Review: Kirby – Return To Dreamland (Wii)

Wikipedia entry

It has been quite some time since I looked at a console game. Well, honestly, I do play console games here and there… But mostly, I play games on my handhelds and my PC. In any case, a few days ago, I have finally beaten a Kirby game I have been playing on and off for the past few years. It’s called Kirby’s Return To Dream Land on the Nintendo Wii. Before I begin the review, I first want to address something about the name of this game. In Europe, this game has a different name. It’s called Kirby’s Adventure Wii. This is really annoying to me since the first Kirby game on the Gameboy is called Kirby’s Adventure. Why didn’t we Europeans got the same name as the Americans? Such a shame. In any case, enough stalling. Time to get into the review. And as usual, feel free to leave a comment with your opinion on the game and/or the content of this article in the comment section down below. Thanks in advance for that. 

The story of Kirby

In this game, Kirby’s adventure has two big parts. In the first part of the game, Kirby helps a stranded alien to repair his ship. In the second act, Kirby helps to defeat the evil overlord in on the alien’s home planet.

That’s all I’m explain about the story. You rarely find deep story lines in a Kirby game. From all the Kirby games I played, the story is just there. Yet, the twist at the end is nice. While I honestly saw it coming, I didn’t mind. The story is fun enough to play through. In my opinion, the story isn’t that memorable. It doesn’t bother me since the game has a lot more to offer than just the story. I found that the journey was more fun than the actual story.

The writing of the story was great. I’m so glad that they used text boxes in this game since I feel that’s how Kirby stories shine the most.

4 players

A moment of honesty here, I haven’t played this game with 4 players at once. But I have played this game with two players at once.

Together with my cousin, we have played this game a lot. This game is what I call a “sibling game.” The difficulty of this game is just right. It’s challenging for the younger players but it’s not too hard. Yet; it can be challenging to the older sibling if (s)he let’s his or her guard down.

Speaking about the difficulty, the last boss battle is rather brutal in my opinion. Since it’s mostly in a totally different gameplay style which I’m not an expert in. Then this game can become rather difficult.

In any case, the gameplay of this entry in the Kirby series is what you can expect from any other Kirby game. It’s a fun platformer where you can copy (some of) your enemies powers. The powers in this game are fun to use and every single one of them are useful. Apart from one, the sleeping one. Still as unuseful as ever.

In certain points of the game, you can receive a special powerup. This one transforms Kirby into a powerhouse. The way this powerup is used makes for some fun(ny) situations. But, that’s something I’m going to leave up to you guys and girls to discover.

Also, in each level, you can find some wheels. With those wheels, you can unlock power-up rooms. In these rooms, you can easily get any copy ability you want. On the top of those rooms, you have a doll where you can practice them.

With those wheels, you can also unlock challenges. In these challenges, you have to complete a course using one copy ability in a certain time.  These are fun to play since I love that kind of challenges.

Actually collecting the wheels can be rather challenging since some of them are very well hidden. Also, in some levels, you have a sort of bonus stage where you fight a boss at the end to receive two or more wheels. Those are really difficult and some of them, I wasn’t able to beat in few tries.

Since this is a Kirby game, I have to mention the mini-games. And man, they are a real blast to play. I have lost hours playing those with my niece. Mostly the ninja star throwing one is a real blast to play in my opinion. I had a lot of fun with it.

In any case, I think I prove my point that there is a lot of fun gameplay in this game. But I still have to talk about different aspects of this game so let’s do just that.

Kirby and more Kirby

So, first of all, the length of this game is perfect. This game has 7,5 worlds. Each world contains around 5 levels, with the final level being a boss.

The 8th world is actually a long level with the final boss of the game. It doesn’t have multiple levels. That’s why I count it as a half world.

In Kirby tradition, each world gets a funny name. And yes, most of them have to do with food.

The presentation of this game is one of the strong points of this game. I really love the art style in this game. It’s very bright and colorful, yet sometimes the game uses a way darker pallet to suit the story.

The animation is really top notch. I have no complaint about them. The world design and the animations are really well crafted. Combined with some amazing level design, this game is almost perfect.

The music in this game is really catchy. I wish I was able to buy the soundtrack somewhere since it’s that good in my opinion. But hey, I didn’t expect anything less from Hall Laboratory.

The controls are very responsive and I have nothing to complain about there. If you doubt about the controls, you can see them in the pause menu.

Up until now, it seems that I haven’t anything bad to say about this game. Well, there is one nitpick. That’s that the first player always leads. When the first player dies, the second player dies as well. That’s the only negative I have with this game.

It’s time to wrap this review up. Here comes the conclusion!

Conclusion

The bad:

-The first player dies -> Everybody dies.

The good:

+ Amazing presentation. (Visuals & animation)

+ Very nice controls.

+ You can play with up to 4 players.

+ While this game can be rather easy, some challenges can be challenging to veteran players.

+ Great level design. And it’s fun to play more than once through some levels.

+ …

Final thoughts:

If you are looking for an amazing Kirby game, look no further. This Kirby game is one of the best in the series. The gameplay returns to its roots (like in the first Kirby games) and it’s a blast to play.

