We don't talk nearly enough about the fact that Kirby, on a conceptual level, is terrifying. Yes, the smooth wad of pink bubble gum is adorable--no one is debating that. He smiles incessantly while waving his little arms and waddling on his disproportionate feet, and he's always there to say "hiiiiii" in a cheerful manner. But Kirby is also an abomination, a Frankenstein-esque experiment created in a lab run by a mad scientist named HAL. He gleefully inhales other creatures, swallows them, and absorbs their powers. I'd call him Thanos, but he doesn't have the proper anatomy to wear a world-shattering gauntlet… yet. Sadly, I have to report that we've allowed Kirby to get too full of himself (and others), and he's reached his ultimate form in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. The culmination of 30 years of exploring the malleable mascot, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the most inventive and best entry in franchise history. The move to 3D brings Kirby's signature mechanic to life in a way that wasn't possible before. This feels like a new beginning for Kirby, as it maintains all of the familiar series trappings while presenting them in a cohesive, well-rounded adventure that is playfully imaginative throughout.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land follows the traditional stage-based format with multiple areas and rooms in each area--it's certainly not as "open" as the trailers have made it seem. It's much closer to Super Mario 3D World than Super Mario Odyssey. Still, the stages hold far more secrets than might initially meet the eye, actively encouraging you to poke around to find hidden rooms, paths, and areas with self-contained objectives containing their own rewards at the end.

Though Forgotten Land mostly sticks with the tried-and-true world themes we've come to expect from Nintendo platformers--grass, sea, ice, fire, desert, etc.--the remnants of civilization present in the "Forgotten Land" give these locales mysterious vibes that make them unique. From an abandoned shopping mall and amusement park to a haunted house and chilly metro station, each of Forgotten Land's 30+ stages tell their own story. Unlike some other recent Kirby games, it almost always feels fresh and full of new ideas.