Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land

"Still hoping for a "Kirby Superstar" port to GBA? Well....feed your Kirby craving with this!"

Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland marks the Game Boy Advance debut of that powerful lil' puffball, Kirby. Long-time Kirby fans will pick this game apart in seconds since Kirby:NiD is a port of the NES classic, ''Kirby's Adventure''. To the gamer who wasn't around when the glory days of the NES were upon us, this game will be a treat to play. My NES never had the privilege of loading ''Kirby's Adventure''. Therefore, this game was brand-new to me. Anyway, read on and see what I thought about my newest romp thru Kirby's world.

---GAMEPLAY---
Kirby sucks......literally.....

For new gamers to Kirby's universe, the premise is quite simple. Kirby is able to suck up a baddy, copy his ability and wreck havoc toward your goal with the new ability. Sucking up and copying different abilities will yield different powers. Enemies and Kirby's abilities are connected, for example, swallowing a sword-wielding enemy will give Kirby a powerful blade and inhaling a penguin will give you the power of Ice which allows you to freeze certain enemies. The game features 20+ abilities for Kirby to use. The use of abilities makes Kirby games a blast to play. Finding out new abilities and using them for your own devilish purposes is what most Kirby games thrive on.

Kirby also has the ability of flight. Pressing and repeatedly striking up on the Control Pad will allow Kirby to puff up like a balloon and take off. Not pressing up on the Control Pad will make Kirby descend in altitude towards the ground. Making Kirby dash is done by quickly tapping either left or right on the control pad twice. Kirby's other attack is a sliding technique which will eliminate most enemies. Simply pressing down on the Control Pad and the A Button simultaneously will allow Kirby to slide and take out the target. The game handles very well with no slow-down and prompt button responses, making the actions listed above very easy to execute.

Levels are very straightforward and don't wander too far off from where you're intended to go. A secret door leading to goodies or ''switches'' that lead to hidden doors on the World Map are all the further that the game goes off of the beaten path. The levels also tend to be quite short. However, to make up for the short levels, most worlds contain a high number of levels for you to pass. At the end of each world, Kirby will face off with a boss that he will need to defeat enable to move on.

---GRAPHICS---
Kirby lives in a rainbow.

If one word can describe the graphics as a whole, that word would have to be bright. Nearly every level in Kirby:NiD is a neon landscape for Kirby to maneuver through. That's not to say that Kirby is going thru levels that are fluorescent red and lime green. No, no, no.....the forest levels are still pre-dominantly green and brown and the arctic levels still retain the light and dark blue mix to give it a chilly feel. The only difference is that these colors are much brighter and more brought out than many other games. The colors seen to jump off the screen and grab your attention. Attacks by both Kirby and the enemies are very flashy and sometimes even a bit humorous. However, outside of a few dark areas that are ''lights out'' on-purpose, the graphics and colors are extremely nice to look at and help in making the whole game great to play.

---SOUND---
Don't worry, be happy!

As in most other Kirby games, Kirby:Nightmare in Dreamland features a soundtrack that is very nice to listen to. The tunes are never gloomy and dramatic. Instead, the beats in Kirby:NiD reflect the atmosphere in Kirby's bright and colorful world. The sound effects sound great. All the weapons and abilities Kirby uses sound like they should be expected too. Hearing Kirby's blade slice thru the air with the Sword ability and hearing the blazing trail as Kirby hurtles towards the enemy as a fireball with ''Burning'' are just some examples of what you will hear. The only part of the SFX that was upsetting was Kirby's ''Mike'' ability. In the past, Kirby would shout different yells to eliminate enemies. However in Kirby:NiD, the pinf puffball retains the same yell throughout all 3 phases of the ''Mike'' ability. With that nit-picky flaw aside, the sound effects and music are top of the notch for the GBA.

---REPLAYABILITY---
Whoa, whoa, whoa....your not done YET!

Secrets can be found at almost every turn while bashing enemies along the way. A certain ability, some light puzzle-solving or a sharp eye will usually uncover most secret areas. Secret areas usually contain ''switches'' for Kirby to press. These switches unlock mini-games, warp areas or copy rooms for you to play around with in different worlds. Certain modes of play for your own enjoyment can be unlocked if your Kirby skills are good enough thru out his adventure.

If you have a Game Link cable, finding another person with a Kirby:NiD game-pak and a GBA will enable your friend to play thru the entire game alongside your own Kirby. Adding a 3rd or 4th player to the adventure will need one more Game Link cable along with the required components. There are also 3 multiplayer mini-games to play. For example, one mini-game has Kirby and 3 other different colored Kirby's using Warp Star's to grind on a rail to the finish line.The mini-games can be selected for multiplayer play with one Kirby:Nightmare in Dreamland game-pak and the necessary amount of Game Link cables. Without another player to link up with, the replayability of Kirby:NiD takes a HUGE hit.

---FINAL OVERVIEW---
Gameplay: 9 / 10
Graphics: 9 / 10
Sound: 8 / 10
Replayability: 6 / 10

---OVERALL---
A sure-fire hit for those that missed out on the NES classic

Kirby:Nightmare in Dreamland will most likely fool a few buyers who don't have prior knowledge of the game being a remake. Those that have played ''Kirby's Adventure'' for the NES and expected a new run thru Dream Land with Kirby will probably not be too happy. While a remake of the SNES smash-hit ''Kirby Superstar'' would have been better for the Kirby ''addict'', Kirby:NiD does the job to nourish that Kirby craving. However, if you have never played ''Kirby's Adventure'' or just want to go back and relive the good times with His Puffiness, then this is a great buy that should have as great a place in your GBA library as it does in mine.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/24/03, Updated 01/24/03