How Return to Dreamland Deluxe Reignited my Love of Kirby

Ah Kirby, a franchise that was a favorite of mine growing up. When I was young, I completed every Kirby game I could get my hands on, and considered myself a big Kirby fan.

But then, something happened: I changed. My enjoyment of the Kirby games shrunk over time, and before I knew it I was uninterested in new Kirby games, considering myself done with the series.

Yet, this past month I decided to play Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. So much was it that I've begun to reconsider my stance on the Kirby series, wondering if in fact I may still be able to enjoy these games, and return to being the Kirby fan I once was.

So, how did this happen? In this post I'll be detailing my experiences with the Kirby series, and why Return to Dreamland was so special in bringing me back to Dreamland.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS STORY SPOILERS FOR KIRBY RETURN TO DREAMLAND

Like many Nintendo fans, I was exposed to Kirby at a young age, with Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards being my first Kirby game. Shortly afterwards a friend of mine introduced me to Kirby Superstar, and we had a great time playing it together. When the Game Boy Advance released, Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland was one of the first titles I spent days playing. Before I knew it I was in love with these games.

The Kirby games appealed to me due to how fun and engaging they were. But I also think their simplicity gripped me. The titles are fairly easy to get into, not requiring as much technical skill as the Mario and Donkey Kong games. Their gimmick of allowing Kirby to copy any enemy ability also has an instant appeal, due to all the fun power ups you can get and play with. The games had a fun and cute aesthetic to them, and overall, they're perfect for kids looking for a fun time. Really, they share a lot in common with the Yoshi platformers, which also go for a cute look and slower paced gameplay compared to other platformers.

But as I grew older, became more of a "gamer" if you will, there was a new appeal the series gained: their experimentation. I loved how much the games were willing to experiment and change up the core gameplay to create new experiences. Kirby's Air Ride was a racing game, and would go down as one of my favorite multiplayer games. Kirby Canvas Curse and Mass Attack, both DS titles, were unique experiences that controlled Kirby using only the touch screen, with the former becoming one of my favorite DS games. Finally, Kirby Epic Yarn was another new kind of Kirby that removed his copy ability entirely, in favor of a new yarn moveset. While many disliked the change, I was impressed by it, enjoying it so much I'd call it one of my favorite Wii games. At this point, I was in love with the series.

However, as time went on, two things happened. First, I changed. It's a universal truth of life, the older you get, your tastes in media change. What you look for, what appeals to you, all that will change as you grow, and I was no exception. With respect to video games, the older I got, the more I found myself gravitating towards story and character heavy video games, like the Fire Emblem series. I also began to crave complex video games more, such as the grand strategy game Europa Universalis IV. Games that felt simple began to lose their appeal to me, which resulted in me playing games such as Mario Kart and Mario Party less and less.

Kirby became another tragic result of this change. I played Kirby Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot on the 3DS, games that many Kirby fans had nothing but praise for. I grew very quickly. In both cases, I completed the first world and had no motivation to continue, finding the gameplay uninteresting.

However, I don't believe that was the only reason I lost interest in the series. Remember, at this point I loved the series because of how experimental the games could be. This has long divided Kirby fans, as there are those that prefer the traditional Kirby games like Kirby's Adventure, Superstar, and Planet Robobot, and those that prefer the more experimental titles: Tilt n Tumble, Epic Yarn, and The Rainbow Curse. I was squarely in the latter camp.

After the release of Mass Attack on the DS, Kirby rarely went experimental. Of the next five Kirby games to release: Return to Dreamland on the Wii, Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot on the 3DS, Rainbow Curse on the Wii U, and Star Allies on the Switch, only one of these wasn't traditional. Experimental Kirby seemed to be on the decline, and this played a part in alienating me from the series.

Due to these two factors: the series going in a direction I wasn't fond of, and my own preferences changing, I believed I was done with Kirby. The games were fun, and I would have fond memories of them, but now they were longer for me.

 

 

Enter Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe. I wasn't planning on buying this due to my perceived lack of interest with Kirby. However, due to my partner, who loved the cute aesthetic of Kirby and wanted to try playing a game, we picked up Return to Dreamland Deluxe. This was a remake of a traditional Kirby game on the Wii, one that I played and loved when it first released. I was curious to see how I'd find it, as I enjoyed playing the game on co-op before. However, my partner began to lose interest by the end of the second world, so it was up to me to continue playing. I thought I would also give up, and this was the end.

However, something kept me going. Perhaps it was the familiarity due to my previous experience with it, maybe even if she wasn't playing, I still enjoyed having a game my partner would enjoy watching me play.

But really, I think the main reason was that I loved Return to Dreamland so much as a game, and wanted to replay it. By the time I finished, I was shocked at how much fun I had with the game. Here I thought I was done with the series, but I was playing this whenever I got the chance. I even went straight into the new Magolor Epilogue mode after finishing it, and while I didn't finish the mode, I had such a blast with this game it caused me to rethink my stance on the Kirby series.

