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We’ve maintained for a while that the Nintendo Switch and portable projectors like the BenQ GS50 go together very well. Not only are they all designed for mobility, they’re also easy to setup and connect and thus enjoy anywhere. They share a design philosophy that says gaming shouldn’t be confined to the living room or study or anywhere else in front of a static display that’s fixed in place. Want to join pink blob hero Kirby on his latest adventure from the comfort of your bedroom? No problem. Ditto for the backyard or at a campsite in the middle of the woods. With just one HDMI cable, the Switch hooks up with the GS50 to give you a display as big as 100”, and you can use anything from a proper screen to an available wall. Flexibility is the order of the day, and the GS50 expands as needed just like Kirby does.
While minding his business one lovely day, Kirby gets sucked into a wormhole and transported into a post-apocalyptic realm known as the Forgotten Land. To figure out a way back, Kirby must traverse a series of levels while helping his long-time friends, the Waddle Dees, who are once more oppressed by the bad guys, or rather bad animals, because everyone in this game is some sort of non-human animal.
The most important thing about this latest Kirby title, once more developed by HAL Laboratory, is that it’s the first fully-3D Kirby game ever. All previous Kirby titles were essentially 2D, but in this one we have full freedom of movement across levels. It’s not an open world game, but more like open area. Kirby moves around freely and takes on a variety of enemies, puzzles, and platforming challenges. All while collecting loot, which can be used to upgrade Waddle Dee Town, the hub of the game world.
Kirby has a bunch of new powers, too. In addition to being able to eat anything and spit it back as a weapon, Kirby now inflates more like a balloon than ever before, and has a brand new power called Mouthful Mode, which is very appropriate. In this mode, Kirby swallows large objects like cars, staircases, and vending machines to help him get around more easily.
As you can probably imagine, all of this gets very amusing and looks best on a large screen.
Nintendo games have a colorful and distinct look that shines on a big 1080p screen. Since the Switch doesn’t have 4K HDR, you don’t even need a fancy and costly projector or TV to make the most of games on the console. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a very pretty game, with lots of vivid colors and cute details, and the native 1080p resolution of projectors like the BenQ GS50 is a pixel-for-pixel perfect match.
In terms of sound, it’s important to have proper audio in your projector or TV of choice, because one thing everyone can agree on, is that Nintendo games have excellent soundtracks and very memorable audio. While Kirby doesn’t actually talk, he does make a lot of adorable sounds, as does everyone in this game, especially the Waddle Dees. Also, the soundtrack is superb, written once more by veteran series composers Hirokazu Ando and Jun Ishikawa. The GS50’s dual speakers and powerful subwoofer make sure you get the most out of sound no matter where you are. Just try to keep it down so as not to disturb anyone, especially if you’re in the woods! Who knows what animal might notice, and you’re not going to have Kirby to come in and help you.
Like most Nintendo games, Kirby and the Forgotten Land supports couch co-op, or local co-op. One player assumes the role of Kirby, while the second player becomes a Waddle Dee. You can take on the adventure together, and this is much more fun on a large screen. Imagine the joy of traversing the Forgotten Land with a friend or family member while on a road trip. It’s an adventure within an adventure! We found the local co-op in Kirby and the Forgotten Land works very well, and had a good time figuring out levels as a team.
Mind you, Kirby and the Forgotten Lands isn’t a very difficult game, and thus it’s perfect for families and kids. You can opt for Wild Mode, which makes it a little bit more challenging, but we found the default mode just fine.
If you want a great demo of the power of portable projectors for gaming, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the textbook example, which is why we thought we should highlight it. Give it a go if you can, you’ll be happy you did!
