Kirby Has A Gun For The First Time In His History

Nintendo fans applauded E3 2021's announcement of "Kirby and the Forgotten Land," celebrating the imminent arrival of a new installment for one of the publisher's most beloved series. Still, fans haven't been quite sure what to expect from the gameplay aside from what Nintendo revealed during its showcase, particularly when it comes to gameplay. Now, fans have learned that Kirby will be packing heat.

Kirby typically takes on enemies and obstacles with his iconic copy abilities in each game, gobbling up baddies and stealing their powers. It wouldn't be a stretch to expect the same thing from "Forgotten Land" — if it weren't for the game's recently updated ESRB rating. According to the official rating page for the game, "Kirby and the Forgotten Land" will include "swords, bombs, and blaster-type pistols" along with "targeting/crosshairs for ranged firing." 

This rating came as a surprise to fans, as noted by YouTuber GameXplain. Although Kirby actually does use various guns and blasters in the "Super Smash Bros." crossover series, he's not known for toting a pistol in his own solo adventures. How could such a thing even work in "Kirby and the Forgotten Land," unless Kirby is eating a whole bunch of guns?

Thankfully, Nintendo didn't make fans wait long to find out the answer. On January 12, Nintendo dropped a new gameplay trailer for "Kirby and the Forgotten Land," giving players their first look at one of the weapons in the new game.

Two days after GameXplain uploaded his video trying to figure out how Kirby might incorporate guns, Nintendo debuted the new "Kirby and the Forgotten Land" gameplay trailer, which showed off some of the title character's copy abilities and a new co-op mode. Most notably, the trailer confirms that there is indeed a gun.

In the trailer, Kirby uses a megaphone-shaped blaster to bombard enemies with star-shaped "bullets." Players also have the option to switch between a standard spray of starry bullets and an alternate "charge" attack, during which Kirby seems to harness energy in the blaster before firing it like a cannon. This blaster appears to be the gun referred to be the ESRB, but it remains to be seen if it'll steal the spotlight from Kirby's other abilities.

Most of the gameplay trailer shows Kirby absorbing and utilizing multiple abilities, much like he typically does in other games. Depending on the monster he inhales, Kirby can turn into a twister, pick up a spear, and even detonate like a bomb. Lastly, the trailer also advertises co-op mode, which features a bandana-wearing Waddle Dee as the second player.

"Kirby and The Forgotten Land" launches on March 25, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch. Only then will fans know the full extent of Kirby's new gunslinging ways.