Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Overview -
There are a collection of Nintendo franchises that fans clamor for through long and arduous absences. Though HAL Laboratory holds the reins on a few of these infamous titles, the studio's most beloved character, Kirby, has still managed to appear in all of his pink, puffy glory on just about every Nintendo platform. He leaves no console untouched, and now it's the 3DS's turn. With so many Kirby games, there has been equal share of brilliant and so-so. 'Kirby: Triple Deluxe' appears to be a traditional Kirby title, meshing platforming, mild puzzlery and, of course, a bit of combat to accommodate that famous copy ability. That's all accounted for, which in itself is a relief when looking back at his recent history. The 3DS is a popular platform with some gaming gems, but is this new Kirby one of them?
Video Review
Kirby's world has always struck me as both imaginative and wildly scattershot. While Mario, Donkey Kong and our other platforming friends zip through clear-cut thematic tropes, Kirby pops from one insane dream world to the next, always as bubbly as they are meaningless. 'Kirby: Triple Deluxe' stays the course, by which I mean there really is no course. Bookended by a short few gorgeously rendered cut scenes depicting some wacked out beanstalk-climbing tale, the worlds and levels within them make very little sense. They don't need to. You're a pink puffball with allegiances to a blue bird king, applying skills in swallowing to fell your mysterious foes.
If you ever wanted to see the back of any number of cereal boxes animated and rendered in three dimensions, this is your game. In concord with the level design, the visuals are well-layered and sufficiently popping, Kirby and friends animated with exacting exaggeration appropriate to the exceeding ridiculousness of it all.
Audio Review
The score is bouncy with a hint of zany, topped off with a creamy sense of childish urgency. Old Kirby classics mesh in perfectly with the new, so anybody with experience in dreamland shouldn't feel too surprised. In other words, it is Nintendo standard, palling in comparison to Mario and Donkey Kong while soaring well over the atrocities of the recent 'Yoshi's New Island.'
Nintendo is on a bit of an odd streak lately. Donkey Kong and Mario wowed us on the Wii U, while Yoshi on the 3DS was a disappointment. Strong franchises are making more appearances than ever as the company seeks to stay strong in the wake of the struggling home console, so it's a fear that the once-foregone high quality of any Nintendo-bred title might dip. 'Yoshi's New Island' seemed to add weight to those fears, but Kirby's latest foray would seem to swallow them right back up.
As any game on the console should be, 'Kirby: Triple Deluxe' was built explicitly with the 3DS hardware in mind. Intelligently implemented 3D effects, an evolution of Kirby's abilities and the occasional wackiness that comes along with a Hypernova sucking powerup all work well to keep you engaged in spite of the lacking challenge. And the plethora of bonus modes fill out the package nicely. It's no revolution, but it's Kirby at his best.