Tue, 06 Jan 2009 by Marcel Van Duyn
Kirby and friends return for the third Dream Land adventure. But is it anywhere near as good as the previous two?
Kirby's Dream Land 3 obviously had a lot to live up to - It was released not long after the amazing Kirby Super Star (Kirby's Fun Pak in Europe), which is still regarded as the greatest Kirby game ever.
The game returns to the gameplay from the second Dream Land game for Game Boy - It's got rather standard Kirby platforming, but you can get aid from sidekicks if you need. Simply make your way through every stage, defeating a boss at the end of every world. Each of the five worlds has six regular stages and a boss stage.
When you first play Dream Land 3 the first thing you'll probably notice will be the graphics - The game has a unique visual style, featuring characters, objects and backgrounds that appear to have been drawn by crayons. Although some people might use the age-old arguement that this looks "kiddy", it actually looks really good - Which really should be expected of a game released in 1997, after the Nintendo 64 was already out!
If you've played either of the previous two Kirby's Dream Land games or Kirby's Adventure you will know exactly what to do - Suck in enemies with your amazingly powerful mouth, copy their power (If they have one) and use it for yourself. Powers can be "combined" in this game, but it doesn't work like in Kirby 64, where you could combine them with other powers - Here, if you have a power and are currently riding on (Or in!) a companion, they will gain a unique attack. For example, while normally Kirby would shoot boomerangs straight forward with the Cutter ability, if you've got Nago the Cat at your side, they will be shot diagonally upwards. Every power works differently with every companion, so it can be fun to experiment and see what works best for you.
Unfortunately, while the graphics and gameplay (For the most part) are great, the game is lacking severely in other things - Almost all of the music just sounds off, with almost no classic Kirby songs even being in the game. The gameplay is also noticably slower than it is in other Kirby games - Even while running, Kirby moves at a snail's pace. Maybe this was the reason the game wasn't released in Europe - With a 50Hz conversion it would've been almost unplayable!
One of the biggest problems, however, is the lack of difficulty - You might think I'm just overreacting, but this is one of the most insultingly easy Nintendo games ever made. Kirby can take 8 (!) hits before dying, and his life bar can actually be extended even further. On top of that, 1ups and health items can be found literally everywhere, and you can collect star shards strewn about stages to obtain extra bonus 1ups! The enemies and bosses also seem to have softened up from the other games, because not only are there fewer, they also don't seem as aggressive.
The only actual "challenge" comes in the form of hearts - You can obtain a heart in every level by beating it under certain conditions. This can range from not treading on any flowers to finishing the level with a certain sidekick. Getting a heart in every single stage will allow you to fight the true final boss (Again much like in Kirby 64), but sadly, even he won't really offer a challenge.
1. Relevant Latty
21 Feb 2009, 18:34 GMT
I'm interested in how this plays actually since I loved the original Kirby's Adventure on the VC (first time I pplayed it too). I hope the difficulty factor doesn't effect the gameplay though for me
2. Ho11oWxxMaN
23 Feb 2009, 03:31 GMT
I have been wanting some good Kirby action on my VC. I loved Dream Coures (haven't dled it yet), and was just torn between the two...what do you guys suggest I buy?
3. Virus
07 Mar 2009, 08:58 GMT
While I think our reviewer was a tad harsh on the game, I do not disagree with him on many of the game's flaws. The game's only challenge comes from actually trying to obtain all the hearts; the rest of the game can be breezed through. The control is also pretty awkward, but I would not say it is to the extent that Drake said it was. And while I actually enjoyed the music, I really disliked the "buddy system." While the total number of power combinations is quite impressive, you only have access to a small fraction of them at any one time since each partner only allows for one variation of each power. Thus, despite the diversity, the variety seem somewhat limited.
Still, this game isn't bad by any standard. The graphics are appealing; the co-op is enjoyable at least for a time; and as a whole, it is still a fine Kirby game. While I don't say this is a must-buy, if you enjoyed Kirby 64 and Kirby's Adventure, by all means grab this game. In my opinion, if you are questioning which conventional Kirby games you should get on the VC, my suggestions are as follows: Kirby 64 > Kirby's Adventure > Kirby's Dream Land 3. As for the game itself and its score, I'd only give it about a point higher than Drake's score.
4. manson77
02 Apr 2009, 20:10 BST
_the best kirby game ever was, in my opinion, the first »kirby's dreamland«for the original gameboy; and somehow also the title for the nes.
5. pie4prez
12 Apr 2009, 21:39 BST
What? Dream Land 3 and Kirby 64 were the BEST Kirby games ever, not the worst!
6. longtimegamer
22 May 2009, 02:40 BST
I just looked at a video of this and kirby could run pretty dang quick. You made this seem like it was slow.
7. Bass X0
23 Jul 2009, 13:47 BST
4 - The original GB Dreamland where Kirby could absorb no powers at all, only had four stages and was incredibly incredibly easy? That Kirby's Dreamland? Well.... if you say so.
8. DiggerandIndy
23 Jul 2009, 14:54 BST
@pie4prez:
I agree. Don't forget Kirby Super Star! It's Kirby NiDL, The Amazing Mirror, and Squeak Squad that are the worst. Mediocre sound quality and gameplay are what killed THOSE games.
9. warioswoods
23 Jul 2009, 16:14 BST
@Bass X0
Yes, he's absolutely right about that. The first Kirby game for the Game Boy may have been relatively short and didn't include the ability to absorb enemy powers, but it had excellent level design and charm, something nearly every successor has failed miserably to follow, with most Kirby platformers (like the one reviewed here) being just about the worst examples of platforming level design in existence--dull, repetitive, and completely lacking the imagination of that first game (and of the first NES game, which was also quite good).
10. LEGEND MARIOID
23 Jul 2009, 16:46 BST
Kirby 64 was actually quite good, and other reputeable reviewers agree with that.. BUT I respect your opinion...
11. Bass X0
24 Jul 2009, 09:19 BST
You know, having said that, I would think it cute if they gave the original Kirby's Dreamland game the Super Mario All Stars treatment and released it on WiiWare for 500 points. Just improve the graphics and sound; keep the gameplay exactly how it was on the Game Boy.
12. warioswoods
24 Jul 2009, 14:32 BST
@11
Or, put it on the DSi as-is. I'd much prefer that. I'd also take a remake, though, if necessary, but Nightmare in Dreamland seemed somehow stale and uninspired compared to the original Kirby's Adventure, so I doubt their ability to remake these games well.
13. Metang
26 Jul 2009, 01:35 BST
It is the "worst" Kirby along with 64, but it's still enjoyable. The score should be a 7/10 IMO.
14. MFGreth
27 Jul 2009, 01:25 BST
@ longtimegamer
It was painfully slow, especially after such an amazing game like Kirby's Super Star on the same system. The controls in KSS are much more responsive as well.
Although this certainly isn't a bad game by any means. It just had a lot to live up to, being the next Kirby platformer game after KSS...
15. MetalMario
03 Aug 2009, 04:34 BST
This game was dreadfully slow, I remember, still fun, though.
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