Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land

"Kirby: Right Back from NES!"

Before you pick up this game, please note, it is a Kirby game, and it is easy. Also note, that this game is a Kirby game and is Extremely Fun.

Kirby games have never been the kind of game to make you throw down your controller, and break your console into a million pieces, that's Rareware's job. Kirby games have always been about extreme fun. Stealing your enemy's powers, fighting wacky bosses, and killing King DeDeDe. Now if you are thinking about buying this game, Buy it. You will not regret it.

The story is basically ''King DeDeDe is bathing in the fountain of dreams, and stole the star rod.'' which is basically all you need. Kirby is no RPG with ''Save the Princess because your best friend kidnapped her.'' with a plot twist every few steps. The story is not 10/10 quality, but it deserves credit, because Hey, it is original.

Kirby's world is beautiful. It is filled with colors, and everything looks how it should. One world is an orange sky over an ocean, and another is an aurora filled night sky over icy mountains, Nothing looks out of place, and each place looks different. Even on the small GBA screen, you'll be able to name each enemy without a problem. Each enemy and world is also nicely detailed. To me, Kirby looks a little small though, but that's not a complaint, it's just something I noticed.

The music in this game is nothing memorable. You won't be humming Kirby music on the bus, or at school. But the music does it's part, and if you like a song enough, then you can listen to it as much as possible on the Sound Test screen. The SFX are just like the music. Everything sounds just like it should.

So everything else seems good so far, and now we come to the main part of the game... Gameplay! Gameplay is great, just like any Kirby game. Kirby can copy almost any enemy's powers(There are alot of powers) and use them against other enemies. Kirby can run, float, jump, copy, duck, and more! Kirby has 5 life, and each time you are hit you lose one life and sometimes your power. There are 8 worlds I think, and each world contains 4 - 6 levels. Each levels has about 5 parts to it, and will take you 2 - 7 minutes. At the middle or end of many Levels there is an easy boos in whiceh you just have to hit as much as possibe before he KOs you. Most of them are fairly easy. Once you beat a level you open a new level and/or feature on the world map. Each world map has a MiniGame, a Museum(A place to get powers before entering a level), a battledome(a place to compete for powers and Maximum Tomatoes), and of course the levels. After completing all of the levels the boss stage opens. Bosses are also easy, but fun, just like the rest of the game.

For me, this game is pakced with replay value. To me, when a Kirby game ends, it's just beginning. I couldn't go play a Mario or Zelda game again right away, but I could with a Kirby game, and I probobly will so I can unlock the 4th Sub-Game. This game also comes with 4 MiniGames. One has you like grinding on a rail until the end of the track, another tests your reflexes, and another has you catching and passing a bomb. The fourth game has you battling all of the bosses you've beat so far. The games get tiring quickly. You could play them twice in a row, at the most, and then next time you play you could play them twice in a row again. And again, and again. The games are a nice extra.

Another great thing about this game is multiplayer. 4 people can play the main adventure at once with multipaks. Or with a single pak 4 people can play the minigames.

This game is definitely a buyer. I'm guessing(I really don't know) that there;'s maybe 3 - 7 hours of gameplay in here. WHich isn't bad for a Kirby game. After beating the game, you can then play as the sword-wielding MetaKnight, or play with Kirby and copy other enemies abilities or go through the game copying no abilities.
Story: 6/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Replay: 9/10
Multi: 10/10
My score: 10/10 for great fun, gameplay and graphics!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/07/03, Updated 06/07/03