|
Kirby's Adventure (JP) (remade as Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (JP) for the Game Boy Advance) is a platforming video game for the NES home console. The game is the first and only Kirby video game to be released on the NES. The game was later re-released on the GBA, Wii's Virtual Console for 500 points. It was also released on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U's Virtual Console as well as the Nintendo Switch Online. The objective of the game is to reach the end of the level, by inhaling enemies and solving the relatively easy puzzles. This game also marks the first appearance of Kirby's wonderful ability to steal enemies' powers by eating them, as well as the characters of Meta Knight and Nightmare.
Plot[]
One morning, Kirby awakes to find that all of the citizens of Dream Land have lost the ability to dream. Before this event occurred, dreams were composed through the Dream Spring via the magic of the Star Rod. Kirby arrives at the Dream Spring, and discovers the antagonistic King Dedede swimming in it's waters. King Dedede explains that he had broken the Star Rod into seven pieces, keeping one of the pieces for himself, and giving the others to his strongest minions who are now hiding throughout Dream Land. Before he can say any more, Kirby hops on his Warp Star, and flies off to recover the pieces of the Star Rod and restore dreams to the people of Dream Land. But little does he know, there is more to Dedede's plan than meets the eye...
Gameplay[]
As with almost all the Kirby titles, Kirby's Adventure is a side-scrolling action platformer. To progress through each level, you must walk or fly your way to the end of each level. Each level has plenty of sub-levels as well, and to end a sub-level you must enter a door that will take you to the next sub-level. In each world, there are a number of bosses that Kirby must conquer, each one with its own unique ways to attack. As in most games, you take damage if an enemy or obstacle touches the protagonist. In this game, Kirby has a total of six health bars, each attack to him taking one away. Thankfully, no attacks are able to take more than one health bar away.
Simply one of the more unique aspects of the game was the fact that, after inhaling enemies, Kirby could now steal or copy their powers if they had any. This feature, as stated in the first paragraph of this article, is new to the series, and has since been one of the hallmarks of it. There are a whopping 26 different abilities that Kirby can copy, though he can only use one at a time. For example, if you have the needle ability, and see an enemy with the UFO ability, then you'd have to get rid of your needle ability for the UFO ability.
As expected, these unique abilities are often used to solve puzzles that, without the ability, cannot be solved. The abilities are also very helpful while fighting bosses as well, and will greatly increase your chances of beating him (and will happen more quickly as well).
Worlds[]
| # | World name | Boss |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegetable Valley | Whispy Woods |
| 2 | Ice Cream Island | Paint Roller |
| 3 | Butter Building | Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright |
| 4 | Grape Garden | Kracko |
| 5 | Yogurt Yard | Heavy Mole |
| 6 | Orange Ocean | Meta Knight |
| 7 | Rainbow Resort | King Dedede |
| 8 | The Fountain of Dreams | Nightmare |
Copy Ability[]
- Beam
- Ball
- Crash
- Cutter
- Hammer
- Parasol
- Fire
- Freeze
- Ice
- Light
- Mike
- Burning
- Spark
- Stone
- Sword
- Throw
- Tornado
- Needle
- Hi-Jump
- Backdrop
- Laser
- UFO
- Wheel
- Sleep
- Star Rod
- Mix
Mini-games[]
In the game, there are three mini-games that the player can participate in, including Crane Fever, Quick Draw, and Egg Catcher. Once you complete the game, you'll be given the ability to play the bosses in the mini-game mode.
Crane Fever[]
"Use the buttons to move the crane and try to get a Kirby! A big one's hard to get, but worth it!" - Game description
The goal of this game is to use a crane and grab the pink Kirbies below, with each one varying in the amount of points that you'll come in possession of. Once your crane is above the target, you'll have to press A and keep your hand on it until it reaches the plush toy, then release to make it grab.
