New Kirby Games and Merch Teased for 2021

Much of Nintendo's plans for 2021 remain a mystery, but it seems that fans of the Kirby franchise could have a lot to celebrate in the coming year. Japanese website 4gamer has published a series of comments from HAL Laboratory employees about the developer's 2020 releases, and the future. Employees at the developer talked up the Nintendo Switch games Part Time UFO and Kirby Fighters 2, but director Yumi Todo's comments should prove most intriguing to Kirby fans. Todo teased that new games, merchandise and more are in the works for next year. Those comments, translated by Siliconera, can be found below.

"We'll keep working hard on our goal in 2021. That is, for as many people as possible to enjoy Kirby [games]. We have plans not only for games but also for merchandise, books, and a variety of events like with the Kirby Cafe," said Todo. "We hope you'll continue to support both Kirby and HAL Laboratory in 2021!"

It will be interesting to see what HAL Laboratories has in store next for the Kirby franchise. While the series is perhaps best known for its platformers, there have also been a number of experimental Kirby games over the years, including titles like Kirby: Canvas Curse, and the aforementioned Kirby Fighters 2. Nintendo Switch has already played host to a traditional Kirby platformer in the form of Kirby Star Allies. Whether or not the next game in the series will be a direct follow-up, or something else entirely, remains to be seen.

Regardless of what comes next for the franchise, this certainly comes as good news for fans of the series, and Nintendo Switch fans, in particular! Thus far, only a small handful of exclusives have been confirmed for the platform for 2021, such as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. It remains to be seen whether or not games like Breath of the Wild 2, New Pokemon Snap, or Metroid Prime 4 will also see release next year, but official announcements from Nintendo should not be too far off. For now, fans will just have to wait patiently, knowing that, at the very least, more Kirby is on the way!

Are you a fan of Nintendo's Kirby franchise? What would you like to see next for the series? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!