Kirby's Dream Land 2

"The Greatest Pink Flying Ball Thingi I Know..."

Kirby, one of the most unlikeliest platformer stars of the video game world. Only Nintendo could pull off a character as strange as Kirby; a strange ball thingi, saving the world of....Dream Land? What the Hell? Well, this game still rocks, besides the utter bizarreness of Kirby. I mean hey, I have no problems playing games as various animals (Donkey Kong, Sonic) or overweight, seemingly unemployed plumbers, so why should have any problems with Kirby.

Unlike most Kirby fans, the only Kirby game I previously played before this one was the prequel, "Kirby's Dream Land". While that particular game was fun while it lasted, the sad thing was that it didn't last very long. At all. The head cheese at Nintendo, or at least the cheese in charge with this game, decided to throw in typical platforming worlds, ranging to the forests, to the token Sea and Snow levels. YAY!!!!!

Basically, the story in the instruction manual states that the Rainbows that connect the Islands that Kirby lives on (???) have been stolen by Dark Matter!!!!! That scurvy sea Dog has also taken control of Kirby's old foe King Dedede (or is that pal?) and wants to turn the happy, peaceful place of Dreamland into a dark place. Of all the cheek!!! Naturally, Kirby is a little peeved that his prime real estate has been ruined by this evil contractor, and sets out to give him a little piece of his mind.

The biggest addition to the game mechanics in Dream Land 2, is the addition of 3 animal buddies. Rick is a giant hamster, and is the most useful on land, destroying everything in his wake. Kine the fish, is naturally the most useful in water, allowing Kirby to use his patented swallowing moves underwater. Finally Coo is a owl, which allows Kirby to use his sucking and blowing in the air. These animals all have to be used for various tasks in the game, and also later in the game when you frantically search for some items.

Kirby is split up into 7 different worlds, each taking a central theme for each one. These worlds have several levels, and although most of them are quite short individually, it all adds up to a longer experience than the prequel.This is the most welcome addition to the franchise, because like the previous game, the graphics and sound are just fine. They aren't spectacular, and never really were, but the graphics are crisp and clear enough, and some tunes are quite catchy, without being too forceful on the player.

Kirby is a very fun and enjoyable addition to anybody's Game Boy library. Of course, it will be hard to hunt down these days, but if you own it and haven't played it in a while, dig it out and have a play, because although not being a life-changer of a title, it certainly is a well-polished, enlightening platformer that anyone can enjoy. Highly recommended.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/27/06