I had a really hard time enjoying Kirby’s Epic Yarn, last year’s Wii outing featuring Nintendo fans’ favorite pink puffball. Maybe it was the childish dubbing, the lack of challenge in progressing through the game, or the unorthodox gameplay quirks (when compared to other titles in the series), but something just didn’t click for me.
It’s because of my feelings toward Kirby’s previous outing that I found this year’s upcoming release of Kirby’s Return to Dreamland to be so much fun. The gameplay elements familiar to fans of the series finally make their return, and (as is usual for Nintendo) they are now amped-up and refined to near perfection. Kirby is back to his old tricks, relying on his amazing lung powers to devour any and all enemies and obstacles in his way. For the unfamiliar, after swallowing certain types of enemies, he can obtain their powers. Each level is divided into several sections separated by doors and mini-boss fights, which climax with a larger boss battle. Not much has been revealed on the game’s plot as of yet, but that was never the series’ focus to begin with.
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland is designed with four-player simultaneous co-op in mind, allowing players to choose between Kirby, MetaKnight, King DeDeDe, and Waddle Dee. Each character has a unique set of moves and attacks. Additionally, we were told by Nintendo that the final version of the game will allow up to four players to use Kirbys of different colors simultaneously, though only one (the “lead” Kirby) will be able to steal enemies’ powers and advance the group to each new area.
The game is somewhat chaotic and appears to be a bit more tolerant to randomness than New Super Mario Bros. Wii, where accidental deaths due to unobservant partners were all too common. Furthermore, there is no friendly fire, so the attacks of each player won’t affect anyone else on the screen. There is one exception to this, and that is Kirby’s inhale move. Yep, it’s very easy (almost too easy) to suck up and spit out other players, and using those unfortunate players to attack enemies doesn’t currently damage them – which I feel is a good thing. The game’s camera is a little closer to the action than that of New Super Mario Bros. Wii and the screen gets busy very quickly, so the omission of friendly fire is a good thing.
The demo consisted of two different levels, each level consisting of several sections showing off Kirby’s new surroundings. The first level was reminiscent of the Green Greens level from the original Kirby’s Dream Land and ended with a fight against the Wispy Woods. The second level was a bit more varied and consisted of desert, temple, underwater, and subspace sections. During the second level, a new power-up sword for Kirby was showcased that could destroy certain types of blocks in a level (changing its landscape). This, I’m sure, is only one of several new power-ups Nintendo has created for Kirby’s upcoming adventure. Though a bit familiar, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland appears to be shaping up to be anything but a nightmare.
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland ends the current Wii game drought this October, and Nintendo fans would be wise to check it out.
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