Quick Draw[]
"When the enemy draws, press the A Button! If you press it too soon, you get a penalty!" - Game description
Here, you have to do what it says and press A at the right time. There is a countdown, and after it the enemy will draw. You have to press the button after the countdown finishes (or get a penalty - get two and you lose the game) and before the enemy draws (or you get whacked out of the screen and. once again, lose the game).
Egg Catcher[]
"Press the buttons to make Kirby's mouth open! Try to eat eggs -- but not bombs!" - Game description
You're dropped into a wrestling arena, where King Dedede will be waiting to throw you some eggs and bombs. Press and hold A (or B) to keep Kirby's mouth open and swallow the eggs and NOT the bombs. If you do swallow one, you lose the game.
Official Descriptions[]
Virtual Console (Wii)[]
Kirby makes his mark on Virtual Console!
Not everything is well in Dream Land. For some mysterious reason, the Dream Spring, a magical well that is the reservoir for all the dreams of the citizens of Dream Land, is no longer working. Everyone is being subjected to their worst nightmares every time they go to sleep. Upon reaching the Dream Spring, Kirby finds out that evil King Dedede has stolen the Star Rod, thus depriving Dream Land of the magical energy that feeds its spring. Using 20 unique tricks and your ability to steal your enemies' powers by swallowing them, you'll have to make your way through a horrific land filled with all kinds of nightmares. Recover the broken pieces of the Star Rod, and everyone in Dream Land will sleep peacefully once again. If you fail, the citizens of Dream Land will be subjected to a lifetime of terrible nightmares.
Reception[]
Most aspects of Kirby's Adventure were well received in contemporary reviews, and critics agreed that it was an improvement over Kirby's Dream Land. Some of the most common highlights by reviewers were the game's originality with its new copy ability and unique enemy designs, the size and variety of the levels, the tight controls, and the quality and cuteness of the graphics and animation. Nintendo Power thought the game was more difficult than its cute theme may lead gamers to believe. Joypad believed the game was aimed towards younger children and provided two review scores for gamers over and under 12 years old, with the score for children being higher. They compared the game to Tiny Toon Adventures (1991) by Konami, writing that the graphics and sound were better in Tiny Toon Adventures, but Kirby's Adventure had better animation and was more original. Some reviewers complained that the character sprites, especially Kirby's, were too small.
In the Super Power Club bonus supplement in Nintendo Power V56, the game was ranked #3 in the Top 5 NES Games of 1993. Kirby also won "Best Hero" in the 1993 Nintendo Power Awards for his appearance in Kirby's Adventure.
Retrospective reviews for the game's rerelease on the Wii Virtual Console were likewise positive. IGN called it one of the best NES games, and one of the system's greatest visual and auditory technical achievements. Eurogamer believed it to be one of the best Kirby games, and agreed with IGN's sentiments, writing "Kirby's first and only NES outing is undeniably charming and, with its parallax scrolling and colourful characters, really showcases just how much juice developers were squeezing from the tiny system towards the end of its life." Racketboy notes the advanced visuals: "...the rich colors do not attempt to emulate 16 bit, but instead try to make 8 bit as beautiful as possible."Nintendo Life and GameSpot agreed that the game pushed the NES's technical capabilities. The game's other elements were commended as they were in 1993, including the game's originality, cuteness, and stage variety. GameSpot wrote that Kirby's Adventure had stood the test of time well, although they felt the game was somewhat short and easy. Others also criticized the game for its length and lack of challenge. For the 3D Classics rerelease, the 3D effect added into the game was seen as underwhelming compared to games like Excitebike and TwinBee which took greater advantage of parallax and depth effects.
Credits[]
Gallery[]
| Main article: Kirby's Adventure/gallery |
External links[]
- Kirby's Adventure at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Kirby's Adventure at GameFAQs
- Kirby's Adventure at MobyGames
- Kirby's Adventure at Nintendo.com
- Kirby's Adventure at Virtual Console Reviews