Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe review: Sweet as can be
Kirby took a giant leap in 2022, finally getting the full 3D adventure that he'd been due for a very long time, but that doesn't mean the franchise is only looking forward.
Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a remake of a major outing on the Wii for Kirby, and takes things back to their classic side-scrolling days. It's ideal for families but might be a little staid for older gamers.
3.5/5
This cutesy platformer is ideal if you have kids you want to play with, and excels at couch co-op. For solo gamers in an older bracket, we're not sure it's got enough zip.
We're not sure anyone comes to a Kirby game expecting much of a story, and Return to Dream Land obliges by keeping things incredibly simple.
It sees Kirby and his pals having a lovely day out interrupted by the arrival of the Lor Starcutter, an interdimensional spaceship that crashlands.
Repairing it to help its pilot get home means journeying around Kirby's homeworld to find five key pieces of its broken engine, a convenient enough framework for its web of levels.
Things don't get much more complex than that, but it's enough to keep things moving quickly and means that the game doesn't suffer from any interruptions or pretensions.
Importantly, it's also incredibly family-friendly stuff, making this a really safe bet if you're trying to ensure that your kids aren't exposed to too much violence or anything.
By the end of the game, you'll have enjoyed at least one story twist, but the real meat here is the gameplay, unsurprisingly.
Kirby games were side-scrollers for many long years before Forgotten Land so, in a way, it's comforting to return to the tried-and-tested medium for the little pink ball.
In many ways this is a typical game in the series — you run, jump and bob
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