The beloved pink ball that can suck up the entire universe is back in a new, pumped-up form! Kirby and the Forgotten World, one of the best 3D platformers on the Switch, has received its DLC and upgrade in the form of Star-Crossed World, an expansion that elevates everything that was good in the original, with a few tricks up its sleeve that will bring smiles to both veterans and new players.
Return to the Forgotten Land
The story, of course, remains in typical Kirby style: simple yet charming. A huge meteor falls into the heart of the Forgotten Land, creating an unusual volcanic island and altering the structure of old locations. In this chaos, little creatures, fragments of stars, called Starries, have scattered, and Kirby must save them and defeat the impending evil before the entire world falls apart. A classic.
The Starries are our new friends that we need to save
If you haven't finished the original, the new content becomes available as soon as you complete the first world of Forgotten Land. Content-wise, we received 12 new levels, inspired by old biomes, but with a cooler, crystalline aesthetic and a winter vibe, bringing new surprises: snowy reinterpretations, crystal environments, more verticality, new enemies, and smarter designed hidden passages.
New Mouthful Evolution
The star of the Star-Crossed World is the new Mouthful transformations. Let's remind ourselves, this is that absurdly crazy mode where Kirby literally sucks up an object entirely and transforms into it. Star-Crossed World brings three new forms: Spring Kirby, where Kirby turns into a large spring with high, destructive jumps, Gear Kirby, which as a moving gear can latch onto walls and roll along them, and Sign Mouth becomes a sliding board that rushes and maneuvers down frozen platforms.
New transformations and verticality significantly change the vibe of the old levels
The levels are designed with these new forms in mind, and you must use them to solve puzzles, reach hidden collectibles, or survive time challenges. The new mechanics are refreshing, creative, and don't take too long.
Sometimes you have to solve a spring puzzle to get to the Starry fragment, sometimes you climb walls in Gear form like Sonic in slow motion, and the Slide sections have that mini speedrun challenge feel where you'll miss a collectible by half a second, and have to go back, because we have to collect them all.
One of the more fun levels, where we move on a rollercoaster, with an old level in the background
A game accessible to everyone
Kirby is still accessible to everyone, with wide platforms for platforming, a single button for attack, and forgiving jumps. Star-Crossed World, however, does two smart things: it elevates platforming to higher levels, contains more hidden passages and mini-sections that require attention to the environment - like traces in architecture, suspicious brick patterns, and unusual background sounds, and it picks up the pace where the original could be a bit laid-back.
Star-Crossed World invites you back to the same spaces, but with a new logic, in the style of “go back and think differently.” After all, Kirby has always been more about relaxed collecting of items and devouring everything that walks, and less about challenging difficulty. For kids just entering the world of gaming, Kirby is the perfect first step: gentle in approach, yet full of play and imagination.
The technical side: pink has never looked this good
On the Switch 2, Kirby runs at 60 FPS and 1440p in docked mode, or 1080p in handheld, with sharper textures and smoother animations, and loading times are practically nonexistent.
Don't get me wrong, this is one of those games that looked good on the original Switch, precisely because of its pastel color style and soft contrast, but here everything looks cleaner, softer, and has that “pop.” The pink color has never been richer.
Sound and music? Still at a high level. The combination of familiar Kirby melodies with new arrangements provides a nice backdrop to the new, winter environment. Boss battles feature adrenaline-pumping music, and alongside the familiar Kirby joy, there’s a dose of melancholy that fits the atmosphere of a fallen meteor and a quiet threat.
For hardcore fans: Ultimate Cup Z EX
If you are one of those who has explored every corner of Forgotten Land and are looking for a challenge, Star-Crossed World has an ace up its sleeve: Ultimate Cup Z EX (yes, that’s a really catchy name). This boss rush mode unlocks after completing the DLC campaign and represents the final test for all Kirby veterans.
You will face a whole range of pumped-up bosses, including some new variations of familiar faces. The enemies are faster, more aggressive, and use new attacks, so knowing the old patterns is no longer enough. Now, quick reactions, precise dodging, and selecting the ideal loadout are necessary.
Ultimate Cup Z EX may not change the genre, but it brings a dose of adrenaline that is missing from the main campaign. It’s not Elden Ring, but for Kirby – surprisingly hardcore, and certainly the closest this game has come to that feeling so far.
Weekend DLC or a true sequel?
The main campaign of Star-Crossed World lasts about 3 hours, but if you are one of those who want to collect all the hidden Starry collectibles and complete additional tasks, expect 5 to 6 hours of content. Still, nothing that can't be played in one longer Sunday afternoon. Let’s add the Ultimate Cup Z EX mode as a small bonus for hardcore fans.
If you already own Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the upgrade pack with new content costs €19.99, and in that context, the offer makes sense: 12 creatively redesigned levels, three new Mouthful modes, fresh challenges, and a technical upgrade that makes everything smoother and faster, especially on the Switch 2.
However, it’s hard not to notice what is missing. The DLC is fun, but short. It seems that Nintendo could have expanded the experience a bit and added more depth. Also, the question remains: was it really necessary to lock the graphical and technical upgrade for the new console and charge for it, instead of at least providing the graphical update for free?
Kirby and the Star-Crossed World is not a DLC that will change your life, but it will brighten up one Sunday afternoon. Visually and technically it shines on the Switch 2, bringing three fun Mouthful modes and several hours of enjoyable platforming. If you have already played the original, the new ticket to the Forgotten Land is a charming addition that does not disappoint. Still, it’s a shame there isn’t a bit more content, just enough to justify the price and the feeling of a true sequel. And for those who haven’t played the original? Unfortunately, there’s no way to buy just the base game with next-gen improvements: everything comes in a package, and it’s pricey.
A copy of the game for review purposes was provided by the distributor CD Media
