Modern Kirby technically starts with Super Star Ultra, but this is where I first "got" what Modern Kirby's going for, the template advanced in Return to Dream Land tempered into something strong as a single player experience. There are a lot of things that I think would be refined in subsequent games, particularly highlighted by Planet Robobot. This game relies more on the 3DS's physical gimmicks, which almost seem vestigial in its successor. The Robobot Armor is a far more interesting stage gimmick moment-to-moment compared to Hypernova. Dededetour, while a better name, doesn't work nearly as well as Meta Knightmare Returns. But I don't think Triple Deluxe's implementation is bad either, just a smaller muffin in comparison.

It's easy to think of Triple Deluxe purely in terms of its place in continuity, but it really is quite a strong title on its own, and I love a lot of what it has to offer. The game leans a lot into spectacle with its Hypernova segments, introducing a lot of memorable stage bosses like the haunted house and the three little Waddle Dees. Seeing the Waddle Dees doing their own thing, rather than just hanging out, makes for fun obstacle variety and does a lot to expand the world. All four new abilities are good-if-not-great and would become reliable series mainstays (or really should be, in Circus's case). Queen Sectonia and Taranza are surprisingly complex villains, with Sectonia herself being an absolute stand-out fight in all forms. There's a ton of great music, from "Reflected Laughter" to "Moonlight Capital" to "Revenge of the Enemy" to ESPECIALLY "Moonstruck Blossom". Lots and lots to love here.