Kirby is one of Nintendo's best-known mascots (to say nothing of the pudgiest, which is an impressive design feat for the company that gave us Mario), but where did he get his start? Though Kirby was born on the Game Boy in 1992, it was his 1993 NES jaunt, Kirby's Adventure, that really shaped the hero. Not only did Kirby gain his iconic pink color in Kirby's Adventure (he had previously been white, due to the Game Boy's palette limitations), but he also gained the power that still defines him: the power to inhale enemies and absorb their abilities.
Over the years, Kirby's Adventure has re-visited retro gaming enthusiasts as remakes, re-releases, and Virtual Console releases. Now we have Kirby's Adventure as a Nintendo 3DS 3D Classic, and it's downloadable from the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Is Kirby's most definitive adventure worth another go-through? Let's just say that good games never die.
DeveloperHAL Laboratories
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Platforming
ESRB Rating: E
Compatible With: Nintendo 3DS
Price: $6.99 USD
Over the years, Kirby's Adventure has re-visited retro gaming enthusiasts as remakes, re-releases, and Virtual Console releases. Now we have Kirby's Adventure as a Nintendo 3DS 3D Classic, and it's downloadable from the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Is Kirby's most definitive adventure worth another go-through? Let's just say that good games never die.
DeveloperHAL Laboratories
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Platforming
ESRB Rating: E
Compatible With: Nintendo 3DS
Price: $6.99 USD
THE BASICS: Eat, Float, Copy
Kirby and the other inhabitants of Dream Land are living the good life, eating and sleeping, when suddenly they stumble across a startling discovery: nobody seems to be having dreams anymore. It's revealed that the abrasive penguin King Dedede stole the Star Rod, which is necessary to power the Fountain of Dreams, and broke it into seven pieces. Dedede then handed the pieces of the Rod to his henchmen, and kept one for himself. Kirby sets out across Dream Land to retrieve the Rod pieces so that he can repair the Fountain of Dreams and restore his friends' peaceful slumber.
The premise for Kirby's Adventure is pretty fluffy and cute, and more or less sets the tone for the entire game. But don't go thinking that Dream Land will let you off easy. It's a pretty dangerous place with Dedede's baddies roaming around everywhere.
Of course, Kirby's far defenseless even though he looks like he's made out of marshmallows. He has one big, big weapon: his mouth. Kirby can inhale bad guys and, in some instances, steal their powers. In this manner, he can acquire swords, lasers, beams, fire breath, and more. Kirby can even absorb and utilize a microphone "weapon" that clears the screen when he raises his squeaky little voice.
At its core, Kirby's Adventure is a fairly basic platformer. You advance from left to right, you clear a set number of stages, and then you take on a boss and recover the piece of the Dream Rod that it's holding. If you succeed, you'll take on King Dedede. But maybe not everything is exactly as it seems...
The premise for Kirby's Adventure is pretty fluffy and cute, and more or less sets the tone for the entire game. But don't go thinking that Dream Land will let you off easy. It's a pretty dangerous place with Dedede's baddies roaming around everywhere.
Of course, Kirby's far defenseless even though he looks like he's made out of marshmallows. He has one big, big weapon: his mouth. Kirby can inhale bad guys and, in some instances, steal their powers. In this manner, he can acquire swords, lasers, beams, fire breath, and more. Kirby can even absorb and utilize a microphone "weapon" that clears the screen when he raises his squeaky little voice.
At its core, Kirby's Adventure is a fairly basic platformer. You advance from left to right, you clear a set number of stages, and then you take on a boss and recover the piece of the Dream Rod that it's holding. If you succeed, you'll take on King Dedede. But maybe not everything is exactly as it seems...
THE GOOD
Kirby is awesome -- Kirby's been with us for a long, long time. Whereas other long-lived game heroes have stumbled on occasion, Kirby's always been a rock, despite his squishy physique. His games are fun, and he's always just a joy to travel with.
New mechanics add a fresh take on old platforming formula -- Kirby's Adventure isn't "just another platforming game." The mechanics are solid, and Kirby's ability to inhale his enemies' powers makes him fun to experiment with. Kirby can also float if you push "up" on the control pad, which more or less does away with the infamous instant deaths that happen when a regular platforming character gets on gravity's bad side. Not to say that Kirby's Adventure doesn't find other ways to trip you up!
Great music, and iconic tunes -- Kirby's Adventure may be a port of an old NES game, but its music is cheerful and addictive. If you keep an open year, you'll catch the origin of a lot of classic Kirby tunes that are still used in modern games.
It's cute and distinctive without being saccharine -- Modern games often boast realistic graphics that are difficult to distinguish from a movie. As great as that is, it's nice to take a break and fall back into a candy-colored world like Dream Land. It's a land full of puffed-up enemies, big bosses with strange powers, and dreamy landscapes--but it never comes across as childish. Kirby's Adventure confidently walks the line between whimsy and saccharine.
It's deep for an NES game -- There's lots to do and explore in Kirby's Adventure. Each of the game's world's is laid out in a way that lets you travel back and forth between levels, which you're encouraged to do. It's especially fun to experiment with enemies' powers and see which ones work best for you.
New mechanics add a fresh take on old platforming formula -- Kirby's Adventure isn't "just another platforming game." The mechanics are solid, and Kirby's ability to inhale his enemies' powers makes him fun to experiment with. Kirby can also float if you push "up" on the control pad, which more or less does away with the infamous instant deaths that happen when a regular platforming character gets on gravity's bad side. Not to say that Kirby's Adventure doesn't find other ways to trip you up!
Great music, and iconic tunes -- Kirby's Adventure may be a port of an old NES game, but its music is cheerful and addictive. If you keep an open year, you'll catch the origin of a lot of classic Kirby tunes that are still used in modern games.
It's cute and distinctive without being saccharine -- Modern games often boast realistic graphics that are difficult to distinguish from a movie. As great as that is, it's nice to take a break and fall back into a candy-colored world like Dream Land. It's a land full of puffed-up enemies, big bosses with strange powers, and dreamy landscapes--but it never comes across as childish. Kirby's Adventure confidently walks the line between whimsy and saccharine.
It's deep for an NES game -- There's lots to do and explore in Kirby's Adventure. Each of the game's world's is laid out in a way that lets you travel back and forth between levels, which you're encouraged to do. It's especially fun to experiment with enemies' powers and see which ones work best for you.
THE BAD
The 3D effect isn't well-utilized -- Kirby's Adventure is among the 3D Classics, but unlike other games in the 3D Classics library, its new pop-out effect isn't especially impressive, or utilized in a clever way. Luckily, the game is a blast to play in 2D or 3D, so it's not a huge issue.
CONCLUSION: Drift for Dreams
Kirby's Adventure is an old game, but it has aged pretty darn well. If you're a Kirby fan who'd like to experience the puff ball's origins, or if you're just a fan of solid retro platforming games, Kirby's Adventure is a must-have. It plays like (ahem) a dream.
