Kirby's Dream Land

"Before Kirby was pink..."

Kirby, as both a character and franchise, has never quite had the attention nor the high-flying games of other big Nintendo stars such as Mario and Zelda, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have his fair share of great games. And although his best seem adventures seem to be the non-conventional ones (such as Tilt ‘n' Tumble and the recent Canvas Curse), Kirby is a platformer star at heart, and always will be. And his heritage is right here, in Kirby's Dream Land. This title holds some nostalgic value for me, as it was my first GameBoy game when I got the big, bulky original back in the early 90's. I played it often, both at home and away from it when the possibility of home consoles was gone. I played a lot of Dream Land, and in that regard, it's a classic in my eyes that shouldn't be overlooked.

So I guess the game is hard to review in retrospect. I mean, it holds a lot of nostalgic value for me, but it's really just a side-scrolling platformer that isn't nearly as long, deep or challenging as any Mario title. Does that stop it from being a noteworthy little release? No, but it's powered by the innovations of nearly two decades ago, and was probably always meant for those people who were just not very experienced with games, as it's a short and easy adventure that is aimed to be accessible to anyone but, in the end, won't attract the hardest of hardcore gamers simply because it's so… simple and easy. And as a result, as much as I hold this game to my heart with great satisfaction, it's probably doomed to get lost in the gaming world, which is too bad.

Dream Land was created before Kirby was solidified as a character, so any current gamer who's played his recent games but not his old ones may be a bit disappointed at what he's capable of here. Still, he's no ordinary platformer star. Kirby has the ability to use his giant mouth to suck up just about any enemy he comes across and then spit them out at other enemies. This is his primary attack method. Kirby will do no punching, kicking, or bouncing-off-the-enemy's-head. If you want to defeat an enemy, suck him up and look for another enemy to spit him into. If there are no enemies to spit your inhaled into, you can simply press down on the GameBoy's d-pad, and Kirby will swallow the enemy and forget about it. Kirby, thus far, can't copy his enemies' abilities and use them as his own (that'll come in later games like Super Star), but this suck-spit pattern creates an unusual balance in the game's design.

If there's one thing I can say about Dream Land, it's that the game is certainly not crafted like other 2D platformers of the time. For one thing, Kirby has his trademark ability to float, meaning that whenever you hit up on the d-pad, Kirby will inhale a full breath of air and take to the skies. You can literally float for as long and far as you want, meaning that things such as bottomless pits and menacing hazards are quite simple and easy to dodge. Kirby can jump at any time but you may not even want to do that – you can simply float over just about anything that you come across. There's even an interesting boss fight that seems to have been modeled after old-fashioned space shooters, as it has Kirby being granted unlimited air power as he soars over the ocean, maneuvering around a barrage of bombs from the enemy.

For what it's worth, though, Dream Land really isn't a long game. In fact, any experienced gamer could probably beat the game in twenty to thirty minutes. Think about that. It's the kind of game that's designed to be beaten in one sitting – in fact, Dream Land doesn't even feature a save system, so you've got no choice. Each level (there are six) only takes a few minutes to clear, so you'll be done in no time. The game is also extremely easy in most regards, with simple level designs and enemies that rarely pose a great challenge since they can almost always be inhaled. And most of the bosses are pretty wimpy, although the second boss is actually kind of tricky. Thankfully, though, a challenge mode has been added for those who beat the game and are looking for an additional fix. In it, the enemies look different and cause roughly twice as much damage, and the bosses are sneaky bastards. It's definitely recommended for anyone who decides to try this game out.

Pros

+ The first Kirby game!
+ Interesting (if underdeveloped) suck/spit mechanics.
+ Floating offers an interesting new platforming method.
+ Great graphics and sound (for their time).
+ Additional challenge mode for those who beat the main game.

Cons

- The main adventure is too easy…
- …And way too short.

Overall: 8/10

I don't know if this counts as a major offense, but I still get teary-eyed whenever I hear the credits music. Almost. The point is that I happen to like this game a lot, not necessarily because it's good, but because I have some really good memories with it. It still qualifies as a good (if not great) game regardless of my personal agenda, and I think that any GameBoy owners who's willing to shed a few bucks and doesn't mind playing through a decidedly short and easy main game will really enjoy what Kirby's Dream Land has to offer. I say this because I don't want this game to become overlooked. It may not have the jazz of its numerous sequels nor the ingenuity of the many spin-offs that followed, but this is a noteworthy release, and the one that really kicked Kirby into gear.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/02/05