I had so much fun playing this game with my family and friends that I would love to recommend it to every Nintendo fan.

When you like what you saw on the screenshots, give this game a shot! I also heard that this game came out on Wii U Virtual Console, so there is no excuse to not pick up this gem of a game. It’s released in the summer of 2015. So, go ahead and pick up this game. It’s totally worth it.

Score: 100/100

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Gaming Music – My Favorites #13: Not unlucky.

Link to my previous music articles.

It has been a while since I wrote one of these, is it not? Well, it’s time to fix that. I wanted to do something special for the 13th article of this series, but the only thing I was able to come up with is 13 tracks. I’m sorry, but that’s a bit overkill. Anyways, for the people who don’t know this series on my blog… In these articles I talk about some game music tracks and why I think they are really good. I try to always link to a sort of extended version or at least a high quality one. I have a rule where I can’t talk about more then one track of a game (series) per article. I think I might have broken my other rule of trying to always get unique tracks. If you see me do that, feel free to point it out! That way I will try to do something unique in the next article. Anyways, enough talk! Put on your headset and get ready for some, according to me, amazing game music! (And as always, feel free to leave a comment with your opinion on the music, games and/or your own favorite game music.)

Europa Universalis 4 (PC) ~ Battle of Lepanto

I think this is one of the best tracks in the entire EU IV soundtrack. It starts off kind of calm but around the 2 minute mark, that completely changes. When I close my eyes while listing to this I imagine an epic battle, where the camera slowly pans around like in those medieval war movies.

The chanting is perfect. It adds some additional flavour to the track and it makes it that more exciting to try and win your battle.

And what I adore even more about this track is that near the end, it goes to a calm-ish vibe again. Like it wants you to take a step back (or zoom out) to look how the situation is. Maybe I’m looking way too deep into this track, but it’s the vibe I actually get from this masterpiece of game music.

First Impression of this game.

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl (3DS) ~ Battlefield – Dyed in Scarlet

If you read my previous article, then you should already know that I’m enjoying this game quite a lot. I also praised the music for being ear-candy. If I didn’t, well, then I do it now.

This is the music that plays when you fight one of the bosses. And this sounds just amazing. It really sets the mood for an epic battle. And let me tell you, the battle with that boss is tough. You won’t be able to beat it that easily. The build-up to the boss is also incredible. Making the music sound that much better.

I have to admit that once I just put my 3DS down to enjoy the music and forgot about the battle I was in for at least 5 to 7 minutes. Now, that is proof that this is good music to me.

Kirby’s Dream Land (GB) ~ Bubbly Clouds

When I was looking through my game collection for some inspiration for this list, I found this gem of a game. I got this game as a present from my aunt. I was a bit jealous of my sister, since she got the sequel, where the copy ability was present.

But did that stop me from enjoying this game? Oh hell no. The first time I finished this game was on one of those long car rides from Belgium to Austria to have a nice relaxing walking holiday in the summer. Man, I remember bringing my gameboy into the mountain woods and play this game. Reaching this level, the 4th one if I recall correctly, and then looking around me to take in the scenery… Those are some amazing childhood memories.

SmoothMcGroove did his magic on this tune. Go listen to it right here. 

Doom (PC) ~ E1M1 At Doom’s Gate

So, first of all… this is one for you buddy. MiseryLC, my best friend loves this game to death. And I think he has a very good point. I used to play the demo of this game over and over again.

I haven’t grown up with any oldschool console or PC games. I grew up with a Gameboy. But each time I felt like playing some old school games, since my pc couldn’t handle newer games… I kept coming back to idSoftware.

This song takes me back to those memories. But lately, it’s reminding me of the amazing friendship I have with my best friend at the moment. Also, his birthday is in the near future. Here is to more years to come man! We shall make it a wonderful day!

Editorial note: the game I actually played the most is the more fantasy based game: Heretic. Just something in that game was a bit more interesting to me then Doom. I’m not saying it’s better then Doom… Nah, in my eyes, they are equals.

 Ace Attorney – Miles Edgeworth – Investigations 2 (DS) ~ Objection 2011

First Impression (of the fan translation)

Man, is this a great game. Finally, we get a better look into Miles and his friends’ personalities. If you thought that the first game was great, then go play the fan translated sequel.

The music is also just great. I love hearing the familiar, yet very fresh tune. One of my favorite tracks in this game is the one I selected for this article. It plays when you finally proved the lies you expose. It’s so upbeat and adds to the rewarding feeling you get.

Also, I have almost fully finished the game. So, that means I might write a full review on this game in the near future. So, stay tuned for that.

Wrapping up

So, there you have it. 5 songs added to my ever growing list of amazing game music. I hope you enjoyed listening to them. If you have suggestions, never be afraid to contact me.

I love gaming music. Quite a lot. To the point that I listen to this amazing website called RadioNintendo, every day at work and lately when I’m writing articles. Well, certain articles…. because with articles like reviews, I play the game soundtrack in the background so I can better visualize the game while writing.

