Kirby has been a steadfast Nintendo mascot for 33 years, ever since the character debuted in 1992’s Kirby’s Dream Land for Game Boy. In addition to being a Smash Bros. staple, Kirby and his ever-evolving powers of inhalation have starred in over two dozen games, culminating in the series’ best-selling game to date, Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

As we near the end of Nintendo’s current console generation, we’ve compiled a list of every Kirby game on the Switch as well as new Kirby games coming to the Switch 2.

Six Kirby games have been released on Nintendo Switch, while 11 more retro Kirby games are playable with Nintendo Switch Online. The franchise debuted on Switch in 2018 with Kirby Star Allies; its latest release, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, arrived in 2023. A new Kirby game, Kirby Air Riders, will be releasing for the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025.

Kirby’s Switch debut came in 2018 with Kirby Star Allies. The action-platformer is played with a party of four (multiplayer or local AI) and sees Kirby combine abilities with allies to solve puzzles and enhance combat.

Series developer HAL Laboratories and Nintendo brought the pink puff back the following year for the free-to-play Super Kirby Clash. Like Star Allies, Clash is played with a team of four that can be controlled by other human players or AI. Unlike Star Allies, this is not a platformer but rather a standalone boss rush mode; it features a hub world for changing equipment and selecting quests, though the heart of the game is the series of boss fights that serve as those quests.

A sequel to the 3DS game Kirby Fighters Deluxe (an expanded version of the subgame Kirby Fighters found in Kirby: Triple Deluxe), Kirby Fighters 2 is exactly what it sounds like: a fighting game starring Kirby. It supports up to four players and features Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, Bandana Waddle Dee, Gooey, and Magolor as playable characters.

The series’ standout game on Switch, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a post-apocalyptic adventure in which Kirby gets sucked into a wormhole that appears above Dream Land. The Forgotten Land is the series’ first fully 3D platformer, complete with puzzles and Kirby’s signature ability-based combat. It’s the series’ best-selling game to date, selling more than 7.5 million copies by the end of March 2024. There's even a Switch 2 version of this game currently listed to be available for preorder.

Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a dessert-themed multiplayer game released in 2022. It features three four-player game modes: race, minigame, and battle royale. The modes can be played separately or together as part of Dream Buffet’s Gourmet Grand Prix.

The series’ latest game, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a remake of the 2011 Wii game Kirby’s Return to Dream Land. The action-platformer came to Switch with improved visuals, a new easy mode (Helper Magolor), three new abilities (Sand, Mecha, and Festival), and an all-new two-hour adventure called Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler.

Return to Dream Land Deluxe supports local co-op for up to four players, with each player taking control of either Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, or Bandana Waddle Dee.

There are 11 Kirby games available with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Those with a regular subscription can play nine Kirby games from NES, SNES, and Game Boy, while those with the more expensive Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription get access to two additional games: Kirby & The Amazing Mirror (GBA) and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64).

Here’s the list of Kirby games playable with Nintendo Switch Online, ordered by initial release date:

A new GameCube library will also be available in the NSO + Expansion Pack membership on Switch 2, which may include Kirby Air Ride.

The era of Kirby on Switch may be coming to a close, but the character's journey on the Switch 2 has just begun. Kirby Air Riders was officially announced during the April 2025 Nintendo Direct as a follow-up to the 2003 Kirby Air Ride racing game on GameCube. Masahiro Sakurai, creator of both the Kirby series and Super Smash Bros., returns as director of the new game.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is also on the list of games that will be getting Switch 2 upgrades. The upgrade will take advantage of the Switch 2's improved specs and includes a new story expansion. Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World will be released on August 28 with a discounted upgrade option for those who owned the original game on Switch.

Check out more upcoming games for the original Switch and what games are coming to the Switch 2.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

Nintendo has confirmed that those sleek new Switch 2 game cards won’t always carry an actual game and will, instead, sometimes simply contain a key for a game download.

