It Is A Kirby Game.

I’m not really sure what else to say. Kirby games aren’t known for being challenging, they’re known for secrets, branching paths, neat powers, broken crazy powers, being linear, and being ludicrously adorable.

This is all that and also 3D.

When introduced, I was vaguely worried that “Oh wait, is this going to try to be an open world Kirby game? Because that might suck!” This isn’t that. There’s like, one level that vaguely feels “open”, and it’s only because it’s a big big room with multiple mini encounters and you can address them in any order. Then it’s right back to linear platforming.

This isn’t a bad thing! It was perfectly fine!

Some of the powers sorta suck, like bombs. Other powers are like, too similar to matter, like sword vs hammer, but that’s always been the case. Then there’s Dragon Fire, the objectively best power in the game. Awesome movement, beefy DPS, beefy DOT. A+ would be fire guy forever.

The big gimmick apart from “being 3D” is “Mouthful Mode” where Kirby eats something he can’t eat, and then becomes it. Like wrapping Kirby around 90% of a car, and then drive the car around, as a giant car-sized Kirby. Or a Traffic Cone, or a Drainage Pipe. Whatever. Kirby is the undisputed Throat Goat. It’s a neat puzzle layer on top of the game, and they make good use of it. None of them objectively suck, they’re just tools, and they don’t impact your other power at all.

It’s not crazy long, but it’s still good! There’s a bit of post-game content, not sure if I’m going to engage with it that much. Depends on if my kiddo continues to be interested.

Recommended, if you want to bro down with Kirby.

(Also you can press up to make Kirby wave, and Waddle-Dees will respond.)