Kirby as a franchise is just something which I never was drawn into, despite numerous attempts. I played Kirby's Dreamland as a little girl and could never beat King Dedede due to my own idiocy. It didn't really endear Kirby to me and, over time, I forgot about that little puffball. I finally gave Kirby Super Star a shot a few years ago and was sort of baffled by the whole mess. I've since come back to it and do enjoy the game but not to the extent that some do. My attempts thus far to get into the franchise have resulted in a double failure. Luckily this won't turn in to a triple failure because Kirby Triple Deluxe is an awesome game.
Kirby Triple Deluxe is Kirby's
first 3DS exclusive outing and the game that sold me on the
franchise. My main problem with the Kirby games I had played is they
lacked a sense of direction,mostly Super Star. I was going along and
events were happening with what seemed like little input my part. I
really didn't feel like I was accomplishing anything, so I wasn't
compelled to go on. Triple Deluxe has a clear sense of flow.
Where as Dreamland or Super Star just sort of throws
you in, here there is a bit of context as to what I'm doing and why
I'm doing it. I'm not saying that this is like the best Kirby ever or
Super Star is bad,it's just Triple Deluxe is the first
one that clicked.
The plot follows Kirby trying to rescue
his somewhat friend King Dedede from a weird spider wizard. It's
nothing special in terms of video game narratives but adds a simple
charm to the game that is endearing. It does get a bit tedious near
the end when we have to sit and listen to the Big Bad's plan. It's a
tad bit weird that every other scene has been a nice bit of telling
through action then this text bombardment comes flying in.
The game play is what you've come to
expect from a normal Kirby game. Suck up enemies to gain their power
and use said power to kick some butt. They've added a few new
abilities such as the Archer or Bell but the star of the show is the
Hyper Nova ability. Kirby will find an item in certain levels that
boosts his inhaling power to insane levels. This is used to solve
puzzles and suck up large items such as trees and wreaking balls
There is nothing more cathartic then going through a levels
destroying everything in your path.
The game favors the mechanic of going
back and forth between the foreground and background to take
advantage of the 3-D effects. They do use it in creative ways such as
racing an enemy in the background, so you can cut him off and get his
item. It's a nice little way to shake up a bit of a tired concept.
The bosses of the game also take advantage of this feature and will
slip between the layers for different attacks. Unfortunately they
can't be hit while doing those actions but it's only annoying during
one boss.
The other 3DS feature worked in is the
gyro sensor which is used to aim cannons and move various objects.
The cool thing is that if you sort of mess up the rotations the game
lets you easily reset the tilt function to a more favorable position.
This is the only part of the game that feels gimmicky, but it never
gets in the way of the fun and matches your tilting fairly
accurately. It is a good use of the technology, if a bit useless.
The game is fairly easy, unless you are
grabbing all the collectable sun stones, which makes the game
moderately difficult. However, I am not saying that this is a knock
against the game. It is meant to be accessible for people new to
video games. It doesn't mean that more experienced gamers won't like
it, if this genre of game is your bag. The game is one that you feel
good about playing it because of the fun factor. Those looking for a
bit more of a challenge can find it in the game's alternate modes.
The game hosts five other games in
addition to the story mode. The Arena is Kirby's version of a boss
rush with the ability to choose any copy power. Dedede Tour is more
of a speed run through the main game playing as King Dedede. Kirby
Fighters a Super Smash Bros style fighter where you choose which
ability you want to fight with and go at it. It has a local
multiplayer but lacks any sort of online function, which is sort of a
missed opportunity. The final mode is a short rhythm game staring
Dedede again. You time your button presses to jump higher and score
points. It's nothing special but still fun and probably my favorite
of the alternate modes.
I only have one real gripe against the
game and that is key chain collection. The game has 256 different key
chains modeled after various characters and locations from past Kirby
games. Every stage has a rare key chain hidden within in addiction
to common key chains. The problem I have with this is that you don't
know what the common key chain will be till you end the level,they
are random as to what you receive and it's possible to get
duplicates. They aren't required to beat the game but make getting
100% completion a grind.
Kirby Triple Deluxe is some of
the most adorable fun you'll have. It's the kind of game you play
after a bad day to feel better about life,and I couldn't stop smiling
when I played it. It's a definite must have for fans and potential
fans of Kirby.
Till Next Time:Stay Positive
A few weeks back the Streetpass Plaza for the 3DS was updated to be bigger and better. To be fair it is really cool looking but that's not what I'm here to talk about . No along with this update came four new games that utilize the street pass feature. They all work the same way as Find Mii 1 and 2,in that you collect allies by actually going outside or just have two 3DS consoles and pass each other. Outside of that each game does offer something different and we'll look at them in some semblance of an order. Since I haven't completed them this is based on my experiences so far
We will start strong with Mii Force,a side scrolling shooter. The story is pretty simple,some pirates are screwing with planets you get down there and stop them. Your street passes are your gunners and losing them leaves you defenseless. Each Mii color grants a different weapon and you can power up other guns with Miis at the expense of losing that Mii's weapon..It adds a layer of strategy that helps the game. The game plays out like Gradius lite and most levels can be a breeze. The added challenge of high scores and no hit runs does add some replay value. Though you can only use that spot pass team once and have to hire new gunners or find some more. It also has an excellent sense of humor with some great banter between the pirate leader and his lackey. I find this one to be the strongest of the bunch. Which leads me to the weakest one: Flower Town.
Flower Town is boring plain and simple. Your really growing flowers and arranging them nicely,that's it. The street passes you have water your plants for you and then you just sort of mess around with aesthetic items. The process for getting new flowers is easy to manipulate but left ultimately left to luck. The game also doesn't quite know when to keep it's mouth shut. Everything is explained in crazy detail and basic concepts are repeated every time you play the game. That being said there is quite a bit to do within the game. It has less of a daily feel to it like the other games,and if your into this kind of thing then you may lose yourself in it. As for me this is the low point of the set.
Next up is Warrior's Way,a conquer the world game. You build an army via street pass and take over this island of nations via rock,paper,scissors. Those who have the game great you as Monarchs from afar and you can fight them to gain control of their army. Those who don't just join your army with however many people they have in their plaza. In the game proper you divide your troops and have them fight. Each unit has a strength and weakness as shown by rock,paper,scissors. Though the disadvantage goes out the window if you have superior numbers. That strategy seems to be the most solid and there is no disadvantage to waiting a day or two to get the forces you need. Ironically it is the game that requires the least strategic planing despite being the only pure strategy game of the group. It's also silly that you can only conquer one country a day with no hand wave to say why. The game is not too bad but lacks the charm of Mii Force.
The last game is Monster Manor,where you clear floors by playing Tetris. Here your street passes give you floor tiles and you arrange them to find treasures and clear floors. There are some minor RPG elements with weapons having stats,affinities and being upgradable. Most battles boil down to being able to shoot faster than your enemy. This is where street pass can really screw you over as you can only make rooms with same colored pieces. If your sporting a rainbow of Miis then your passes could be wasted till next time. It's a fine game and it does try for some depth which is admirable.
So are these games worth your time or should you just stick with Find Mii? I'd say yeah,if you use street pass often enough then they are worth your time.They all have enough going for them to give them some meat.If you had to buy just one then definitely go with Mii Force. They are all about five bucks on there own and fifteen for the whole bundle.it's not a bad deal. I'll see you soon for Berserk 3:Descent.
Till Next Time:Stay Positive