After much reflecting, I have come to the conclusion that maybe I can still call myself a Kirby fan, and was wrong to write the series off. Let's delve into why.

To start, let's talk about Kirby's Return to Dreamland. This is my favorite traditional Kirby game. Yes, sorry Superstar fans, but Return to Dreamland trumps it in my eyes. There are many reasons for this. One, it was the first traditional Kirby game to feature four player co-op. This gives the game tons of replayability, as I've played through it multiple times with friends.

The second element that explains my love is understanding the context of its release. Kirby has had traditional games on every Nintendo console......except the Gamecube. There was a planned title set to release. However, it ran into development hell, and after years of delays would eventually become Return to Dreamland. By the time it released on the Wii, it had been over 10 years since the last traditional Kirby game on console: Kirby 64. Even then, with how unique Kirby 64 was with its combining power ups concept, you could argue it wasn't as traditional as previous titles.

It had been a long time since Kirby had a proper console game, and this gave the game a special feeling of excitement. All Kirby fans came together to celebrate his well, return to dreamland, giving the game a real novelty that the incoming barrage of traditional Kirby games would lack. 

An apt comparison would be the New Super Mario Bros games. When the first two released on the DS and Wii, there was huge excitement. After all, these were the first 2D Mario games to release in a very long time. They were received positively by many Mario fans and celebrated as a return to form.

However, Nintendo continued to release 2D Mario games in quick succession, which turned many off New Super Mario Bros 2 and New Super Mario Bros U. This was how I felt with the titles that came after Return to Dreamland: Triple Deluxe, Planet Robobot, and Star Allies. They felt like Return to Dreamland with a new coat of paint, rather than new games.

Returning to the game itself, the third element I loved about replaying Return to Dreamland concerned the Kirby series as a whole, and myself. Previously, I thought the core Kirby gameplay was too simple for me, and I would find it boring. However, either I was wrong, or I've changed further, because I no longer believe that. Yes, the Kirby games are more simple than say, the Mario and Donkey Kong platformers. However, there's something appealing in that.

You see, as I've gotten older, there is another type of game I and many adults I've spoken with have begun to crave: short and simple games. The older you get, you simply have less time to play video games, so large and difficult games that require tons of effort and time can feel less exciting, and more overwhelming.

There was something nice about, after a long day of work or running errands, coming home and playing a nice easy game in Kirby. I loved how easy it was to find all the secrets, how if ever a secret required a power up, it would be within a couple of screens. You never had to grab a power up and hold it for a long time. None of them required much thinking as well, and if I was struggling with a boss, there were cheesy strategies I could find and use, which were fun to discover and master.

Where I used to find the easy and simple gameplay of Kirby boring, I was now finding it relaxing and enjoyable. The idea of "comfy" games that you can turn your brain off and just relax with has appealed to me more and more, and knowing that Kirby can fit that category, I suddenly have more interest in the series.

However, the fourth and most important reason I loved Return to Dreamland was....its story.

 

Wait what!? Story, in a Kirby game!? I know, I was surprised myself. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that's what puts Return to Dreamland above most Kirby games for me. It's the story, which I would argue is easily the best story a Kirby game has ever had, at least of the ones I've played.

There are two things that make the story of Return to Dreamland special. The first, is its deceptive climaxes. I actually did a write up about this in 2015, which can be found here: https://johnnyappleshy.blogspot.com/2015/08/illusion-of-length-analysis-of-pacing.htmlI

In it, I discuss how having games feature more than one climax that feels like the finale leads to a game feeling longer, due to there being more high stakes moments, and also because the game tricks you into thinking it's over, only to reveal there's more to come. I use Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga as an example, but Kirby's Return to Dreamland is another.

See, in Return to Dreamland, the story starts fairly simple. Magolor, a being from another dimension, has crashed into Dreamland, with five of his ship parts falling into different parts of dreamland. Kirby and co must then find the ship parts to repair Magolor's ship, so he can safely return to his home dimension. The simplicity means you aren't expecting much, or at least I wasn't. 

The world map clearly shows five worlds, and while it might seem short, there's plenty of side objectives to extend to the length. Magolor's ship contains copy ability rooms you can use to test out abilities, minigames to play, and speed run levels you can replay many times to master copy abilities and maximize your score. They're fun, and I wasted far too much time on these speed run levels. Magolor is more than happy to help, insisting that he is in no rush to return home and is simply thankful to be receiving help. The remake extends this further by adding a theme park full of tons of minigames from past Kirby games, with Magolor as the host.

After the fun adventure, you'll reach the final battle of world 5. It is very climactic, with the battle having a second phase that requires Kirby to utilize super power ups you've had to occasionally use up to this point. It feels like the finale, and a satisfying one at that.

