Let's talk Kirby, a completely wholesome Nintendo mascot who also swallows entire beings whole.
Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy is one of the first games I ever owned, and Kirby's bright, cute, and colorful (though maybe not on the monochrome Game Boy) action has charmed me ever since. Kirby wasn't on my list of 20 favorite video game series from a few years ago, but I did consider it, and generally look fondly upon the round, pink (originally white!) goofball.
I played a Kirby game in 2023 in co-op with my girlfriend, and it (sort of?) reignited my appreciation for Kirby, even after playing one of his more disappointing games earlier in the year (they're the two Switch games below), and it got me thinking: how many Kirby games have I played exactly? Maybe I should write about it?
Well, the answer to that first question was nine, and the answer to the second was why not. Thus, in the second half of 2023 I played two others to make my Kirby catalog an even ten-plus-one (you'll see why in a moment) and now I'll rank 'em. The usual rules apply: this is actually a list of more than ten because I always include honorable mentions, and the numbered ranking is strictly by how much I enjoyed the game in hindsight. And crucially: This is only Kirby's main-series platformers, so I won't be mentioning Kirby's Pinball Land, Kirby's Dream Course, Kirby's Air Ride, or other spinoffs. Here it is:
Sollosi's Top Ten Favorite Kirby Games
This Game Gets a Pass
The original Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy introduces fans to Kirby and several other classic Kirby designs (mostly enemies and bosses) but is simple and brief with only four stages, five bosses, and a total playtime of under an hour. Probably closer to thirty minutes. Kirby can run, jump, inhale, spit, and float like every future game, but does not yet have Copy Abilities obtained by swallowing enemies.
Look, this is certainly a cute, functional, and fun video game, but it only hints at the substance and excitement of Good Kirby. If I had KDL ranked in the list below, it would probably finish last. But because the first game is a necessary beginning for our (not yet) pink puffball friend, I'm exempting it from the competition. And hey, it's not even an hour. If you can play it for free or as part of a collection or subscription, then I 100% recommend it.
This Game Does Not Get a Pass
I never beat Kirby's Epic Yarn, but I'm including it here because it's by far the most impactful Kirby title I've played but not finished. I appreciate KEY's aesthetic, but I feel its gameplay is far too boring. Every environmental puzzle is solved the same way, the story and new characters don't do anything for me, and (most unforgivably) there are no Copy Abilities providing the crucial variety that I love in every single Kirby game other than the first. So yeah. I didn't get to the halfway point of Epic Yarn, and it'll take some doing for me to give it another chance. But let's get to the real list! Here are ten games that I actually finished, but maybe not ten that I always loved:
Number Ten
Kirby: Star Allies is cute, colorful, and has a lot of classic Kirby characters and imagery - just about every small or medium-sized character in the entire series can join Kirby as a follower and the selection of Copy Abilities is pretty good. But unforgivably, Kirby Star Allies lacks creativity and challenge. Kirby platformers are rarely difficult so normally that's OK, but I felt that every Star Allies stage was going through the motions of Kirby and throwing fun characters at me but was devoid of remarkable designs or mechanics. The last few boss fights are pretty good, but other than that Star Allies is forgettable. I played it in early 2023, maybe 20 or 21 months ago, and barely remember anything about it.
Number Nine
So why is this one of the weaker Kirby games and not one of the best? Power Combos sound great! Well, the biggest problems are the visuals and speed, both of which suffer from... being on the N64. The 3D polygons and textures in Kirby 64 have aged poorly, and the game is so much slower than its then-recent counterparts on the SNES that it feels like Kirby is always underwater. I don't feel as much disdain for Kirby 64 as I do Star Allies, but this isn't a must-play unless you've exhausted most other options and want more.
Number Eight
Number Seven
Number Six
After an uneven 2000s for Kirby, riddled with odd spinoffs and a few rather good remakes (more on those later), Return to Dream Land for the Wii takes a page from New Super Mario Bros' playbook in representing a back-to-basics approach to platforming, with a few new additions mostly focused on multiplayer. Having Meta-Knight, DeDeDe, and a spear-wielding Waddle Dee as playable allies is nice, but even nicer are fresh new stage, boss, and Copy Ability designs. Water Kirby is a particular favorite. The story is way better than the Kirby standard as well.
I haven't played the recent DX remake of Return to Dream Land, but I'm aware it adds a few new Copy Abilities and challenge stages in addition to being much more playable by virtue of being on the Switch instead of the Wii. All of that sounds fantastic. Dammit, now I'm considering a replay.
Number Five
I think this top five is another leap to a new tier of Kirby quality, as we're moving from the three "very good" Dream Land games into Kirby excellence. Triple Deluxe has great stage designs and boss fights (including one of my favorite Kirby final bosses), plus a good selection of Copy Abilities (fewer than Star Allies, but implemented better), including a few really good new ones like Beetle and Circus. But most importantly is a new "supermove" Copy Ability, Hypernova. Hypernova Kirby is a very simple "win now" button that allows Kirby to SUCK EVERYTHING IN SIGHT that's a delightful escalation of Kirby's design philosophy, and the signature gimmick of Triple Deluxe. This game restored my faith in Kirby after my fandom hit a lull for 15+ years.
Number Four
Number Three
Number Two
The incredible post-apocalyptic stage designs, the outstanding Copy Ability gameplay variety (there are only twelve, but they can be upgraded!), the great boss fights, stellar soundtrack, and stark contrast between Kirby's character's wholesomeness and the bleak setting's implications are so fascinating. There is also a pretty-good-for-Kirby story and a full chapter of postgame challenges. Forgotten Land is so good that I'm more excited than ever for Kirby's future.
Number One
Kirby Super Star represents the apex of Kirby's creativity, variety, and entertainment after well over thirty years of being a Nintendo icon. As an anthology of short- to medium-sized Kirby excursions, Super Star starts off light with throwback platformers in Spring Breeze and Dyna Blade, explores intense labyrinthine Kirby in The Great Cave Offensive, and delivers story-driven science fiction melodrama Kirby in Revenge of Meta-Knight and Milky Way Wishes. All five of those are fun as hell.
This is Peak Kirby. Each main game is a delightful romp in its own right, and collectively they hold remarkable depth and breadth of content, especially when you add in the host of smaller mini-games and the additional postgame adventures included in the DS remake, Super Star Ultra. Kirby Super Star blew me away when I first played it in the 1990s, then blew me away again when I replayed it on the DS, and great, now I feel like replaying it again 10+ years later. What an incredible pink puffball package.
So that's that! This one was fun to write, and I hope you had fun reading it. I don't know when I'll get back to playing Kirby again, but in doing some background research for this list I discovered that Kirby and the Amazing Mirror is available on the Nintendo Switch Online family plan. Hmm. That might be next in line.
Damn, it feels good to be writing top ten lists again. But the next thing I have planned for this blog is my (expected) annual post on January 1st. See you next year! Probably!
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