Kirby’s Return To Dreamland Deluxe game review: What you need to Know
REVIEW: Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a must-play for platformer fans and anyone who loves a good dose of whimsy.
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Even if you’ve never played a single game from the Kirby franchise, you’ll likely be familiar with the cutesy pink puffball. Created by Masahiro Sakurai and brought to life by Nintendo back in 1992, the balloon-like character has been the star of more than 30 video games over the years, including the 2011 Wii title Kirby’s Return to Dream Land.
While the title was somewhat overlooked at the time, Nintendo has just released a remastered Switch version as it ramps up its classic content offering – and it really is a deluxe edition.
Once again, the one-to-four player side scroller sees Kirby, Meta Knight, Bandana Waddle Dee and King Dedede seek out pieces of a broken starship to help the alien Magolor return to his home planet. This time around though, there’s heavily upgraded visuals, a host of new mini-games, three new abilities for Kirby to inhale and a Helper Magolor mode that’s ideal for kids and those new to the genre.
But are these upgrades enough to leave an impression? Well, that depends on the type of player you are.
QUICK RUNDOWN
Rating: 3.5/5
Pros:
- Massively improved graphics
- Huge range of Copy Abilities
- Magolor Epilogue is a great addition
- Great for kids and new players
Cons:
- Gameplay is a little too easy for more experienced players
- Difficult mode only available after first playthrough
- Price is high for a remake title
Launch date: 23 February 2023
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Price: $79.95
Where to buy: Amazon Australia, eBay Australia, ozgameshop.com, Big W, JB Hi-Fi
Return to Dream Land
Despite being more than a decade old, Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe still feels fun to play in 2023, especially if you’re nostalgic for the glory days of Gameboy and Wii. The game is absolutely bursting with colour and each of its eight worlds comes with its own unique theme, right down to the adorable enemy designs. (And when I say adorable, I mean aggressively so. After all, who wouldn’t want to fight a cuddly four-headed dragon – even if it is trying to incinerate you?)
While it largely features the same gameplay as the original, the art style has been given a big upgrade, with an increase in contrast and detail, and strong outlines on the characters which give them a more cartoonish feel. The characters have also had a modern revamp, although the jury’s still out on King Dedede’s new design.
Like the original, you’ll run, jump and float through around seven hours of gameplay as Kirby, collecting items, battling bosses and defeating cute-but-deadly enemies with your various copy abilities. These abilities are where the game really shines, with Kirby coming across 26 regular copy abilities and five super copy abilities throughout the game, making things decidedly more interesting.
In addition to iconic abilities like Fighter Kirby and Sword (complete with a nice nod to Link’s hat from The Legend of Zelda), Return To Dream Land Deluxe also brings back the Festival ability we first saw in Kirby Star Allies, which sees Kirby perform a dance that obliterates all on-screen enemies. Cute.
There’s also new copy abilities Sand and Mecha, both of which are welcome additions. Sand allows you to manipulate well, sand, into a variety of shapes ranging from fists to exploding sandcastles. Mecha meanwhile sees Kirby don two giant canons, two mechanical fists and a transparent visor to deal out some serious damage.
Rather than being basic in their execution, each regular copy ability comes with a ton of different control options to ensure you kick your enemies to the kerb. For instance, the Sand ability comes with 15 movesets in total, giving you plenty to experiment with.
While this range can be overwhelming for new or younger players, you can power through the game using the most basic options for each ability and survive just fine. For those looking for more nuance, however, the wide range of moves make the gameplay a little more complex, which is definitely necessary.
Not-so-groundbreaking gameplay
While Kirby himself is incredibly versatile and the game does an excellent job of introducing new mechanics and challenges at a steady pace so you never feel overwhelmed, more experienced players will likely find the game lacking slightly.
For the most part, puzzles are easy to solve and enemies and bosses present little to no challenge. And while I do actually prefer fun and immersive games to particularly challenging ones, even I found the first half of the game a little too simplistic.
The game gets even easier still if you add on the Helper Magolor mode, which sees Magolor rescue you from bottomless pits and drop stamina-boosting potions whenever you’re running on empty. This is actually a fantastic option for kids and those new to platform adventures, but other players may want to switch it off in the settings menu to avoid making things any simpler.
Things do become a bit more complex after the first couple of hours, as copy abilities become necessary to complete segments of the game, rather than just being used to clear enemies. Boss battles also become slightly harder, with the addition of bottomless pits and other obstacles.
However, the Extra Mode (read: difficult mode) which allows you to play the main story with less health and more enemies is only able to be unlocked once you’ve played through the whole thing on easy. This definitely feels like an oversight, as having to play the game twice instead of just selecting a difficulty mode at the beginning really makes no sense.
Multiplayer madness
Similar to the original, you can choose to enjoy Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe solo, or play with up to three friends who can hop in and out of the game as they please. If you’re looking for a kids game, this is a particularly great option, as you can play with them and carry their characters across stages whenever things get too difficult.
For older players, co-op can meanwhile be something of a double-edged sword. While there’s plenty of fun to be had in playing with friends, the game’s pacing can be easily disrupted. The more players you add, the more chaotic things get, as everyone tries to take out enemies and dodge obstacles at the same time. Boss battles also lose any complexity they had, as you can just batter your enemy simultaneously until they run out of health.
One place multiplayer does shine, though, is in Merry Magoland, which is an additional multiplayer hub world reminiscent of Mario Party Superstars. Though it doesn’t have the depth of rival party games, Magoland does offer 11 different mini-games for players to jump into, making it incredibly fun to play with friends and family.
Of the games on offer, eight are returning options from past Kirby titles, such as Kirby on the Draw and Ninja Dojo. However, there’s also three new additions: Samurai Kirby 100 (a variation of Samurai Kirby), Magolor’s Tome Trackers (a memory-like game) and Booming Blasters (a top-down arena shooter and my personal favourite).
While some of the games aren’t overly exciting on their own, bundled together in a theme park, they make a truly enjoyable addition to the game and help take the multiplayer aspect to the next level.
Magic Magolor
Return To Dream Land’s biggest new addition, and the obvious highlight of the Deluxe game, meanwhile arrives in the form of Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveller. The two-hour-ish mini-adventure stars very Metroid Dread-style, with Magolor stripped of his powers and most of his energy. As you progress through the stages, you’ll begin powering him up with new abilities, until he becomes a force to be reckoned with.
Once again though, this section of the game can only be unlocked after you’ve finished the main title. While this does make a lot more sense than the Extra Mode (it is an Epilogue, after all), the game would be more interesting for returning players if all modes were playable from the outset.
Should you return?
Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe is a charming copy that really showcases how to do a remake well. From the upgraded graphics to the welcome addition of Magolor Epilogue, the game has enough new content to be incredibly enjoyable.
The game does start off very slowly, presenting very little in the way of a challenge, which can make it a bit of a slog at times. Once it begins to pick up the pace, however, it easily transforms into a fun and lighthearted romp that’s perfect for when you need a break from serious games.
If you’ve played before, or prefer something more challenging, it may not be enough to justify the $79.95 price tag we’d expect to see on brand new titles. If you’re a fan of whimsical platformers or looking for a game to play with kids though, the Deluxe version is definitely one to add to your collection. Just be prepared for the sheer amount of adorable that’s coming your way.
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