The Nintendo Switch has been a kingmaker for previously undersung franchises. Titles likeFire Emblem: Three Houses,Luigi’s Mansion 3,Animal Crossing: New Horizons, andMetroid Dreadset record sales;Animal Crossingspecifically beat out mainstay bestsellers likeThe Legend of ZeldaandPokemonaccording to numbers released by Nintendo’s Investor Relations on May 31, 2025. Kirby got off to slower start with 2018’sKirby Star Allies, but appears to be heading for a surge withKirby and the Forgotten Land.
First revealed during the September 2021 Nintendo Direct,Kirby and the Forgotten Landwill be the pink puffball’s first true 3D platformer. That initial teaser enticed many thanks to the game’s post-apocalyptic setting, but a second trailer released January 12 dove a lot deeper into gameplay.New copy abilities like Ranger and Drillwere shown off alongside returning fan favorites, and it was confirmedForgotten Landwill let people explore its diverse environments across a stage-based world map via two-player co-op. However, many were also drawn to side activities like Kirby fishing that may suggest HAL Laboratory is integrating its traditional sub-games into the main adventure.
RELATED:Kirby and the Forgotten Land Trailer Reveals Launch Date
Kirby Sub-Games Have a Long History
The originalKirby’s Dream Landon Game Boy was a standalone and simple adventure, but its follow-upKirby’s Adventurereally set the stage for modernKirbygames. It introducedcopy abilities, allowing Kirby to take advantage of various powersby absorbing his enemies, and also had the first set of sub-games.Kirby’s Adventurepresented sub-games as doors the protagonist could enter within each lobby that offered different gameplay than the typical sidescrolling stages. Perhaps the most recognizable sub-game in this title was Quick Draw, in which players have to press ‘A’ faster than their opponent to win cowboy stand-offs.
Quick Draw would return with a samurai-themed skin in bothKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land(a remake ofAdventure) andKirby Super Star, but it’s just one of a few sub-games that fit the innocuous “time-waster” category.Super Starand its DS remakeSuper Star Ultrawould also include sub-games like Megaton Punch that are about precision timing. Similar games likeThe Amazing Mirror’s Speed Eaters,Return to Dream Land’s Scope Shot, andStar Allies' Chop Champ appear throughout the series.
Some sub-games are extensions of the main adventure, including various takes on boss rush modes or therecurring Meta Knightmare modethat lets players run through the story as Meta Knight instead of Kirby. There are also interesting sub-games that act as tech demos for HAL Laboratory, often leading to more fleshed out spin-offs during the 3DS era.Kirby: Triple Deluxe’s Dedede’s Drum Dash and Kirby Fighters both received standalone titles, andKirby Fighters 2just released for Switch in 2020.Planet Robobot’s Team Kirby Clash and Kirby 3D Rumble also got full spin-offs, with the latter being a puzzler take on howKirbycould play in 3D.
RELATED:Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s Co-op Might Be Its Best Feature
How Kirby and the Forgotten Land Might Integrate Sub-Games
It’s certainly possible thatKirby and the Forgotten Landwill follow tradition and have a set of sub-games available to play on the main menu beyond its story. However, the January 12 trailer appears to hint at a more copacetic blend between the two. Fans now know Kirby’s goal will be saving Waddle Dees from the villainous Beast Pack, and it appears everyone he saves will return to a village hub area that Kirby can explore between stages.
Kirby can be seen taking part in various minigames throughout the trailer, at one point having to give Waddle Dees the appropriate item at a restaurant while under a time limit. He also goes fishing and canunlock collectibles via gashapon balls. A few additional buildings can be spotted in the town, such as a movie theater and post office, many of which will likely be menu options contextualized in-game; such as the movie theater being a place where players can watch cinematic cutscenes again.
If that is the case, it would make sense that activities such as feeding Waddle Dees will also beKirby and the Forgotten Land’s equivalent of sub-games like Quick Draw. Making sub-games a part of the game’s main adventure, perhaps reliant on Kirby rescuing more Waddle Dees to increase difficulty, may take away the opportunity forexperiments like Kirby Fighters. However, it would be an admirable way of ingraining a series staple into a fleshed-out world, which would be beneficial for a game that looks as fresh asForgotten Land.
Kirby and the Forgotten Landlaunches March 25, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
