This motion-based Kirby and the Forgotten Land mini-game is harder than it looks

One of the hardest bits ofKirby and the Forgotten Landis a simple little motion-controlled puzzle board. No joke: I’m struggling more with the Tilt-and-Roll Kirby mini-game than I ever did in theUltimate Cup Z, a boss-rush arena with harder variants of the big baddies.

All I have to do is avoid pitfalls andtapthe Kirby ball into the hole by tilting my Nintendo Switch ~just so~, but my nerves refuse to chill out. I’m wasting a bunch of time and coins trying to completely finish this content — the final “Extra Hard” variant has other ideas.

Tilt and Roll Kirby mini-game

To back up a bit,Kirby and the Forgotten Land, like manyKirbygames before it, has some cute side activities to bolster the main adventure. This one — Tilt-and-Roll Kirby — starts out that way at least. If you’re playing along right now and haven’t come across any of this yet, you’ll need to save180 Waddle Deesbefore this mini-game tent comes to town.

There are three motion-controlled puzzle boards to complete, and the first two aren’t bad at all. The third one, though… I spent dozens of attempts and I’m still not sure how to reliably pull off the last zig-zagging stretch. Thankfully, you only need to get through the (much more forgiving) Normal versions of these boards to score aGame-Shop Waddle Dee figurefor your capsule collection, so the Extra Hard variants are for bragging rights.

Tilt and Roll Kirby second gyro puzzle board

I’m having such a blast savoring every morsel ofKirby and the Forgotten Land, so I can’t stop now. I just need to get through this EX courseonce. That’s what I keep telling myself.

Are you too good for your home?

I’ve tried playing with perfect posture, slouching a bit, slouching a lot, laying down on my back, laying on my stomach, the works. I always over-correct in the final few seconds.

You get 999 Star Coins and a checkmark for beating the Extra Hard third board in under 30 seconds. Does it “matter?” No! Will I ever look at it again? Absolutely not.ButI need that validation. I won’t let the sunk-cost fallacy deter my meaningless gaming obsessions.

Tilt and Roll Kirby third gyro puzzle board

Here’s footage of an Extra Hard clear captured by YouTube userMewtwoStruckBack, just in case. Sometimes, watching another person beat a challenge is literally all that’s needed to stroll into another attempt and knock it out of the park. I wasn’t so fortunate this time.

I don’t have any particular advice for this third round — I’m not aware of anyBreath of the Wild-stylemaze-subverting strategies— but I thought it’d be fun to share our pain.

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Maybe I’d have an easier time if I had grown up playingKirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumbleon Game Boy Color. As neat as it seemed at the time, that translucent pink cartridge was too much of a risky prospect with a super limited gamer kid budget. I’m not cut out for these gimmicks!

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