Prior to Kirby: Triple Deluxe on 3DS, I hadn’t played a Kirby-game since Kirby was white! For the uninitiated, that’s Kirby’s Dreamland on the original Game Boy in 1992. What compelled me to play it is a 2 day period where I had 4 flights to be on and I wanted a new game for my 3DS. I saw Kirby and thought, “I loved Kirby as a kid. I wonder how the franchise has changed.” When I was 10 Kirby didn’t seem hard to me. I remember the basics: it’s a platformer where you suck up enemies and absorb their powers. Well, for those who want more of that, you’re in luck! Except now Kirby is Pink.
Triple Deluxe is easy. Save for the end boss, I didn’t die at all. I’m a firm believer that Nintendo has slotted their franchises into particular difficulty levels; Kirby being the easiest. But that’s ok – I had a good time with it. The game is beautiful, the stereoscopic 3D is fantastic, and the powers are creative. There are more than 20 powers to absorb; my favorite being “sword” which turns Kirby into Link, effectively. In most platformers your hero has a handful of moves. But, with Kirby being Kirby, you can traverse most levels with at least 3-5 different powers offering up a new set of abilities. If I could play the whole with Link’s abilities, I would be thrilled.
This is also what makes the game easy. The enemies are mechanical and easy to read, the puzzles are simple, and every once in a while you get help from your buddies who toss you an extra fruit that grants you health when you wan it. I did have to use this often. There are 7 worlds with 5-6 levels in each. There are 3-4 stars hidden in each level. It’s a great duration for a kid with plenty of replay value.
Triple Deluxe includes additional modes, including a four-player brawler called Kirby Fighters. It’s fun, but I’d rather be playing Smash Bros. There are 2 other modes that unlock once you finish the campaign.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe is easy, fun, and adorable. It’s a great choice for kids or even adults that want a flashback to the old Kirby games or even just a mindless game.