Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe review

Prepare to be Tickled Pink

Typically, thirtieth birthdays can be a bit somber. There’s the nagging worry that the prime of life is now in your rear-view mirror, replaced by the dour realities of adulthood. But following Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Kirby’s Dream Buffet, the release of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe rounds out the pink puffball’s commemoration of three decades of exuberance. Despite a premium price for a ‘Wii-make’, the title feels triumphant, thanks to some worthwhile additions and unblemished performance on the Switch.

Like Pink’s previous outings, the impetus is skeletal. Things kick off with Kirby, Dedede, Bandana Dee, and Meta Knight on Planet Popstar on their way to enjoy a celebratory slice of strawberry cake. But their picnic is interrupted by Magalor’s spaceship making an emergency landing, with re-entry scattering pieces of the craft all about. Being the benevolent characters of a Nintendo title, Kirby and his acquaintances offer to assist the intergalactic sailor to fix his ship by collecting 120 energy spheres, helping Magalor get back to roving across the stars. While unvoiced, the opening cinematic concludes with one of those optimistic orchestral swells that’s undeniably infectious.

A Copy that Outshines the Original?

Divided into 8 worlds, Dream Land Deluxe’s 38 stages are crammed with variety. Much of this stems from Kirby’s distinctive copying ability, where we can inhale foes, potentially acquiring their offensive capabilities. From being able to discharge a flame, emit electricity, toss bombs, or even bonk foes and break through environmental objects with a parasol, players will find 22 returning abilities. Beyond a trio of new talents (Festival, Mecha, and Sand Copy) there are also 5 Super Abilities that super-size the pink protagonist. After a short transformation animation, Kirbs gains powers like swinging giant swords or turning into a mammoth Katamari-like snowball to bowl over opponents. Pleasingly, each ability has several different attacks that can be issued via simple Super Smash Bros-type inputs.

Smartly, Dream Land Deluxe allows three additional local participants to drop in for cooperative play. Naturally, larger numbers soften an already relaxed difficulty level. But much of the fun is attempting to make sense of the chaotic action when multiple players share the same screen. The camera always focuses on the game’s glutinous star, meaning that everyone else is forced to keep up. Fortunately, there’s no real penalty if anyone falls behind, with the game quickly catapulting them back into the action. Arguably, the best part of cooperative play is the game’s Team Attack. After piggybacking on top of a player, a synchronized button press can summon a potent strike.

Adventure Without Annoyance

Given that modern games often lean toward the masochistic, Return to Dream Land Deluxe’s lenience is refreshing. But the game goes one step further, offering to double the size of your life bar and have Helper Magalor lift you out of gaps that would customarily steal a life. Sure the “Git Gud” gamers might be bothered by the lack of challenge across the majority of the campaign. But this is one of the rare games that can accommodate younger audiences while not annoying their adult, co-op partner.

Once you and any non-compulsory partners complete the main campaign, Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler becomes available. Here, the displaced deuteragonist must explore a mysterious alternative dimension seeking fruit fragments that can help recover his stolen abilities. Initially, Magolor is armed with a magic sphere attack that has a restrained range and limited power.  What follows in a role-playing-like progression where you’ll gradually grow stronger and more maneuverable. Undoubtedly, the augmentation is indispensable. The epilogue is significantly more demanding than Kirby’s trek, with platforming that requires the kind of precision absent from the rest of the game. Sure, it’s not quite as enchanting as the main campaign, but it’s an appreciated addition, especially for players revisiting Dream Land. In keeping with custom, players can also expect to tackle Extra Mode and The Arena, a pair of sub-games that intensify the challenge level.

Conclusion

Rounding out the inventory of accompaniments is the Merry Magoland Theme Park. This component bundles ten mini-games, eight from previous Kirby titles as well as two new ones. Motivation is rooted in a Stamp Rally mechanic, where play across a trio of difficulty modes rewards players with a bountiful supply of seals. Every 7^th stamp receives a souvenir item, while players earn cosmetic masks for every 15^th card marking. Interestingly, donning masks can provide a boost to the wearer.

Factor in a visual upgrade that reduces the artifacting of the Wii version, and Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a consummate remake of the original game. Whether you’re a dedicated Kirby fan or haven’t experienced any of pink puff’s platforming adventures, Dream Land is poised to please, elevated with a cornucopia of modes that would make even its voracious star feel satiated.

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe was played on
Switch with review code provided by the publisher.