But check the site out guys, the owner is quite a cool guy and the small community is starting to grow over time. It’s quite lovely to see. While the site might have a hick-up here and there, it’s some quite impressive coding.

In any case, I think I’m going to wrap up this article right here. Thanks for reading and until the next one. Until then, take care & game on.

First Impression: Kirby – Mass Attack (DS) ~ Plural For Kirby?

Official site

So, what’s the plural for Kirby? I never thought I would ask myself that question. The plural that most people use is Kirbies. Thinking about the rule in English grammar. If the singular ends with a -y, the plural is -ies. You might be thinking, what in the name of holy handhelds is this blogger talking about? Well, in this article we are going to take a look at Kirby Mass Attack on the Nintendo DS. It’s going to be a first impression since I haven’t finished the game. And like my friends the Cynical Bastards said in one of their videos: “You need  to beat a game before you review it.” Otherwise, I might have to write several articles to update the previous one. And I don’t plan to write as many articles as there are Kirbies in this game. So yeah, I’m enjoying this game. But is it actually good? Is more Kirbies, more fun? You probably know already that Kirby is mostly used when Nintendo wants to try out new gameplay ideas. This, of course, is one of them. Now, I think my mind is getting into pieces, just like Kirby is this game. Don’t worry, I won’t continue using this joke in the rest of the article. I think I’m ready to finally take a look at this game. Oh yeah, one thing. Feel free to leave a comment about this article and or your opinion on this game.

Kirby is fun

 A few days ago, I was playing with my niece on my Wii. We were playing Kirby Adventure Wii. (Which is Kirby’s Return To Dreamland in the NSTC region) She had a blast. Kirby is indeed fun. The story on the other hand is always similar to the Mario series. I don’t want to say that the story is weak or anything, it’s just difficult to make an interesting story for a platformer.

In this game, Kirby is cursed and split into 10 Kirbies. But the bad guy, the Skull gang, was smart enough to also split the power in ten. So, what this means is, the story explains why you can’t fly or suck up enemies.

I can’t be too harsh on the story since it does what it’s supposed too. It draws the children in to the game and makes an interesting setting for veteran players. Up until the point I have played this game, it will present nothing interesting for older players in terms of story. But then again, I already said it makes for an interesting setting.

If you played the previous Kirby games on DS, you are in luck. There are some things in the story that really surprised me. Certain characters have an interesting role in the plot. And that made me hope for seeing the story expand more then just the introduction. I’m secretly hoping that the story will be more present then in a main Mario game. But I fear for that. The story won’t develop more unless you beat the game. So, no explaining why you go to another world next I suppose.

How does it play?

A screenshot in another language? Interesting right? This game plays very different then your normal Kirby game but it feels similar. Like the screenshot here, you also recognize certain things that are typical for a Kirby game.

I already told you guys earlier that you can’t fly or suck up enemies in this game. So, you will have to be smart to defeat your enemies.

This game really benefits from being on the DS. The use of both screens is just amazing. You have a nice overview of your score, amount of Kirbies and medals on your top screen. The bottom screen is used for the actual gameplay.

I have my doubts about the controls, honestly. I can understand that everything is done on a touchscreen, but I sometimes get the impression that a few button commands would help this game. This might just be how I feel about this game, and maybe the rest of the game might prove me wrong.

One thing that will be a negative in some people their eyes is the fact that you loose all your Kirbies if you go from world to world. I honestly find that a great idea. It helps the challenge of this game. Talking about that, this game isn’t really easy. But it’s not hard either.

The problem with this is game is that’s it’s a bit too unique for a Kirby game. When you want to reach a higher up platform, you where able to get Kirby to fly. Now, you have to actually group up the Kirbies and drag them up. Hoping that you can do it in time since if the meter runs out, they all drop to the ground.

My final thoughts about the gameplay is that it’s very interesting and a great spin on your standard platformer game. But you need to get used to it. I will take a more in-depth look in the review.

Clones?

I know that this game tries to be child-friendly but I think that clones was a bad choice of words. But explain that, would take us too far for just a little nitpick.

The game really delivers in being child-friendly. The visuals of this game are cute and colorful. They are just what you would expect from a Kirby game. The animation is nearly flawless. If only it was a bit more clear if you were either going to defeat the enemy or if the enemy will be able to throw you off. You can’t really make it out.

I can’t really talk about the game’s length just yet. Since I’m now in the 2nd world of the game. If we look at previous Kirby games, I think we might expect a solid ~ 20 – 30 hours game. Please, don’t take my word for it, since I’m not that good in guessing the length of games.

Interestingly enough, this game has achievements. Yes, achievements. But I will comment about them in my review. But there is something else that is a negative for me. There are mini-games included in this game. But sadly enough, you unlock them way too fast. I nearly unlocked 1/2 of them by simply beating the first world. I just hope that there are more mini-games then shown.

So, that will conclude my first impression of this game. When I ever finish this game, I will surely write a review to talk a bit more in-depth about this game. Thank you for reading this article and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing this one. Hopefully I can welcome you in another article.