Check out this game, it brings back the old school formula which made the Kirby Series famous!
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Nintendo
System: Nintendo Wii
Total Score: 85/100
Value Score: 8.5/10
• Story: 7/10
o Kirby's Return to Dreamland starts off as Kirby gets chased by King Dedede and a Waddle Dee, while being chased a warp hole appeared and out came a ship that crashed landed but had 5 parts broken and spread apart across Pop Star. Kirby and friends (which includes Meta Knight) go into the ship and meet a new character. They pledge to help him retrieve the ship parts so he can go back to his homeland. Kirby goes throughout pop star and eventually into another world with his friends, however a much darker scheme is hidden within the lighthearted storyline of this game. Most fans will be kind of neutral on this aspect of the game because it really doesn't bring anything new but unlike the Mario series which puts some changes into the storyline, this storyline is mostly a cut and paste from a previous Kirby game, which one, fans will know as soon as they get further into the game.
• Characters: 8/10
o Not many new characters have been introduced to this storyline, unlike Kirby Epic Yarn, Return to dreamland brings back many nostalgic enemies and characters from previous Kirby games of old such as Adventure, Dreamland series and the Super Star series. In terms of character development, there isn't much development other than the already playable characters who's histories predates anything before the year 2000. Even the new antagonist is a rip off of a old character, however there are about 2-3 new bosses which are a welcomed edition and along with that a few new enemies.
• GamePlay: 10/10
o Return to Dreamland's gameplay is more similar to the older Kirby games rather than recent ones such as Epic Yarn or Crystal Shards. The game includes the normal jumping, flying, swimming and swallowing abilities, the ability to copy enemy attacks and powers, and a one up system which can easily be abused but isn't worth mentioning due to the difficulty of the game being just right. Players this time around however will be able to connect together up to 4 playable characters to assist each other in the game rather than the traditional one player or two player game (in other words, co-op is similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii if you have played that). You have a energy bar similar to recent Kirby games and Super Star which is a plus and instead of losing abilities at first hit, you might lose a ability based on a enemy skill or more hits you take along the way. Players will go through about 7 different levels with about 4-5 stages in each level. There is a boss battle at the end of each level, in terms of mini boss fights, there are more mini boss fights in this game than almost all of the Kirby games put together (except for probably Super Star). Along with that there are similar features from Kirby Super Star such as the inclusion of mini games which in this game include Scope Shooter which is a FPS type mini game and Ninja Dojo which tests your precision and aiming skills to the max. Players will also have access to additional stages within the ship and additional challenges.
• Graphics: 10/10
o Nintendo outdone themselves this generation, not only did they make incredible graphics for their Mario Galaxy games but they've made amazing graphics for this game as well. The graphic lighting and textures reminds you of the adventures you had when playing DKC Returns. Pretty much the game looks EXACTLY like it in some parts, its hard to NOT notice the similarities, but of course its not a bad thing as DKC Returns' graphics were amazing. If playing this game on a HD, it would look amazing, gorgeous art and sprites, Nintendo outshined themselves on a installment of a game that usually does not focus on graphics.
• Sound: 10/10
o The sound effects in Return to Dreamland are vivid and lively, not too loud nor too quiet. Each sound effect is detailed and none of the old sound effects from previous games sound bad at all, infact seems like Nintendo REMADE the sound effects rather than recycling it like on their other game franchises. Possibly the best sounding game since DKC Returns.
• Music: 10/10
o Another good aspect which Nintendo has been working on the most in the recent years is music. Nintendo provided a orchestral set of songs for Super Mario Galaxy, however the music in Return to Dreamland may not be orchestrated quality, the good quality is still there though. A lot of old tunes are remixed nicely in this game, many players will easily tell a lot of their favorite tracks from previous games in this game.
• Length: 3/10
o This is probably where the game falls short, the length of this game is no more than 6 hours at the best. One of the shortest games ever made for this generation and even for the entire Kirby series. Although it falls short on this aspect, the game more than likely makes a come back in Replay Value.
• Replay Value: 8/10
o Return to Dreamland features a large set of features which are good Replay options for the player who has finished the game. The game features a extra mode which is instantly unlocked as soon as you beat the main storyline, pretty much what this is that players will play the game again however the enemies and bosses will hit a lot more than before. Other than that, you've got extra stages which can be unlocked by collecting gear spheres, you will also unlock some mini games and a arena mode where you will fight mini bosses and bosses. Although the game mimics as much from Kirby Super Star, it does not contain the heavy replay value content from the game. Regardless this is one of the reasons why you would want to get this game as it gives a pretty decent replay value for a game that came out this generation. You also have access to the OST and to the Theater section which can show you the movie scenes.
• Player Value: 9/10
o Overall, Return to Dreamland is a good game with a few flaws, one being the length of the game was too short. They could of made more stages in the worlds, as some levels only had 3-4 stages. They could of added more mini games considering the fact that there are more than enough different type of mini games they could of brought back. Difficulty wise its perfect as the game gets more and more difficult as you progress into the game, not as harsh as DKC Returns thankfully. This game is definitely one to get, if you are introducing the world of video gaming to a child, this game is recommended. Fans of the Kirby series will be satisfied all in all, especially after experiencing the failed attempt that was Kirby Epic Yarn.