Kirby’s Adventure Wii (Wii) Review

Kirby is back, and he is brighter than ever before. Whilst Kirby’s Epic Yarn was a great success, and a thoroughly adorable platform outing, it was not the pure home console Kirby adventure that long-term fans had been waiting for ever since the days of the GameCube. Finally, though, HAL Laboratory has delivered the goods with Kirby’s Adventure Wii (or Kirby’s Return to Dream Land in the US).

The Lor Starcutter has crash-landed on PopStar and Kirby has offered to help its captain, Magolor, retrieve five key components (oars, right/left wings, emblem, and mast), as well as 130 energy spheres to piece everything back together again. There are varying amounts of spheres to be found on each level, with the total gained clearly marked to keep track of progress through the adventure, whilst the ship parts are dotted around different areas of the planet, with the journey taking Kirby further than initially expected. While the Nintendo DS has just seen a new Pikmin-esque spin-off, the superb Kirby Mass Attack, Kirby’s Adventure Wii is the purest kind of Kirby game anyone could expect. It features all the trademarks of the various Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance releases, such as Kirby Mouse Attack and Kirby and the Amazing Mirror, right down to small touches like the end of level sequence where hitting the ‘2’ button at precisely the right moment results in Kirby receiving a special bonus. Familiar artillery is at Kirby’s disposal, and classic boss battles from years gone by also make an appearance.

Whilst so much attention has been placed upon the four-player element, following the phenomenal success of both New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Donkey Kong Country Returns, the multiplayer aspect is out-shadowed by the gigantic new weapons that can be wielded. Although being able to bring three friends along for the ride is indeed enjoyable, long-term Kirby aficionados will be pleased to know that the solo adventure is hearty enough to stand proud amongst the rest of the series. Kirby can perform his usual trick of sucking in enemies to gain their abilities, with favourites such as leaf, beam, fire, ice, water, and sword attacks all making a welcomed return, but the twist is that there are chances to obtain super-powered versions for use over a limited period of time at certain points. Small swords can be turned into giant blades that can smash through previously impenetrable blocks, or mere tiny flames can be enhanced considerably, causing ferocious fire to blast onto the screen and burn through large trees to uncover hidden sections.

Speaking of which, whilst on the prowl for Magolor’s energy segments (that basically look like machine cogs), more often than not they will actually be in plain sight, but trapped behind locked doors or special blocks, meaning some thought has to be put into how best to reach them. However, there are moments where small rips in space appear and Kirby can leap through into a continuously scrolling stage that must be navigated before facing off against a mini-boss, receiving energy spheres upon despatching said foe. Players must also keep their wits about them, since there are secret walls that can be walked through in places; there are normally some telltale signs that indicate where they lie.

There is no denying how gorgeous Kirby’s Epic Yarn was, with its beautiful stitch-work graphics, but the clear, crisp, colourfulness of Kirby’s Adventure Wii is a real marvel to behold, showing off visuals that are far more polished than those of New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Donkey Kong Country Returns, only falling behind the delicious cel-shaded Wario Land: The Shake Dimension and possibly A Boy and his Blob in terms of ‘best graphics in a side-scrolling platform game.’ As for the soundtrack, it is wonderfully upbeat, with some delightful themes playing throughout the five main worlds that have an infectious feel to them, managing to squirm their way into your head without you noticing and then lodging themselves there for some time to come, even after the game has been turned off.

Kirby’s Adventure Wii has come a long way since its first unveil back in the days of the GameCube, when all we knew it as was Hoshi no Kirby, watching as it was transferred to being a Wii project, along with Super Paper Mario and Donkey Kong: Jet Race, but the long gestation period has not meant this has become a lesser end product due to development turmoil. If anything, it appears that the time has been extremely well used by HAL to ensure this not only matches the impressive Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, but easily surpasses both that and Good Feel’s recent Wii release, Kirby’s Epic Yarn.

In terms of extras to unlock, collecting enough energy spheres will grant access to two rooms within the Lor Spacecutter where mini-games can be enjoyed with friends, plus other doors eventually start to open up the more you collect, with Copy Abilities and Challenge Stages. Considering the main adventure is not exactly the longest or hardest, as expected for an outing featuring Kirby, the extra challenges are a breath of fresh air for those in need of a tougher test. The levels give Kirby a specific power and it must be wisely used to guide the pink ball through the stage in the quickest time possible, collecting stars along the way and clearing all enemies en-route to gain the highest score, being ranked at the end dependent on the final tally. As for the mini-games, they may seem like small, throwaway modes, but Ninja Dojo is particularly enjoyable, holding the Wii Remote vertically and flicking stars at the screen, aiming to hit the bull’s-eye on the passing targets.

There is something for everyone in Kirby’s Adventure Wii and anyone that overlooked Kirby’s Epic Yarn due to it being different from the norm can rest easy in the fact that HAL has gone back to basics with this platform outing, and that none of the addictive Kirby quality has been lost.