Nintendo's Kirby-flavored bubble tea, a review

Kung Fu Tea in March announced a collaboration with Nintendo on a Kirby-themed drink upon the release of Kirby and the Forgotten Land earlier this year. Now, it’s finally here and it’s called Kirby’s Fruity Flurry. We may never get to experience what Kirby actually tastes like in real life, so this is as probably as close as we can get to eating the puffball — well, a blended version of him, at least.

As a video game reporter, it was my duty to head down to my local Kung Fu Tea and drink a cool cup of Kirby to see if he tastes as good as he plays. And to make sure I thoroughly reviewed it, I had another one. And one more, for “research.”

Collector’s cup

Nintendo's Kirby-flavored bubble tea, a review 1

I’m happy to say that Kirby’s Fruity Flurry is a delightful drink, albeit a very, very sweet one. Before I get into the flavor, let’s talk about hardware. And by that, I mean the cup. It comes in a plastic cup with Kirby’s adorable face on it. The cup doesn’t feel any more durable than Kung Fu Tea’s regular cups, so that’s an indication that it’s not meant to be reusable. However, the fact that Kirby’s face is on it does lend the air of it being some sort of collectible.

Chances are that you’ll never see this cup design again, so you might as well keep it. Places like Starbucks have sold limited-edition cups before, and they end up being scalped for higher prices on sites like eBay. I doubt this flimsy cup will experience the same phenomenon, but hey, you never know!

You can also show it off like how college students display empty liquor bottles on the top of their cabinets. The design of the cup has been plastered on Kung Fu Tea’s advertisements of the drink, so those who are familiar with Kirby are enticed to visit their local Kung Fu Tea store to at least try it out. That’s the power of marketing, baby!

The sealing cover shows both Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Kung Fu Tea logos. The QR code placed on the cover takes you to the game’s official website where you can download the 30th anniversary Kirby wallpaper, shown below. It’s a very cute poster that shows Kirby performing various actions like inhaling, cooking, and riding a bike.

A flurry of fruit

A closeup view of the top of Kung Fu Tea's Kirby boba tea.

Obviously, you’re not here for my cup review. You want to know how flurrious the fruit is, so let’s get on to that. The drink’s official description is that it’s a mix of blueberries, strawberries, and a hint of lemon.

It tastes as if you shoved 10 spoonful of sugar and berries into my mouth.

It’s so sugary and sweet that it may as well be one of the ingredients used to make the Powerpuff Girls. Luckily, Kung Fu Tea provides the option to tone down the sweetness to different percentage levels like 75% or 50% as much. However, I chose to keep the sugar level the same in order to experience the Fruity Flurry the way the developers — I mean baristas – intended.

The Fruity Flurry’s texture is much more of a traditional icy slushy than smooth bubble tea. The drink is topped with this unique red boba called the Berry Crystal Bubble that adds to the overall berry taste. They look incredibly similar to Kirby’s own red cheeks on the cup, so that’s a really nice touch to the overall aesthetic of the drink. The slushy aspect is also what really gives the drink its pink color to match Kirby’s shade. It’s cute, but only for a little while. If you leave the drink out too long, then it melts and becomes this gross blood-red color — hardly an appealing look for our favorite pink puffball.

Tea shortages

Kirby stands next to a massive Kirby Boba cup. — Taylor Frint/Pro Well Tech Graphic

Kirby’s Fruity Flurry cost me around $6.25 before tax, which is on the more expensive side as far as Kung Fu Tea drinks go. It’s like paying that extra $50 for an OLED Switch model as opposed to just $300 for the regular one. That’s because it looks like the drink is only available in a large size and not in medium, so you’re forced to pay a premium price for it. Honestly, though, it wouldn’t be Nintendo if they didn’t charge a premium, right? After all, their games hardly ever go on sale.

While Kung Fu Tea’s official Instagram account says that this is a nationwide promotion, you might want to call your local store to see if it’s still in stock. On the first day of release, I was able to buy one without any issue at my closest store. However, I called the same store today and they told me it’s all sold out. I called another store around my area and they noted that it was still available there. So your mileage may vary. Truth be told, Kirby’s Fruity Flurry might end up being just as hard to find as a PS5.

There’s no clear time frame for the end of this promotion, so it’s best to try and get it while you still can. Unfortunately, buying the Fruity Flurry doesn’t provide you with a copy of Kirby and the Forgotten Landas great as that would’ve been. All I got was a link to a 30th-anniversary wallpaper that I could have just searched for on Google myself for free.

Even so, Kirby’s Fruity Flurry is a delightful drink that matches Nintendo’s pink puffball’s sweet and adorable temperament. It’s perfectly suited for those with a sweet tooth. However, if the sweetness is too overpowering, Kung Fu Tea provides the flexibility of adjusting the sugar level, which makes this drink palatable to almost everyone.