Kirby is probably one of the lesser-known Nintendo characters in South Africa. I guess it’s because it’s so easy to mistake him for Jigglypuff from the Pokémon series. