I can't help but feel like this game is just setting me up for disappointment. This is the 8th Kirby title I've played, and after not really loving the others (and downright hating a couple), this game was a breath of fresh air. In a somewhat ironic twist, I wasn't even aware of this game's existence until a couple of weeks ago when I watched a couple of Kirby series rankings videos on Youtube — both of which placed this at #1. Well, that settled it. I had to try this one next.
And yeah, it's pretty great. The whole mech-suit gimmick is actually pretty well-utilized and makes controlling Kirby an absolute blast. I especially loved the stages that turn into a side-scrolling space shooter section. Oh! And the stages where your mech transforms into a car and you can speed through it. There's just a lot of creativity going on here which I adore. And I know that's not necessarily exclusive to this game. Even with the early titles, there was indeed some noticeable thought going into the level design. This is just the first time I play a Kirby game where that creativity feels fully realized and in-sync with an enjoyable gameplay experience.
But as I said earlier, I can't help but feel like I'm being set up for disappointment; because if this is truly the peak of the franchise, then I may be hard-pressed to ever really consider myself a Kirby fan. It only took me about 5 hours to get through the game casually. It certainly doesn't overstay its welcome, but I was left wanting a bit more. But that may just be a "me" problem due to the sheer amount of 2D platformers I've played over the years. At the end of the day, this is just a really solid "pick up and play" kind of game and nothing more, but that's to be expected of the series (and Nintendo 2D platformers in general for that matter). I'll be sure to check out the bonus sub-game "Meta Knightmare Returns" at a later date. In the meantime, I do hope I wasn't spoiled and that I can come across plenty of more games in this franchise of similar quality or better.
And yeah, it's pretty great. The whole mech-suit gimmick is actually pretty well-utilized and makes controlling Kirby an absolute blast. I especially loved the stages that turn into a side-scrolling space shooter section. Oh! And the stages where your mech transforms into a car and you can speed through it. There's just a lot of creativity going on here which I adore. And I know that's not necessarily exclusive to this game. Even with the early titles, there was indeed some noticeable thought going into the level design. This is just the first time I play a Kirby game where that creativity feels fully realized and in-sync with an enjoyable gameplay experience.
But as I said earlier, I can't help but feel like I'm being set up for disappointment; because if this is truly the peak of the franchise, then I may be hard-pressed to ever really consider myself a Kirby fan. It only took me about 5 hours to get through the game casually. It certainly doesn't overstay its welcome, but I was left wanting a bit more. But that may just be a "me" problem due to the sheer amount of 2D platformers I've played over the years. At the end of the day, this is just a really solid "pick up and play" kind of game and nothing more, but that's to be expected of the series (and Nintendo 2D platformers in general for that matter). I'll be sure to check out the bonus sub-game "Meta Knightmare Returns" at a later date. In the meantime, I do hope I wasn't spoiled and that I can come across plenty of more games in this franchise of similar quality or better.