So, since the Game Boy service just launched on Nintendo Switch Online, I figured I'd play this game. I'm a pretty casual Kirby fan but was surprised to see that I hadn't played through the very first game until now. Of course, its very short, but hey sometimes short is good. The game does have an Extra Mode that's meant to be like the hard mode, which is pretty cool. Honestly I had no interest in completing it though.
So, Kirby's Dream Land...well, it sure is the first Kirby game alright. It wasn't until Kirby's Adventure that the pink puffball got his signature Copy Abilities, so here you're relegated to just sucking in stuff and spitting it out or going into flight for a second to spit air to take out your foes. Honestly I really take for granted just how much easier Copy Abilities make Kirby games, this is the first Kirby game I've ever seen the Game Over screen in a long time (ever since all the times I got whooped in Kirby Super Star Ultra's True Arena mode as a little kid). It's by no means hard as nails, but I got smacked around more than I thought I would. Unfortunately the controls felt pretty awkward to me, I know the whole scheme of holding up on the D-Pad to fly was a thing in classic Kirby games but it's always felt so weird to me. I was often instinctively pressing A thinking I could fly that way only to have Kirby just jump and that's it. I found that the whole process of sucking in an enemy then spitting it out is oddly very slow, I don't know why it feels that way but it made boss fights really annoying.
One thing I think is really cool about this game is how different it feels from more modern Kirby experiences. Like I mentioned earlier, the Copy Abilities aren't a thing here, which means I had to actually use regular Kirby's move set. The actual designs of the enemies feel a bit different, too; sure, you got your standard Bronto Burts, Waddle Dees, Scarfies, and Gordos, but you also have some bats, ghosts, some mask that tries so hard to be like the Phantos in Super Mario Bros 2 USA, weird enemies that almost look like Kirby with their tongue sticking out, no arms, and a spike on their head (and are irritating)...apparently plenty more oddballs show up in the Extra Mode that never appear again. It's just interesting seeing how Kirby has evolved over the years. Kirby Super Star's "Green Greens" subgame is basically just this game but condensed, so I thought this game would just be exactly like that mode, but there's still some stuff that got changed around or even cut entirely from Kirby Super Star.
Despite my few gripes with it, I do think the game is pretty solid overall. Seems like it set a good foundation for the Kirby series that is still present in the DNA of the games even to this day. It's just not really something I would revisit much when the newer games just improve on the base formula so much, suffers a bit from what I like to call "first-game-itis" and the controls do feel a bit wonky to me. Solid 3 stars, definitely not bad but doesn't feel all that worth revisiting in the modern day in my opinion.
So, Kirby's Dream Land...well, it sure is the first Kirby game alright. It wasn't until Kirby's Adventure that the pink puffball got his signature Copy Abilities, so here you're relegated to just sucking in stuff and spitting it out or going into flight for a second to spit air to take out your foes. Honestly I really take for granted just how much easier Copy Abilities make Kirby games, this is the first Kirby game I've ever seen the Game Over screen in a long time (ever since all the times I got whooped in Kirby Super Star Ultra's True Arena mode as a little kid). It's by no means hard as nails, but I got smacked around more than I thought I would. Unfortunately the controls felt pretty awkward to me, I know the whole scheme of holding up on the D-Pad to fly was a thing in classic Kirby games but it's always felt so weird to me. I was often instinctively pressing A thinking I could fly that way only to have Kirby just jump and that's it. I found that the whole process of sucking in an enemy then spitting it out is oddly very slow, I don't know why it feels that way but it made boss fights really annoying.
One thing I think is really cool about this game is how different it feels from more modern Kirby experiences. Like I mentioned earlier, the Copy Abilities aren't a thing here, which means I had to actually use regular Kirby's move set. The actual designs of the enemies feel a bit different, too; sure, you got your standard Bronto Burts, Waddle Dees, Scarfies, and Gordos, but you also have some bats, ghosts, some mask that tries so hard to be like the Phantos in Super Mario Bros 2 USA, weird enemies that almost look like Kirby with their tongue sticking out, no arms, and a spike on their head (and are irritating)...apparently plenty more oddballs show up in the Extra Mode that never appear again. It's just interesting seeing how Kirby has evolved over the years. Kirby Super Star's "Green Greens" subgame is basically just this game but condensed, so I thought this game would just be exactly like that mode, but there's still some stuff that got changed around or even cut entirely from Kirby Super Star.
Despite my few gripes with it, I do think the game is pretty solid overall. Seems like it set a good foundation for the Kirby series that is still present in the DNA of the games even to this day. It's just not really something I would revisit much when the newer games just improve on the base formula so much, suffers a bit from what I like to call "first-game-itis" and the controls do feel a bit wonky to me. Solid 3 stars, definitely not bad but doesn't feel all that worth revisiting in the modern day in my opinion.