Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is going to delight hardcore fans of this series. The original was released on the Wii in 2011, well into the console’s life cycle. It was the first game in the series to feature a four-player co-op in the main campaign, which was an idea Nintendo definitely recycled from their other big Wii platformer, New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
With over a decade of being gone, fans may be wondering what, if anything, is new in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. There are quite a few things to go over, so buckle up and let’s get into the additions and changes.
7 The Cel-Shaded Graphics
The original game featured polygonal models. They weren’t groundbreaking for the Wii, but they looked nice on the system. For whatever reason, the art style in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe was changed to cel-shading, which should help it stand the test of time better.
Every character has thicker outlines and brighter designs. Even some of the models were changed completely to adhere to this new style including the main characters and enemies. It is a feast for the eyes, like a storybook comes to life.
6 Helper Magolor
There are no starting difficulty levels in the game, although players can unlock a harder mode after they finish Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. There is a new assist feature called Helper Magolor, though, which is like an easy mode.
This will send Magolor on Kirby’s journey with him. He will provide items in case players get low on health which is a plus. The best part about the feature is that Magolor will save Kirby if he falls into a hole. The game is not that hard in general, but it is always nice to see extra features like this.
5 Merry Magoland
The original game featured mini-games for players to tackle by themselves or with friends in co-op. The remaster keeps the mini-games and tweaks them a bit to adhere to the new Switch controls. The biggest difference between them, though, is that they all exist in a theme park called Merry Magoland. Players can also unlock various features in this area besides mini-games, such as masks.
Players can equip characters with these masks for fun, as they will not alter their chosen character’s abilities in any way. Also of note, players will be asked if they wish to connect online when they start Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. This is so players can share their mini-game scores with the world. For fans hoping for online co-op, this is, unfortunately, where the online functionality ends.
4 Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler
Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler is the newest addition to the game, and it adds a literal epilogue. After Kirby and his friends help repair the ship, Magolor is sent into another dimension wherein he loses all of his magic powers. Players will unlock powers as they progress through levels and fight bosses like the main campaign.
They don’t have to go in it alone, though, because this mode still supports co-op with four players. Every player will just look like different colored versions of Magolor, though, but it’s still nice the co-op is there. It’s a cool new mode, but it is a shame it is hidden in the back half of Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe.
3 New Copy Abilities
Two new Copy abilities were added to Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, which have never existed in this series before. First, there is Sand which allows Kirby to naturally control Sand like Gara from the Naruto series. Then there is Mecha which equips Kirby with a robotic helmet and some sweet thrusters.
Kirby is not a newbie to the idea of robotic add-ons, though, as Kirby: Planet Robobot on the 3DS was all about him riding a giant mech. Some Copy abilities from other games made it into this remaster too, like Festival. Plus, there were various tweaks made to the original core set of Copy abilities to make Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe feel more even with the latest entries in the Kirby franchise.
2 Amiibo Support
The Wii did not have Amiibo as that was a creation that first appeared on the Wii U. Even though Nintendo doesn’t use them as often in their games anymore, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe still supports the various Amiibo out there. In stages, players can activate their Amiibo to get stars which can then be converted into extra lives.
They will also get items they can then use at any time, and that itself is a new feature. Recent Kirby games, like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, have used this extra item feature before. Finally, there is a power-up that will cycle through random Copy abilities for players to transform into.
1 Past Adventures Gallery
This is not a huge feature in the game, but players can go into the extras menu to take a look at past Kirby entries. This menu doesn’t add a lot to the overall package, as not every game in the series is listed in this mini-retrospective. Games like the aforementioned Kirby and the Forgotten Land have a small blurb about the plot, and that is it.
It would be nice if there was more to this gallery, but it is new for Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, that is for sure. It’s been a while since Nintendo put out a proper Kirby collection, so maybe this feature is sort of testing the waters. Fans should let Nintendo know they want to see some of these classic games return.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe was released on February 24, 2023, and is available on Switch.