Kirby is no stranger to those tropes, but Deluxe gives each one a smart twist. The islands come off as token video-game worlds themed around the elements: the usual mix of fire, ice and earth levels. Even structurally, Triple Deluxe is deceptive.

Each island is broken into a half dozen or more stages where Kirby has to jump, fly, and suck up enemies until he reaches the goal. Six islands wait up the stalk, from a lava-spewing island of volcanoes to another full of grass-covered temple ruins. Being a neighborly sort, Kirby dashes up the beanstalk to save Dedede and explore the wacky islands supported in its upper branches. A little six-armed dude named Taranza, responsible for the sudden arboreal phenomena, swoops down to the neighborhood and kidnaps King Dedede, the obese penguin with a penchant for hammers who’s alternately Kirby’s nemesis and partner. Kirby Triple Deluxe for Nintendo 3DS may not be the pinnacle of the Kirby series, but it fully embodies that spirit: an unassuming, approachably frivolous game on the outside, expertly engineered within.Īs tends to happen to old Kirby, his quiet little life gets all jacked up at the beginning of Triple Deluxe – this time by an enormous stalk that sprouts out of the ground beneath the pink fella’s house and reaches for the sky. Thing is, every Kirby platformer that’s followed the original has been tricky to conquer, as full of secrets and thorny obstacles as they are with boisterous cartoon creativity. The very first commercials for the game even joked about Kirby’s lightweight status, a reputation that’s stuck in the decades since. Full of imaginative refinement but devoid of the nail-biting challenge of Super Mario Bros, Kirby’s Dreamland could be finished in just half an hour.

The puffy mascot and his implacably innocent demeanor put a soft spin on Nintendo platform games. Way back when he first puffed his way onto Game Boy in 1992, Kirby made a lasting impression.

Very similar to Kirby: Return to Dreamland. May be a little too bubbly and cheery for some.

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