Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble

"Hey! Kirby doesn't suck!"

If you didn't get that joke in my tagline, then I guess I'll explain it to you. It's a pun (or, a play on words). The pun in this particular sentence is saying 1: we are used to Kirby inhaling, or sucking and 2: some Kirby games "suck," or are bad. Get it now? Okay good. Onto the review.

STORY:
This story takes place in the once peaceful Dreamland... like all the other Kirby games. King Dedede has taken all the sky's stars for himself, and Kirby must get them back! Oh no! Well it's Kirby, so don't expect some timeless story involving love, hate, betrayal and DEATH. No, Kirby is nice.
STORY: 6/10

GRAPHICS:
This game is colorful, like all other Kirby games. Also like other Kirby games, detail is a bit lacking, though the levels obviously were designed with a lot of effort. Kirby is just a pink ball with two red dots for feet and some black dots on his face. Nothing extraordinary, but then again, it doesn't want to be.
GRAPHICS: 7/10

SOUNDS:
The music is once again typical Kirby music. Cute, happy-go-lucky, light-hearted music for each course you're rolling in. And the sound effects? Yep, you guessed it. Same as all other Kirby games. There actually is something new in this game though, and that's Kirby talking. Sure, he only says things like “hi!” or “wahhhh!” but it's nice that they took a big-boy step and gave Kirby a voice.
SOUNDS: 7.5/10

GAMEPLAY:
This Kirby game is definitely unique in gameplay, there is no doubt about that. You will rarely use the actual Gameboy buttons on this game-- instead you will tilt your Gameboy to ROLL Kirby around each level. It's something completely original in videogames and is a pleasure to see this type of innovation.

Each level has different things that will effect how you tilt ‘n' tumble around. First of all, the ground will not always be normal, for there are water or sand levels that require more thought. Another thing that adds to the difficulty is the time limit. This will often piss you off because it can make the level incredibly frustrating, but there are objects you can roll over to add more time.

In addition to the objects that Kirby rolls over (extra time, stars, Maxim tomatoes), Kirby must also use the environment to complete the levels. For example, there are bumpers scattered throughout the courses, which cause Kirby to quickly bounce in the direction he hits them in. There are also such things as pop-up floors, elevators, and boost pads. Very clever.

As expected, this game is not without its faults. First of all, the tilting aspect cannot be perfect. Sometimes your “tilt-factor” will be off depending on you hold your Gameboy, completely screwing up how Kirby rolls around. This can also lead to a sore neck. Another bad part is that with all your tilting, you may catch a bad glare, temporarily blinding you and causing you to lose track of your game. Lastly, the jumping is really difficult. You must do a sudden tilt up with your Gameboy to make Kirby bounce, which also makes you easily lose track. It's a good try, but it would've been easier just to allow the use of the A button or something.

Playing Kirby Tilt ‘n' Tumble is fun of course, but with all the pits you'll be falling down and all the screwing up that's really not your fault, KTnT is frustrating as well. Still, it takes guts to make something as clever as this.
GAMEPLAY: 8.5/10

LASTING APPEAL:
This game could last you quite a while. There are multiple items (red stars, for example) to pick up, plus you won't want to quit until you've got 100%! There are also bonus levels, and everyone will have his/her favorite course that he/she will want to replay over and over.
LASTING APPEAL: 9.5/10

OVERALL:
It's cute, (VERY) clever, and fun. Seriously! A game where you have to tilt your Gameboy rather than press buttons! What the hell is that all about!? There are many bumps in this road, but I still say check it out.
OVERALL: 8/10

Thanks for reading =)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/26/06