Nintendo has given Kirby and the Forgotten Land a major upgrade on the Switch 2, marking one of the console’s most significant re-releases since Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The original 2022 title was already praised as one of the best entries in the series, but it came with technical compromises. With the Switch 2 edition, many of those shortcomings have been addressed, resulting in a much smoother and more visually striking experience.
On the first Switch, the game maintained a mostly stable 30 frames per second, but its performance was achieved through noticeable cutbacks. Enemies and objects located even slightly away from Kirby were animated at half frame rates, sometimes dropping as low as 15 frames per second, creating a distracting jitter. Draw distance was also limited, leading to enemies appearing uncomfortably close to the player’s field of view. While these choices did not ruin the experience, they made the otherwise charming game feel somewhat uneven.
The Switch 2 edition lifts those restrictions by running at a steady 60 frames per second, instantly improving gameplay fluidity. Resolution has been increased from 1080p to 1440p, giving the vibrant worlds and Kirby’s familiar round design a sharper and more polished look. The upgrade also introduces a new campaign, Starcross World, offering fresh content for both returning players and new fans.
Some of the original design limitations remain intact, however. Enemy pop-in is still present, and while distant background elements now animate at 30 frames per second instead of 15, they do not fully match the game’s new 60-frame target. These constraints, though, are far less jarring than before, allowing the game’s whimsical art style and level design to shine.
Performance upgrades extend beyond graphics and frame rates. Loading times have been significantly reduced, making the experience more seamless. Booting into the game now takes only 3.7 seconds, compared to 7.8 on the original hardware. Entering the first stage, Point of Arrival, has been cut to just over two seconds, down from more than six, while exiting a stage is similarly faster at just over two seconds compared to 6.6. Though these improvements are not revolutionary, they add to the game’s overall smoothness and polish.
Released in 2022, Kirby and the Forgotten Land was a huge hit. Developed by HAL Laboratory, it was the thirteenth main game in the series and the first full 3D adventure for Kirby. It became the best-selling game in the franchise, with over 7.5 million copies sold by March 2024.
Now, as of August 28, 2025, an enhanced version is available on the Switch 2. This new edition not only celebrates how popular Kirby continues to be, but also shows how Nintendo is bringing its classic games to new hardware. For fans who loved Kirby’s first 3D game, these improvements make it the perfect time to jump back into the forgotten land.
