to show off the game’s bosses as much as possible through intro sequences that mimicThe Legend of Zelda’s boss title cards.
Kirby and the Forgotten Landisn’t the firstKirbygame to permit flashy entrances for its bosses.Kirby Star Allies,for instance, provided names and titles for each of its major bosses, giving them a little more context and description than mostKirbygames might otherwise do.Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s bosses are poised to make even greater use of this concept, however, thanks to the game’s setting. By fleshing out each ofForgotten Land’s bosses a little, HAL is setting up the game’s wasteland to be one ofKirby’s more memorable locales, filled with fearsome members of the Beast Pack.
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Comparing Zelda and Kirby’s Boss Titles
For much ofThe Legend of Zelda’s history, the bosses at the ends ofZeldadungeons get introduced with their name alongside a title. For instance, King Dodongo’s full description inOcarina of Timeis Infernal Dinosaur King Dodongo. These titles are valuable because they give a greater sense of personality for eachZeldaboss since not every boss battle involves one of the game’s major antagonists. Some boss titles give players a sense of where the boss belongs in the world, whereas other titles reflect the impact of the game’s plot on Hyrule.Twilight Princess' many Twilit bossesoffer great examples of both uses.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s boss titles can serve the same purpose. InKirby Star Allies,longtimeKirbyboss Whispy Woodsis described as the Guardian of the Forest, which suggests that he has a little more influence on theKirbyworld than his actual early-game battles might suggest. IfKirby and the Forgotten Landbosses all get similar titles that are short but succinct, that extra bit of description will go a long way in makingForgotten Land’s bosses and other enemies feel significant.
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Spotlighting the Forgotten Land’s Enemies
The upcomingKirbygame can make particularly good use out of boss titles because it emphasizes a new set of enemies for Kirby to face. As screenshots ofKirby and the Forgotten Land’s bossesindicate, even Whispy Woods has been replaced with a similar boss, meaningForgotten Landmay broadly focus on adding new enemies rather than reusingKirbybosses as usual. As a new presence in the franchise, the Beast Pack needs to be built up as a group of antagonists to leave a mark onKirbymoving forward. Boss titles are one great way that HAL can make the Beast Pack’s most powerful members feel like an important part of the world.
TheKirbyfranchise has never been afraid to explore uncharted territory, andKirby and the Forgotten Landis no exception, but the game has a lot of new components that still make it remarkable. Aside from introducing a new set of enemiesthat could become recurringKirbyantagonists, it introduces a new mystery to theKirbyworld and makes some drastic changes to the franchise’s gameplay. HAL once said thatKirbywould enter a new stage of life with its next game, and with the help of fleshed-out bosses and other changes to theKirbyfranchise, it looks like HAL may yet deliver on that promise.
Kirby and the Forgotten Landreleases on June 01, 2025 for Nintendo Switch.
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