I’ll save you the horribly-played-out-and-never-funny superman metaphor (‘It’s a bird, it’s a plane, etc.’) and begin with something equally uninteresting and possibly even more cliche: Kirby is back in a true to form 2D platformer using the Return to Dreamland engine that I love so much.
Triple Deluxe is not only a worthy sequel to what I believe to be the best Kirby game we’ve gotten since Kirby Superstar Ultra but also has more than enough merit to stand on its own. Where to begin? I guess the gameplay is as good a place as any. The game has the best game feel I’ve felt since RTD and SS – it’s amazing how damn polished this engine is and how easy it is to move Kirby around the screen. Movement is a treat and you never feel like you’re moving too slow or fighting the game for power over Kirby.
Abilities are also the best the series has ever had (We can thank RTD for this) – no longer are moves just “one button” moves – we’re back to the Super Star variants of several moves with each ability. Each ability’s moves are seriously fleshed out too; you’ll have A + down movements, neutral A, charging A, Side and aerial A, etc. This is…just about everything I ever wanted in a new Kirby game. Please, Hal Labs, keep up the trend of the much deeper and fleshed out abilities – The fact that I feel like I’m talking about a fighting game excites me (Good kirby bnb: 5A – 2B – 3C – just kidding). While we are on the subject of gameplay, blocking also makes a return in this game and unfortunately it’s still way too good. I love the idea of being able to strategically block, but there needs to be some sort of downside. I suggest implementing a shield mechanic similar to what Smash Bros utilizes. While shielding itself is nothing new, you CAN in fact roll dodge in this game. Not extremely useful, but a cool addition nonetheless.
What next? How about music? I love remixes as much as the next guy but I feel that a lot of modern Nintendo games forego working on new, catchy themes we’ll remember for years to come in place of remixing old ones we already DO remember for years. While this is fine (and even welcome in some instances), I miss the days where we’d get truly character defining themes. Thankfully, Triple Deluxe seems to have addressed this with a plethora of original music – and it’s great. I meant that, I love it. The happy tunes in the first world or the underground themes – even the circus themes stick with me now. Your ears will be pleased. I must admit that I am a bit reluctant to say that a video game featuring “new music” is a plus, though.
Graphics are just, uh, graphics, but the game looks stellar; if you want a reminder on just how strong the 3ds is, this might be what you’re looking for. While Kirby has never thrived on complex designs or elaborate concepts, even the simple designs show through the raw power the 3ds has at its disposal. I still wish we had a higher resolution than 400 x 240, I mean, come on Nintendo – it didn’t have to be 720p or anything but I was expecting a little more pixel fidelity than that. That system gripe aside, it still looks fantastic.
Included in the game are a few minigames which I have yet to delve into, but just going from name alone the one of them promises much. Please be a psuedo Kirby ability Smash Bros.
A bit more spoilery, but apparently Meta Knight isn’t in this game at all. What the hell? A little annoyed that’s the case here, but oh well. The presentation, music, gameplay – it’s all here just like it always is. If you enjoyed Return to Dreamland, you owe it to yourself; this right here is true Kirby bliss.