But then, it keeps going. Magolor takes Kirby and co to his home dimension, where the ship you've just repaired is shot down. The truth is revealed, Magolor fled to Kirby's dimension because he was being attacked by an evil dragon, which sought to destroy him and his ship. Suddenly there are two more worlds to complete while Magolor repairs the ship, and more side games you can take part in within said ship. This has the effect of extending the length of the game in the player's mind, and helps the story stick. As simple as it was, this twist did wonders.

The second, and far more important part of Return to Dreamland's brilliant story, is Magolor. Magolor is what really elevates the story of Return to Dreamland, and if you've played this game, you know why. You see, after you clear the final two worlds and are able to defeat the evil dragon, you find out that....the dragon might not be so evil, and that you in fact, were working with the baddies. Magolor reveals the ultimate plot twist: he was actually using Kirby and co the whole time, taking advantage of their power to defeat his adversary and steal its powerful crown for himself. He disappears, and now the true final battle begins.

Source

Having a friend reveal themselves to be the enemy isn't anything new to Kirby. The first instance of this comes in the form of Marx from Kirby Superstar, who encourages Kirby to seek out the wish granting being Nova, only to steal the wish from Kirby at the last moment. Yet, to call Magolor a new version of Marx would be an understatement. Magolor is so much more, and key to understanding this is the relationship he forms with the player.

As cool as Marx is, he only appears in one cutscene with Kirby before his betrayal, giving the player little room to form a relationship with him. Magolor on the other hand is with you from the beginning, giving you an objective to clear, and a reason to explore and collect all the gears and ship parts you can. Furthermore, Magolor forms a special relationship with the player thanks to everything he provides. After all, it is within Magolor's ship that you can unlock and play all the minigames and speed run levels. Every time you clear a world, he shares words of encouragement, becoming a supportive friend you can't help but be happy to help.

I've played so many story heavy games recently: Octopath Traveler 2, Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, and now The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. While these all have great stories in their own right, I'm beginning to grow annoyed with one aspect of them: the cutscenes and dialogue. Within many games, important story sections and character moments are associated with cutscenes and dialogue, in which all the player can do is put the controller down or press the A button repeatedly. There's nothing wrong with these, but they can grow tiresome to go through time and time again, and I found myself wishing I could simply go back to playing the game.

This can make it difficult for me to really get invested and feel connected with a cast of characters. That's where Magolor shines. The game doesn't have any long cutscenes or dialogue to encourage you to like the little guy. Every conversation he has with Kirby is short and sweet, words of encouragement and nothing more. I grew attached to Magolor not because of any touching moment or important cutscene, but through gameplay. After all, it was through him and his ship that I was able to play so many fun speed run levels and minigames. By associating these new game modes to the character, I felt an attachment to him and his ship. Imagine if in these epic story games, a character you were meant to connect with did so not by having some nice long dialogue with you, but by giving you access to brand new game modes, and constantly giving you more new abilities as you progress through the game.

That's what Magolor does, and that's why I felt such a strong attachment to his character throughout the game. I was always happy to run by him whenever I returned to his ship, and he became synonymous with the relaxing fun I was having with the game. All this is why, when the twist of his true nature came, it hurt in a way that no reveal within the story games I mentioned earlier could compare to. Magolor's betrayal truly stung due to all the positive memories I had with him, and I can say with confidence that I feel both a strong love and hatred for his character that I don't often have with video game characters. That is a testament to how well the game was able to establish a connection with me, and it did so mainly with gameplay modes, not dialogue.

This is why I loved the story of Return to Dreamland so much. I loved the twists extending the game's length when I thought I was at the end, and I loved Magolor and the relationship you establish with him. It makes the final battle feel so much more personal than most finales I've seen. Having to battle the ship that you spent the whole game repairing, the character that you had so much fun playing minigames with, it created both a strong feeling of anger within me, but also of sadness. There was a real tragedy to this showdown against this vile creature that played with my heart, and I couldn't help but feel sad as I threw everything I got at him. 

When the credits rolled, I felt a satisfaction I was not expecting from Kirby. The fun relaxing gameplay mixed with the cute lovable look of Kirby and a surprisingly excellent story all came together to create a game I actually wanted to write and talk about, rather than simply move on from. I didn't want the fun to end, and can now say that after completing Return to Dreamland, I want to get back into Kirby and try other Kirby games. The 3DS games I previously dropped, I'd like to try again. Star Allies would also be fun to try. I'm back Kirby, and oh it's good to see you again.

But of all the games I could move to next, there's one really gripping me. For, even during my darkest years with Kirby, even as I believed I could never return to the series, I always told myself that were it to happen, I would like to try playing a 3D Kirby game. And well...

Until then, I look forward to returning to this lovely series and seeing the fun magic of Kirby. See you then!