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Part II: Kirby - The Next Generation
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Kirby Super Star
(SNES, 1996)
If it was value for your dollar that you were seeking, Kirby Super Star was your ticket to Great Dealsville. This is more than just one Kirby game. There are eight games in one secure package! But to be honest, this is more like eight relatively small games in one package. Many of them are platforming games, such as Spring Breeze and Revenge of Meta Knight, the former being a 16-bit re-imagining of the original Kirby's Dream Land. The ability to use your current power to create a backup helper is introduced in these games. Other novelties include Gourmet Race, where you must race against King Dedede to the finish line while picking up delicious food; Samurai Kirby, which requires you to strike your opponent before they strike you as soon as the bell tolls; and Megaton Punch, a competition to see who can land a punch on the ground and create the bigger crack into the planet. It's all good fun, and there are a few good challenges in there, plus the graphics are among the best Kirby has encountered on the SNES. Kirby Super Star was also re-created and revamped in 2008 for the Nintendo DS under the new title of "Kirby Super Star Ultra".
Check out our Kirby Super Star review for a more in-depth look!
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Kirby's Dream Land 3
(SNES, 1997)
Kirby's Dream Land 3 is the last of the original "Dream Land" series, but unfortunately, the game came out so late in the SNES's lifespan, most people had already moved on to focus on the next generation of gaming consoles. The game plays just like previous Kirby platformers, but this time, Gooey can be controlled by the second player (or else he will unfaithfully follow you otherwise -- or you can eat him and work solo). Also featured are the animal friends Rick, Coo, and Kine, but a few new ones join the cast: Nago the cat, Pitch the green bird, and Chuchu, the pink octopus who likes to attach itself to Kirby (almost romantic, isn't it?). Also featured here is a completely different style of visuals. Instead of the clean cut graphics from before, everything has a pastel look to it, which required a special graphics chip and a higher resolution than the average game. This is a fine Kirby game, although its simplicity kept it from becoming very popular.
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Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
(N64, 2000)
The third dimension welcomes the pink-cheeked hero with a brand new adventure. However, don't be fooled by the 3D graphics; that doesn't mean that Kirby can roam free everywhere. In fact, he is still confined to a very linear path to travel on. The ol' "go from left to right" routine is back in full force, thus making many people wonder why they even bothered. In Kirby 64, Dark Matter is back to wreak havoc upon the planet of Pop Star. After shattering the planet's sacred crystal, it's up to Kirby to free Pop Star (and surrounding planets) from all the foes and rescue all the crystal shards. Well, that explains the game's subtitle. The game is pretty fun, and some of the crystals are well-hidden, but don't expect it to last very long. Well, actually, I could say that about most Kirby games...
Check out our Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards review for a more in-depth look!
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Kirby's Epic Yarn
(WII, 2010)
Back when a new Kirby game for the Wii was announced, it was being proclaimed as a side-scroller with 3D graphics, boasting the ability to adopt many of Kirby's signature powers (gained from inhalation of enemies). The ability to create helpers, just like in Kirby Super Star, was also rumoured to be present; this time. However, as the days grew colder and the nights grew longer, we heard less and less about the lost Kirby game... until 2010, when a completely different picture was painted... or should that be woven? Donning a truly fabric-ated facade, Kirby now uses yarn-like powers to whip about, making him more versatile and flexible in the process. In fact, EVERYTHING in this alternate universe seems to be made of yarn! Who'd-a thunkit?
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Kirby's Return To Dream Land
(WII, 2011)
Kirby's Epic Yarn came out and it pleased plenty of fans, but the fantastical appearance of the game may have also been off-putting for some. Kirby fans wanted a Kirby game, not a trip through Crochet World. That's where Kirby's Return to Dream Land for Wii comes in. Released just a year after Kirby's Epic Yarn, Kirby stumbles across Magolor, an extraterrestrial whose ship's pieces have been scattered. So guess who's tasked with collecting all these lost UFO chunks? That's right: Kirby! But he may not be alone. Up to four people can play simultaneously as Kirby, Meta Knight, Waddle Dee, and King Dedede to get through the various areas of the game, in the same vein as New Super Mario Bros. Wii's multiplayer action.
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Kirby 20th Anniversary Collection
(WII, 2012)
Kirby turns 20 this year, and so Nintendo will release a disc containing many of his finest moments! We're not sure which games will be included in the compilation, but considering it's due out before September, we should know more eventually...
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(Screenshots of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Kirby's Epic Yarn, and Kirby's Return To Dream Land provided courtesy of GameFAQs)
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