Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, whilst also taking the time to include some lengthy gameplay, to give you the reader, the chance to shape your own impressions and views whilst watching and reading. In this installment, we’re covering Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe by developer HAL Laboratory.
Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe: (The Explanation)
It seems that the loveable pink puff is still not full from having six helpings on Nintendo Switch that he is back again with yet another adventure, albeit it a Deluxe version of his classic Wii title Kirby’s Return To Dream Land. However, it is never a straightforward port with HAL Laboratory as they have added all new extra features to the game which we will explain in greater depth.
The story of Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe follows Kirby and his friends Bandana Waddle Dee, Meta Knight, and King Dedede as they help a poor Magalor repair his ship, the Lor. Magalor loses control of his ship and it crashes, sending numerous parts flying all over Planet Popstar. Kirby and friends decide to help Magalor by finding the parts so he can put his ship back together.
While Kirby and the Forgotten Land, was a full 3D platforming experience, Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe returns to Kirby’s 2D roots in typical side-scrolling, platforming fashion. Like in Kirby’s previous outings, he can inhale enemies and spit them back out to hurt other enemies. He can also copy some of their abilities like the Sword, Cutter, and Fire and use these abilities against his foes. Over 20 of Kirby’s copy abilities from previous games make a return as well as a couple of new ones like Sand and Mecha added to the mix and then there are also super copy abilities that can destroy parts of the terrain that may reveal secret areas.
In the main story, Kirby has to make his way through several stages on multiple worlds with the last stage on each world being a Boss Stage. The standard stages have a number of power gears hidden which when you have collected a certain number, you will be able to unlock challenges, minigames and copy abilities aboard the Lor. As for the Boss Stages, defeating the boss will reward Kirby with a part of Magalor’s Ship and will get you that little bit closer to repairing it.
Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe can be played with up to four players with player one controlling Kirby and the other three players taking control of Bandana Waddle Dee, Meta Knight, King Dedede or of another Kirby. While you can’t have multiple Meta Knights or King Dedede’s running around, all four players can play as different coloured Kirby’s. Additional players can also drop in and drop out at any time during play but the only character that can’t drop out is player one (Kirby).
Playing with others has its uses. Although the other characters except for Kirby(s) cannot use copy abilities, they do have their own weapons with Bandana Waddle Dee armed with his spear, Meta Knight with his sword and King Dedede with his hammer. Players can also ride piggy back on top of one another and if all four players are mounted together the player at the bottom can control movement for all and when all players press and release L+R at the same time, they can unleash a special attack to deal extra damage.
Multiplayer fun is not restricted to the Story Mode either as Merry Magoland is a theme park with ten different minigames for players to try their hand at. All mini games can be played with up to four players but should there be fewer human players, the rest will be made up of CPU players. All of the Minigames have a list of missions that should you complete them, you will be rewarded with stamp tickets. These tickets can be exchanged and can gift Kirby with rewards like items or Dress-up Masks (designed on iconic characters in the Kirby series) that he can wear and use during the main story mode. The masks can also be worn around Merry Magoland as well.
Back to the main game, there is also an epilogue story and an Extra Mode which you can unlock upon beating the main story. The Epilogue Story focuses on Magalor as a playable character and he has to regain his powers. You can also upgrade these powers to make him even stronger which can be essential in order to beat the final boss.
Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe is another very enjoyable romp with the loveable Kirby. The fact that this Wii classic has been given a new lease of life with extra content thrown in for good measure can only be a good thing. This game is still a lot of fun and the minigames are also great for extending the longevity of the title, especially when played with others. The extra Magalor Epilogue content is also great and if you have finished up with Kirby and the Forgotten Land and are looking for another great Kirby to sink your teeth into, Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe should certainly be on that list
Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe: (The Gameplay)
Game Specifications:
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Action, Platformer
No. of Players: Up to 4 players
Release Date: February 24, 2023 (EU & NA)
Price: $59.99
File Size: 5 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
