"You're gonna have a ball with this one. Simply put."

Kirby. The cute little puffball has had many adventures over time. As such, he's grown to be one of Nintendo's top and most well known characters. Anyone can hear his name and usually know who is be talked about. Games will come to mind such as Kirby's Adventure, Kirby Superstar and Kirby's Dreamland. Top platforming games of their genre.

Kirby however, is also possibly the biggest candidate for Nintendo's little "experiments". Meaning he is often found in game that stray off from what made him popular in the first place. Sometimes, they work. Other times they don't.

This game, it worked. Big time.

Gameplay: 10/10 As you would want with most Brick Attack like games, the controls are quite smooth and responsive. In the beginning levels of the game, it's rather simple to move the panel back and forth so you can hit Kirby into the air toward the blocks. It does a great job at slowly progressing in difficulty later so you don't grow bored with it as well. For the most, part, it follows the laws of physics well. When Kirby hits a block wall or your panel at a certain angle, he'll go in the direction you would expect.

Graphics: 9/10 For the Gameboy, they are pretty crisp. You can easily make out what is what. Most enemies and bosses can easily be distinguished for what they are if you recognize the characters. It isn't too bad to look at either.

Sound: 10/10 If you've played any Kirby game, you know exactly what to expect when it comes to music. It's amazing to say the least and this game is no exception. Every song for every stage is catchy and original to it's environment. There is absolutely no reason to play your own music while playing this game. Everything about it is great on the ears and just so fitting to the game itself. You'll have most of the songs stuck in your head for days though, be warned.

Playtime/Replayability: 9/10 You'll likely be playing it for a while. It has many stages and bonuses that you'll want to find if you're the type who wants to find everything. It isn't a game you can just breeze through either if you haven't played it already, many stages have certain ways they must be completed and take some time to figure out.

Kirby's Block Ball is one of the more obscure games for the Gameboy library. That isn't to say no one has played it, it just isn't as recognized among Kirby's other classics. Which is a shame. This game delivers in a great way of how it was meant to be. It isn't a platforming game. It doesn't have much of a story. However, it is addicting and overall just very fun to play. if you're looking to add games to your Gameboy collection, I highly recommend picking this one up. You won't regret it at all.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/07/11

Game Release: Kirby's Block Ball (US, May 1996)