The exact same could be said when it comes to Kirby: Triple Deluxe. When the game was first announced, I expected nothing more from the game than just an easy playthrough after which I'd toss the game aside and never play it again. What I ended up getting though was a game that knows how to challenge it's players without going too far, and maintains a level of fun and interest all throughout.
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| Even with a weapon, he's still adorable! |
While Kirby games are usually deemed to be too easy for the regular platforming fan to enjoy, I found that Triple Deluxe managed to perfectly reach a level of gradual difficulty where in the beginning it was easy enough to just jump right into, but the final levels were just on the right level of difficulty to deem both hard, but extremely fun and rewarding to beat. Even when the game did come off as "too easy", the game managed to perfectly stretch the gameplay out long enough for me to still find the levels satisfying and entertaining to beat, regardless of whether I was breezing through it or not.
Speaking of satisfying, a new addition to the series in Triple Deluxe was the "Hypernova" ability that allows Kirby to easily suck in every enemy, stage hazard, and occasionally innocent bystander, allowing for interesting and unique ways to solve levels and defeat boss fights. The first time using the Hypernova ability, I honestly couldn't help but smile and laugh at how smart it was.
The ability looks and makes you feel like you have all the power in the world, and can do anything. There are limits as to what you can and cannot do, but the game slyly tricks you into thinking that you can do anything with the power given to you, and that nothing can stop you. This results in a fun time in levels where solving puzzles and beating levels makes you feel more rewarded and satisfied than most other platformers could leave me feeling when accomplishing something new.
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| Stylish simplicity to the extreme |
Another aspect of the game that's somewhat new is the interaction between the foreground and background in the stages. In previous games on the 3DS, I found the idea of going back and forth between the two parts of the stage to be a nice idea, but used in a way where it feels a bit gimmicky. Triple Deluxe takes the concept though, and makes into something that feels like a regular aspect of platformers (which is a good thing). Whenever I was launched into the area behind me, I didn't immediately notice and point it out as a gimmick, I just went with the flow and continued playing. In some stages, the concept of foreground and background is even used in different ways such as being able to see hidden enemies and items in a mirror layered behind you, and having to solve puzzles by combining both layers of the stage together.
All of this being said though, the main story mode of the game is not the only fun there is to be had with Kirby's latest game. There are several bonus modes put in the game that are incredibly addicting, such as "Dedede's Drum Dash" where you have to press the "A" button in sync with the classic Kirby tunes that the games gives you. While this sounds easy, it gets infuriatingly hard once you get into the later stages. Then there's the "Kirby Fighters" mode, which I like to think of as a very basic version of the boss rushes from Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. You pick one Kirby ability, and fight off every other ability for a few rounds until you win.
My only complaint with the Kirby Fighters mode is that there's no online functionality, even though it could have easily been integrated with such a mini-game. There is download play for anyone wanting to play local games with their friends but don't have Triple Deluxe, but I just find it a shame that there's no online play here.
Finally, I'd like to discuss the music and graphics of the game, both of which are a job extremely well done. There's a lot of variety with the music, and while some tracks to repeat in certain levels, it never gets old just because of how great they are. The sound quality itself is also amazing, to the point to where I'd actually recommend anyone who plays this game to play it with headphones plugged into their 3DS. The music sounds so much better, and there's no going back after you do it.
On top of this, the game's art style and graphics in general are, just like the music in the game, amazingly fitting and atmospherical. The 3D works really well (as expected), and all of the game's assets look really nice on the 3DS screen. It's the same colorful and cute Kirby that you all know and love, but with a few nice twists here and there that any person, whether a big Kirby fan or not, will appreciate. Oh, and the 60 FPS in the game really pulls it all together.
Overall -
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