Not long ago, I played Kirby’s Dream Buffet. When the race was announced, I was completely ecstatic. Are you telling me they put my favorite pink puff balls into a yummy-looking Fall Guys thing? Will it be a cooperative? It’s on Switch! ?
I’m ready to make Kirby’s Dream Buffet one of my go-to games for parties, putting it on the same pedestal as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. However, when I actually got my hands on the game, I was disappointed.
The cooperative functionality I expected was missing. Kirby’s Dream Land feels limited, allowing only two local co-ops. Online, I can play with three other friends, but they need to buy the game — and have their own Switch device on hand. Other than that, I’m uneasy about the game, getting a 2/5 in my review, but the lack of four-player local co-op makes the game’s entire premise feel a little redundant to me.
However, my prayers have been answered and I’m sure many other Kirby fans are happy for it too. No, Nintendo hasn’t implemented four-player local co-op in Kirby’s Dream Buffet. Instead, the publisher and developer went a step further — and went further — by announcing that not only is Kirby’s Return to Dream Deluxe Edition coming to Switch, but it’s also getting a Switch-friendly overhaul.
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Kirby’s Return to Dream Land was first released on the Nintendo Wii in 2011. It’s a 2D side-scrolling game, as you might expect from the omnipotent pink ball, and was one of the first Kirby games to experiment with 3D models of its characters. Simply put; the game looks good and offers a lot of platformer fun (even if it’s sometimes difficult to play with the Wii remote).
What’s even better about Return to Dream Land Deluxe, given the issues I’ve had with Dream Buffet, is that Past New Blast supports local co-op for up to four players. Neither was angry. Your friends can join anytime just by picking up a controller.It makes perfect sense that the game will be remastered and ported to the Switch, and while it’s not Wind Waker HD, I’m happy to force my friends into it at last
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Ultimately, Kirby games are approachable for all. That’s why they are so beloved. In my opinion, this means that Kirby games can provide a great multiplayer experience in a local environment; no player needs to feel ostracized or inexperienced with Kirby. You’re just a pink blob craving fulfillment – I’m sure we can all understand that.
Online multiplayer and local play is something I’d certainly like to see HAL Laboratory and Nintendo put more into, as they’ve done a near-perfect job of making pink poyo look so good in 3D. In that regard, could we also port nightmares from Dream Land to the Switch, okay?
Kirby’s Return to Dreams Deluxe Edition is coming to Nintendo Switch on February 24, 2023.
