Over the past 30 years, Nintendo hero Kirby has built a reputation that goes far beyond being pink and round and willing to swallow anything and everything. Kirby is largely a series that can be enjoyed by almost anyone, regardless of ability.
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe, an enhanced remaster of a 2011 Wii game, is no different. The upcoming Nintendo Switch release is perhaps one of Kirby’s friendliest adventures, offering a mild challenge for solo players but letting up to four people join in the fun at once. Like bumper bowling Return to Dream Land Deluxe feels almost impossible to fail; There are generous power-ups and health items to consume, and if you fall off a stage Kirby (or one of his friends) will land right back in the action. Switch play feels ideal for Nintendo Switch owners with young children who may not be proficient with a Joy-Con controller or who have the attention span of a bow tie. Immerse yourself in a multiplayer game of Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe
Just as important: Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe feels like the kind of multiplayer party mayhem that would keep a kid busy, but not at the expense of a more experienced gamer just looking to relax with some happy Kirby time.
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Image: HAL Laboratory/Nintendo
I played recently Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe at a Nintendo event in New York and had a blast on a chaotic side-scrolling frenzy with three other people. I’ve never had to play solo, and that’s okay. Instead, we smashed through the levels with pure four-player brute force, sucking up and spitting out baddies, stealing their powers, emitting fireballs and occasionally turning into a giant, rolling snowball of death (with cute Kirby eyes!). Every moment felt like an almost uncontrollable chaos – Waddle Dee, Meta Knight and Kirbys of different colors shot all over the screen, eating and blowing everything up.
As previously mentioned, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe is an updated version of an older game. In terms of content, it looks largely the same as its Wii descendant. But Kirby has a few new copy abilities – his longtime powersteal, uh, powers – to freshen things up. A new Sand ability lets Kirby throw sandblasters, hide in a protective layer of sand, and even summon a deadly sandcastle. The Mecha ability makes Kirby look like he’s swallowed a Gundam, throwing fireballs, firing a powerful laser beam, and flying with a jetpack.
Players can also try out new mini-games (or as the Kirby creators call them, sub-games). I tried a target shooting game called Kirby on the Draw where I used the Joy-Con like a laser pointer, knocking down targets and aiming for high scores. Return to Dream Land Deluxe
The most intriguing addition in Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe is a brand new unlockable post-game mode called Magolor Epilogue. Featuring the alien visitor from the game’s main story, the playable epilogue lets up to four players take control of Magolor as he attempts to restore his lost powers. The Magolor Epilogue adds a sense of progression to the Kirby formula and allows players to level up Magolor over 20+ levels. Like the family-friendly nature of the main story, the epilogue feels inherently playable for a wide range of skill levels and is a great introduction to RPG-like character development in an easily digestible form.
You really can’t go wrong with Kirby. And Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe is another chance to relive one of pink puffball’s better adventures. The game will be released for Nintendo Switch on February 24th. A playable demo is available now on the Switch eShop.
