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Kirby's Dream Course (JP) is a miniature golf game that was co-developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo EAD, and published by Nintendo for the SNES in 1994. It was re-released on the Virtual Console in 2007 for the Wii, in 2013 for the Wii U, and in 2016 for the New Nintendo 3DS.
Plot[]
Gameplay[]
Instead of a ball, the player tries to hit Kirby around the course and into the hole at the end. Players can set the power, angle, and spin to affix with various enemies throughout the levels. When one enemy remains, it will transform into the hole.
The abilities that Kirby can acquire from many enemies are required for completion of a hole. These abilities include Kirby turning into a tornado (that can be steered), a sparkly ball (that can destroy certain obstacles), and a UFO (which allows Kirby to float and move for a short time). Other abilities include Kirby being able to slow down / float with a parasol, as well as stop completely as a stone.
The game has eight single player courses, with eight holes on each. The player can unlock extra features (such as alternate versions of the courses) by winning medals. There are Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals to be won, which are awarded to Kirby at the end of the course. There are also four two-player courses (again with eight holes).
In the two-player mode, two health points are awarded for landing in the hole first, and two health points can also be lost if one player's Kirby is "attacked" by the other player's by using an ability (such as the tornado or the stone).
In the two-player mode, the loss of all health points causes that player to miss a turn, as their Kirby falls asleep. This is referred to colloquially as a 'cake nap', because the animation often depicts Kirby dreaming of a slice of cake with a cherry on top.
Development[]
Kirby's Dream Course started as a miniature golf game entitled Special Tee Shot, which eventually released in Japan only on the Satellaview add-on. It was only midway through development that the developers retooled it with elements from the Kirby series.
The development team comprised a mix of staff from HAL Laboratory and Nintendo EAD. The game was featured on some Super Nintendo packaging featuring a Special Tee Shot logo.
Reception[]
Kirby's Dream Course received positive reviews, garnering an aggregate score of 77.00% on GameRankings based on seven reviews. In their review, IGN concluded that Kirby's Dream Course is a "quirky, goofy, but all-around satisfying game to play". Nintendo Life offered a similar assessment, awarding the game 8 out of 10. GamePro called Kirby's Dream Course a "wildly amusing game" which "does for golf what NBA Jam did for basketball." They praised the game for adopting a golf theme while faithfully recreating the Kirby style in its gameplay, graphics, and sounds.
External links[]
- Kirby's Dream Course at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Kirby's Dream Course at GameFAQs
- Kirby's Dream Course at MobyGames
- Kirby's Dream Course at Nintendo's Wii Virtual Console page (North America)
- Kirby's Dream Course at Nintendo's Wii U Virtual Console page (North America)
- Kirby's Dream Course at Nintendo's 3DS Virtual Console page (North America)
- Kirby's Dream Course at Virtual Console Reviews