Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe is the icing on top of a veritable dream buffet.
After last year’s excellent first foray into 3D with Kirby’s Forgotten Land, fans are being invited back in time to the pink puffball’s simpler – and shallower – side scrolling roots.
Return to Dreamland released on the Wii to middling reviews in 2011.
Its adventure is far too easy for the first few hours and its level design is overwhelmed by the chaos of inviting up to three friends along for the ride as King Dedede, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee.
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe for Nintendo Switch falls into similar traps.
But the addition of a new campaign (Magalor’s Epilogue), three new copy abilities and unlockable mini-games makes it a perfect place to start for newcomers and younger gamers.
Sand, festival and mecha power-ups appear have all been added to Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe.
The story begins when a mysterious ship crash lands on Kirby’s home, Planet Popstar.
Kirby and co offer to help the ship’s captain, Magalor, repair the ship which is missing critical parts, scattered across five worlds.
None are particularly difficult with the fun of early levels found in exploring power-ups, finding collectible gears and hidden challenges.
Some can only be unlocked after completing sections as a gloriously overpowered Kirby – imbued with fire, ice, a giant sword, hammer or beam – before outrunning a wall of death that puts your platforming skills to the test.
You will fight a variation of the Sphere Doomer over and over again.
In spite of some woefully repetitive mini-bosses, these were by far my favourite parts of the early game.
Thankfully, larger threats at the end of each world like the classic Whispy Woods are much more interesting and the difficulty ramps up significantly once you’ve repaired Magalor’s ship.
Later levels do a better job at demanding certain power-ups and the more complicated moves they allow (it took me far too long to work out how to send a bolt of lightning through platforms below me with the spark ability) to truly complete, and the final two bosses – including a four-headed dragon – are no easy beats.
I died multiple times against each before rolling the credits and unlocking the game’s most substantial addition, Magalor’s Epilogue, which picks up directly after Kirby defeats the villain of the main story.
Magalor can’t copy an enemy’s ability like Kirby, but he can be upgraded.
Upgrading Magalor’s powers adds a much needed sense of progress.
Completing levels unlocks his ability to block, teleport, throw bombs, dash and more; moves which can all be improved by spending the ‘magic points’ you collect or earn with combos.
It’s a refreshing take on Kirby’s side-scrolling which I’d love to see applied to the puffball himself one day.
Magalor’s Epilogue can be completed in less than two hours compared to the six hours it took me to complete the main campaign solo.
Unlike the phenomenal Bowser’s Fury attached to the re-release of Super Mario 3D World, Magalor’s Epilogue isn’t worth the price of admission alone but is a critical part of an improved package.
In many ways, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe is reminiscent of the SNES classic Kirby Super Star.
As a kid, I spent hours trialling the “eight games in one” on offer.
Return to Dreamland Deluxe takes that concept and runs even further.
There are dozens of mini-games and multiplayer challenges to dive into after the story is over, which could arguably be a game on their own.
And now that Kirby has floated gracefully into 3D, offering a tougher challenge and grander world to explore for those who grew up with him, it’s easier to appreciate a simpler outing which will acquaint a new generation of gamers with the lovable pink puffball.
Quest Daily scores Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe:
7.5/10
Mark Santomartino was supplied a review code for Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe for the purpose of this review.
