He’s round, he’s pink, and he’s here to save the world! Kirby has been immensely popular ever since his debut in 1992's Kirby's Dream Land for the Nintendo Game Boy. With games that span almost all of Nintendo’s different consoles, it’s no surprise that Kirby’s cemented himself as a Nintendo staple for many gamers.

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There were eight official Kirby games released for the Nintendo DS and 3DS systems, with four games available for purchase on the dearly departed Nintendo DS eShop. From piloting mechas to drawing platforms out of yarn, which Kirby games stood the test of time - and which ones were forgotten in Dream Land?

9 3D Classics: Kirby’s Adventure

A Classic That Didn't Need Revamping

• Metacritic Score: 77

Part of the 3DS’s collection of 3D remakes of classic games, Kirby’s Adventure is a port of the original NES game. The gameplay is identical to the original, but with 3D capabilities thanks to the 3DS.

Reviews of this game were underwhelming, as the port brought very little new content to the game’s already stellar original version. Most critics deemed it good, but nothing new from the original version.

8 Kirby Battle Royale

Kirby versus... Kirby?!

• Metacritic Score: 57

Kirby's squaring up against himself in Kirby Battle Royale, a multiplayer arena-style game where Kirby must fight other versions of himself. Battle Royale was part of Kirby’s 25th anniversary celebration. The game features ten different game modes, as well as a story mode explaining why there are so many Kirby clones.

While Battle Royale is jam-packed with content, reviews were pretty average. Perhaps it was too harrowing to watch Kirby defeat other Kirbys?

7 Kirby Squeak Squad

Anything For A Slice Of Cake, Right?

• Metacritic Score: 71

Kirby would do anything for a slice of cake, including saving the world. Kirby Squeak Squad takes players across Dream Land to get back Kirby’s dessert from the nefarious Squeaks, who stole far more than just a shortcake.

Reviews were average for Squeak Squad, especially regarding the mini-games and lack of originality compared to previous Kirby games for the DS.

6 Kirby Super Star Ultra

A Faithful & Improved Remake Of A Classic

• Metacritic Score: 76

King Dedede stole all the food in Dream Land! It’s up to Kirby to get it back from that dastardly penguin king in this Kirby 2D platformer. Kirby Super Star Ultra is a remake of the original Kirby Super Star, released for the SNES in 1996. Super Star Ultra brought several new gameplay modes, including a racing mini-game, a boss arena, and a story-driven mode about defeating Meta Knight.

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While some reviewers criticized the game’s easy difficulty, they praised the fact that the remake held up as a faithfully improved rendition of Kirby Super Star that also commemorated Kirby’s 15th anniversary.

5 Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn

A Kirby-Themed Crafting Project

• Metacritic Score: 79

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn is a 3DS port of the Nintendo Wii’s Kirby’s Epic Yarn, featuring some new content and copy abilities exclusive to the 3DS version. The port was also the last physical 3DS game released by Nintendo. Extra Epic Yarn follows the same plot as the original Wii game: Kirby, newly transformed from... whatever Kirby's made of, into a soft yarn version of himself, must help Prince Fluff gather magic yarn pieces that will stitch Patch Land back together. Two new mini-games were added to the 3DS port in "Dedede Gogogo" and "Slash & Bead," as well as a new, more challenging game mode called Devilish Mode.

Reviews for the Wii game and the 3DS port alike were generally positive, as critics were pleased to see new gameplay modes and interesting new mechanics for the Kirby series. However, some Copy Abilities were introduced during levels that didn’t require their usage, which some reviewers were quite annoyed about.

4 Kirby: Triple Deluxe

Not A Game For Arachnophobes

• Metacritic Score: 80

Kirby: Triple Deluxe is the tenth mainline game released in the Kirby series, and it didn’t disappoint. The story follows Kirby as he travels across six worlds to rescue King Dedede from arachnid antagonist Taranza, who mistakenly kidnaps him while in search of Kirby. Guess Kirby and Dedede can call it even for now?

Kirby Triple Deluxe featured two mini-games after completing the main story: "Kirby Fighters," a Kirby vs. Kirby battle royale, and "Dedede’s Drum Bash," a rhythm game set to staple songs from the soundtrack. Both mini-games were later released onto the Nintendo eShop for download.

Reviews gave Triple Deluxe plenty of praise regarding its gameplay, the use of 3D, and the new Copy Abilities, but commented on the easiness of the game making it too simple.

3 Kirby: Planet Robobot

Get In The Robot, Kirby

• Metacritic Score: 81

The franchise’s first foray into science fiction comes with Kirby: Planet Robobot, where Kirby finds a power suit that allows him to enhance his Copy Abilities and destroy heavy obstacles. This game features plenty of callbacks to earlier antagonists in the series, including Meta Knight, Marx, and Galactic NOVA, and some new gameplay mechanics in Kirby’s Robobot Suit. Like Triple Deluxe, Planet Robobot’s mini-games, "Team Kirby Clash Deluxe" and "Kirby Blowout Blast," were later released on the Nintendo eShop for download.

Reviews were generally positive, with critics comparing it to several different mecha anime, including Gurren Lagann.

2 Kirby Mass Attack

Kirby Works Together With Kirby, Kirby, Kirby, and Kirby

• Metacritic Score: 83

After being split into ten small Kirbys by Necrodeus, the leader of the Skull Gang, Kirby (and the Kirbys) must work together to become one again in Kirby Mass Attack, the final game released for the original Nintendo DS before the 3DS’s release. Mass Attack doesn’t use any buttons for gameplay, and instead relies entirely on the DS’s stylus to move, attack, and dodge the player’s army of Kirbys through the Popopo Islands (which, for hardcore Kirby fans, is an homage to Kirby’s original name).

Reviews of this short and sweet platformer were generally positive, as critics appreciated the clever design and overall cuteness. Kirby’s just too adorable, especially as ten miniature Kirbys.

1 Kirby: Canvas Curse

Kirby Draws A Happy Little Picture

• Metacritic Score: 86

Players draw their way through a painted Dream Land in Kirby: Canvas Curse. Another Kirby game to use the stylus exclusively for gameplay, Canvas Curse is all about drawing levels for a newly limbless Kirby to roll, drop, and ride along.

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Canvas Curse was deemed a feat of touch-screen gaming by many critics, and they praised the innovative design of the gameplay itself. A Wii U sequel, Kirby And The Rainbow Curse, was released ten years later, but some critics deemed it lackluster compared to the original DS game.

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