The Super Mario Bros. company detailed how it will update its approach to physical game cartridges in a customer support post published shortly after this morning’s Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. It explains that, when the Switch 2 arrives this June, you’ll be able to carry on purchasing physical Switch games just as you’ve done for the last eight years, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

The post in question focuses on game-key cards: physical cards that only contain a key to download your chosen game. That means there’s no actual game data on the card you insert into your Switch 2, so you’ll need to download it once the card is inserted. Every game-key card case will be appropriately labeled on the lower portion of the front of the box, so if you’re concerned about what exactly you’re purchasing, you should have a heads-up right away.

News that Nintendo will utilize these game-key cards for Switch 2 has already taken hold of physical gaming fans who prefer the simplicity of plug-in-play without the need for lengthy download periods and an internet connection to get set up. The concern is that these are little more than fancy key holders that will soon replace all standard cartridges, but there are few reasons to believe this is actually the case for now.

Many have already taken to social media to point out that, while some early looks at Switch 2 box art, including covers for games like Street Fighter 6 and the Bravely Default remaster, do indeed feature that game-key card disclaimer, others, such as Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, do not.

It appears the game-key card approach will likely be reserved for a few especially hefty games that might benefit from the key strategy, such as something like Hogwarts Legacy or Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Even then, developer CD Projekt Red has already confirmed Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition will ship with a game card that comes in at a whopping 64 GB on the Switch 2’s launch day.

Additionally, as explained during the Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo seems pretty proud of the new tech its upgraded red game cards support. They’re said to come with faster data reading speeds than what was seen with the original hybrid console from 2017, a fact the company wouldn’t need to point out if all of its cartridges were simple key containers. Let's not forget that Nintendo has bent the definition of what a game card offers before, with some notable original Switch examples being LA Noire and NBA 2K18, which both required additional downloads out of the box.

It’s far too soon to tell just how many Switch 2 games will rely on game-key cards, but we know all will be revealed as launch draws closer. For now, the Nintendo Switch 2 is primed to click into action come June 5, 2025. For everything revealed during today’s all-encompassing Direct, click here. For a better look at all of the new tech Nintendo's new hardware brings to the table, you can click here.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Microsoft has unveiled a list of Xbox Game Pass titles set to join the service in the first half of April 2025, revealing a strong lineup of first- and third-party games, including South of Midnight, Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition, and more.

It’s a remarkably strong month that was detailed in a recent Xbox Wire post. Expect major hitters to start dropping in tomorrow, April 3, kicking off the month with Gearbox Software’s Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) for all tiers, while All You Need Is Help (Console), Still Wakes the Deep (Xbox Series X | S), and Wargroove 2 (Console) all join Game Pass Standard. There’s more than enough in this first block to keep even the most dedicated Xbox fan busy all month, but you’ll only have five days before South of Midnight (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X | S) and Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition (Console and PC) arrive for all Game Pass subscribers April 8.

South of Midnight, Compulsion Games’ Deep South-set folklore adventure, is poised to be one of Xbox’s biggest releases of the year, and its presence on Game Pass will no doubt have hordes of players seeing what it has to offer. Microsoft’s official description sheds more light on how it will bring some life to Game Pass this month: “Explore the mythos and confront mysterious creatures of the Deep South in this modern folktale while learning to weave an ancient power to surmount obstacles and face the pain haunting your hometown.”

April 9 follows with Commandos: Origins (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X | S) for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, with Blue Prince (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X | S) coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass tiers April 10. Finally, Hunt: Showdown 1896 (PC) will round out the Wave 1 drops come April 15 when it is added for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Xbox Game Pass perks are also getting a refresh for the first half of April 2025. Highlights include the Beyond the Void Bundle for The First Descendant, the Sweet Starter Pack for Candy Crush Solitaire players on mobile devices, and an anniversary Seventh Serving Emote for Sea of Thieves fans. You can see the full list of everything coming to Game Pass in the first half of April below.

Another month of Game Pass newcomers means another batch of games will soon be leaving, too. You’ll be losing access to these titles come April 15, so if you’re interested in playing but don’t think you’ll have time to reach the credits, Microsoft still offers a 20% discount for members looking to pick up a last-minute purchase.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).