Moments after the first level of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, I’m swinging across the stage with a giant sword. The mighty blade of the pink puffball slices through a platform made of rock like Swiss cheese. Any Waddle Dees directly in my path are thrown into the air and hit the screen, breaking the fourth wall, as if it would shatter my Switch OLED screen. It is absolute carnage. Move over Cloud Strife, your Buster Sword has nothing to do with Kirby’s weapon of destruction.
What I’m using here is the Ultra Sword, one of Kirby’s super abilities that allows him to transform his signature copy abilities into larger, more powerful forms for a period of time. When I wear one, I can obliterate anything in my path, and it never gets old every chance I get. And thanks to the improved redesign of the Deluxe version, everyone looks better than ever.
As a brilliant remake of 2011’s classic Wii adventure, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe isn’t just fantastic, it also has some delicious additions that enhance the experience. With a host of mini-games in the new Merry Magoland theme park area and a new epilogue adventure, there’s plenty to enjoy alone or with friends thanks to four-player co-op support. But nothing beats the joy of rediscovering the original car with a fresh coat of paint after so many years, Super Abilities and all.
cool makeover
(Image credit: Nintendo)
As a throwback, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe follows the classic Kirby series formula rather than the more overt direction of Kirby and last year’s Forgotten Land release. The journey begins after Magolor’s spaceship crashes on planet Popstar, after which you help them recover parts of the ship scattered across a hub world. Featuring different themed areas with a set number of levels, each stage is home to collectible Energy Spheres that unlock features on the ship itself. After completing a level you will unlock the next one, until you finally reach a boss stage to complete a location. Like the Kirby games of yore, there’s a satisfying sense of progression, with a variety of different environment setups getting harder and harder as you progress.
From a verdant forest with rainbows decorating the blue sky backdrop to icy caves adorned with crystals and desert lands with sandy geysers gushing from the dunes, I can’t overstate how beautiful this new release is on Switch. Each stage is bursting with color and the character designs have been tweaked to make the pink hero and his enemies shine. It also brings all the boss fights and super abilities to life, including the Monster Flame super ability. Here, Kirby sends a giant fire dragon across the screen to burn enemies offstage, and if you’ve ever needed proof that the little pink ball is indeed a mighty god, then this is it.
wild ride
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Outside of the classic core Kirby’s Return to Dream Land adventure, the Deluxe version features an epilogue that unlocks after completing the main story. To shake things up a bit, you take control of Magolor instead of the beloved Kirby. Without copy abilities, you work to build and unlock Magolor’s own powers. Without spoiling it, the epilogue is a refreshing little addition that brings a touch of novelty to the overall experience that longtime fans and newcomers alike can appreciate. Completing the story mode also unlocks the arena, which is very similar to the arena that can be found in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. It’s a great place to test your mettle with Kirby’s arsenal, with a series of consecutive fights to overcome.
Right from the start, you have access to a whole new theme park area known as Merry Magoland. And happy is. There are many different attractions in the park in the form of mini-games which can be played with up to three friends. You also have adorable stamp sheets to fill in by participating in mini-games and completing small quests with objectives set for each sub-game. The stamps act as an incentive to keep playing, and it also helps that there are a variety of mini-games and challenges to complete. Various small features will unlock in the park as you play, also adding a sense of accomplishment to your mini-game sessions.
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe has a few surprises in store for players of the original, and is truly the best way for those new to the game to experience the classic adventure. It was a joy to dive into the new version with all its new bells and whistles, but it also reawakened my appreciation for super abilities. The Kirby series has welcomed so many clever and memorable features over the years that give Kirby a fun edge. Even with the wonderfully bizarre introduction of Forgotten Land’s Bitten Mode, nothing has topped the joy that floods me when I see Kirby transform into a giant snowball that can blast through a step, or wield an oversized hammer. which knocks everything down. .
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is coming to Switch on February 24, 2023. Get ready for more exciting releases to come with our roundup of next switch games.