Kirby’s Triple Deluxe – Nintendo – 05.02.2014 – Nintendo 3DS — $39.99
“Kirby Triple Deluxe” is everything I loved about the original Kirby games stacked with even more content. The game modes alone make the game an incredible buy. If you’re into fighting games like “Smash Bros.” you can jump into Kirby Fighters that lets you pick one power and battle differently powered Kirbys on challenging maps that can be controlled by CPU, another Kirby owner, or a friend via download play. Dedede’s Drum Dash is also a fun new take on the series that allows you to test your rhythmic abilities while guiding Dedede through various musical levels. There is also an un-lockable Arena mode that pits you against the games bosses to test the speed at which you slay them. My favorite mode was Dedede Tour, which allows you to replay the single player campaign as Dedede with harder baddies and more challenging bosses. This mode is only available once you have finished the main story.
The game mechanics are similar to any classic Kirby title you’ve played before. You can double jump to fly, release an air bullet as an attack, and suck up various enemies in the world to clone their abilities. The previously mentioned feature is what makes Kirby addicting and also uniquely fun. Whether you prefer to use the Ninja ability to focus on throwing daggers and executing enemies with your mad sword skills, or jump over them while on fire with the new Circus ability, the moves make level tactics different and can generate funny situations.
I’m still giggling from the first time Izuna dropped a circus clown.
Trees can only be inhaled in Hypernova mode… you know, like in the real world and stuff
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The new Hypernova mode begins whenever you find a special seed and gives Kirby the ability to inhale larger objects as he is creating a vortex of immense proportions. This vortex allows for interesting puzzles in different levels that involve anything from snowmen heads to cars and also introduce a unique element in fighting baddies. Bigger baddies can be presented in Hypernova mode since your ability to inhale their attacks is also enhanced. The game also makes incredible use of the 3D elements by allowing you to move between the background and foreground while exploring the world, this can be part of your normal route or contain hidden secrets for Kirby to unlock.
I don’t know why I like hunting key chains, but this shark one is so rad.
The tag mode mechanics allow you to send and receive key chains from other players. Key chains can also be unlocked with coins from your systems sleep mode. Key chains are also awarded in the end level game and found hidden throughout various courses. To unlock boss battles you have to find a minimum number of the hidden sun stones, but can aim for that 100% completion by finding all of them throughout the worlds.
Key chains are oddly addicting to collect, so you folk best be Street Passin!
Boss fights are about timing and catching on to the bosses tells before counter-attacking or simply dodging the assault. The game actually felt more challenging when I was using another baddies ability to fight. Sucking up dropped debris from the boss and shooting the star back did more damage, and made the battle easier to manage.
The game is visually stunning as well as phenomenal sounding, and the use of 3D is something that doesn’t strain the eyes but adds to the game environment. Levels remain two-dimensional but are divided into the background/foreground and you transition between the two by riding stars. Enemies in the background can launch attacks into the foreground and abilities you unlock also allow you to fire attacks into the background, or the other way around. This depth of field also adds a new dimension to the puzzles you are solving when trying to find key chains, sun stones, or even hidden portions of levels.
This is a mandatory addition to any platformers library and something Kirby fans have been waiting for, for far too long. You’ve got until May 2 to sell enough of your bodily fluids to pick this one up. You won’t regret it.