As developers get more and more experienced with the systems they work on with each passing year they are able to produce wonders. That applies to humble pieces of hardware such as the legendary Nintendo Entertainment System. Toward the end of its cycle, the NES gave the world visually impressive titles such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Crystalis, Battletoads, Batman and, of course, Kirby’s Adventure!
HAL Laboratory’s creation is undoubtedly one of the finest looking (and sounding) NES games, ever. Looks aside, it’s also very enjoyable, as it greatly evolves the gameplay from the Game Boy debut – Kirby’s Dreamland. The NES sequel is the first time the titular hero has the iconic copy ability. This review takes a nostalgic trip back to its vibrantly colourful past to learn all about it.
Dream Land is in peril! King Dedede has stolen the magic wand from the Fountain of Dreams. It leaves the cute denizens of this world unable to enjoy their once dream-filled sleep. Enter Kirby, the pink puffball hero tasked with gathering the scattered pieces and restoring peace. It’s a silly fairy-tale, sure, but Kirby’s Adventure really nails that aspect making it perfect for younger gamers or those who want a cosy tale. Take the darkest video game imaginable. This sits right on the other end of the spectrum and does so in style.
Kirby’s Adventure looks fantastic. It’s definitely amongst the top three NES titles when it comes to visuals alone, and it achieves that not by trying to emulate 16-bit systems. Instead, the game perfects what the 8-bit systems were made for: simple, but super-appealing, and vibrantly colourful worlds. A cartoon brought to life, basically, with the animation of the otherwise small Kirby sprite nothing short of perfect.
The art style on offer is excellent, with an astonishing variety of different worlds to visit, each one with its own look and feel. Usually, a typical screen of an NES game is clearly made from tiled images; little boxes placed together to create a large texture. Here these tiles are used in such a way that everything seamlessly connects together, with islands in the distance surrounded by sparkling water, clouds “touching” the mountains, and, well, words can’t quite describe it.
Gameplay wise, and like the original Kirby Dreamland on the Game Boy, this is your standard platformer. Walk right or left, jump around, kill enemies, collect powers. The only thing that separated Dreamland from other platformers like Mario and Sonic, was Kirby’s flying ability. It had the pink hero inhale lots of air in order to become a balloon. That very inhaling power enables him to bring enemies to his mouth, spitting them out like projectiles.
Thankfully, Kirby’s Adventure builds on this by allowing Kirby to eat enemies and steal their abilities. Gulped down a fire-breathing critter? Kirby can now become a cute pink dragon . Want to grow spikes on your back like this hedgehog looking fellow over there? Do the same, and its skill is yours.
There is a surprising number of abilities to find through the course of Kirby’s quest – and apart from many of them being tons of fun to use, they are woven into the level design itself. For example: found an umbrella? This can be used as a sword, but its main two uses are its deflecting power, and letting Kirby slowly glide over perilous sections. While most of the time you are “given” the right tool for each job, you are free to experiment on your own, and try different solutions. This is especially true for boss fights, with some abilities acting as their kryptonite in a sense.
Kirby’s Adventure has only one big flaw, and it will be the one deciding factor on whether you’ll return to it for a few more playthroughs instead of one: it is super easy. It’s the perfect choice for newcomers to gaming or platformers in general, and its cute exterior will make young players love every second of the ride. However, it is a title that could benefit from a somewhat higher challenge. Much higher, to be perfectly honest. On the bright side, the replay value is better than expected from what is, by all means, a walk in the park.
Apart from the whole experimentation aspect that enemy abilities provide, many stages have secret buttons that can be found in a variety of ways, from entering partially hidden doors, to reaching an area by cleverly using stolen abilities. These open up mini-game rooms in the overworld, and contribute to the completion rate of the game, with a 100% rate opening up a harder mode that has you replay the whole thing with just three health bars. All in all, it’s still a bit too easy to have a lasting impression on most people, but still a fine specimen of the NES library.
