Now, Nintendo has brought a huge amount of its most popular and successful games of all time to the Switch. Whether you’re talking about enhanced ports like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, or the collection of emulated classics available through Nintendo Switch Online subscription tiers, The Switch has earned its reputation as a place where you can experience both Nintendo’s latest titles, as well as many of its greatest hits. The newest title in time travel for Nintendo’s modern juggling system is Kirby back to dreamlanda 2011 Wii title from HAL Labs.
Coming out in 2022, perhaps Kirby’s greatest adventure (definitely his most popular by far) IN Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which means Nintendo and HAL wanted to capitalize on the popularity of the pink balloon. Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe brings one of Kirby’s coolest games of the past, adding HD visuals, new copying capabilities, etc. I had a chance to check out this new version of my favorite Wii game through a hands-on demo with various Nintendo members.
The story of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land continues in this Deluxe Edition: A space-jumping alien named Magolor’s ship crashed while landing on Kirby’s Planet Popstar, and Kirby’s and friends/friends is to collect puzzle pieces so that Magolor can go home. In Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, players can control Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Bandana Waddle Dee in a game that supports up to four-player cooperative gameplay. Each character has unique abilities, but Kirby is probably the most fun character to play as he is able to use the replicating abilities he is famous for. Thankfully, players don’t need to scramble for Kirby, as you can have duplicates.
Speaking of copying abilities, all the different weapons and moves from the original are carried over to this new version. In Deluxe, however, players can get powerful, new abilities that seem to deliver some serious firepower. The new ability I’ve seen is Kirby’s mechanical suit, which allows him to use his jetpack to fly around and kill enemies with weapons like lasers and missiles. These new powers are available throughout the main game, giving experienced players new ways to engage with the many stages of the older title. Superpowers like the Snow Bowl and Ultra Sword are also returning, giving you some of the most powerful weapons in Kirby’s arsenal at key moments in the levels.
This time around, players can enable Magolor Assist, a mode that essentially serves as an easy option. When this feature is activated, the player will receive two full health bars instead of the standard bar. Also, if you fall into a pit, Magolor will pull you back to solid ground. The friendly sized funnel also helps you occasionally by giving you clone abilities or health. If you’re looking for a challenge, fear not, as Deluxe retains the EX Story, which essentially offers a difficulty mode of the main game once you’ve finished the first time.
Also unlocked as you beat the game is Magolor’s Epilogue, a new part of the game where you play as Magolor. Due to his set of abilities, players can expect gameplay akin to Mega Man’s. In this post-game backstory, you’re on a quest to get Magolor’s abilities back after he lost them during his space travel. Although Magolor is the only playable character, it still allows four players to cooperate, although each player controls another Magolor instead of Kirby and his crew. In this mode, a combo meter keeps track of how the team is doing with killing enemies, with platinum medals offered if you hit high combinations.
As you play through this mode, you will gradually unlock more skills for Magolor; the first unlock is his ability to throw his Magic Bomb downwards. However, you can also use Magic Points to further upgrade Magolor’s skills. Nintendo won’t reveal how long the epilogue is, but it certainly looks more concise than the Kirby-centered origin story.
Outside of these story modes, players can join the Merry Magoland, which is the Deluxe place to play the series’ side-games. With 8 out of 10 side-games returning from previous titles, Kirby fans will find plenty to enjoy here. In this mode, I was able to watch Nintendo representatives show off Kirby on Draw, which first appeared in Kirby Super Star Ultra. With the different control options available, you can opt for Wii-style cursor control (which seems like a logical choice for a shooter library game like Kirby on the Draw) or use traditional stick controls. more uniform. In Deluxe, Merry Magoland also has two brand new additions, although I don’t see either of them in action. However, I got to see the new stamp system, which rewards players who complete the Magoland challenge with a mask their character can wear in the main game.
Although I haven’t gotten my hands on Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe yet, I’m excited to be returning to this exciting adventure from the Wii days. Kirby’s Return to Dream Land is one of my favorite games in the franchise before The Forgotten Lands, so I can’t wait for another reason to play it with new improvements and over a decade old. century away since my last outing.
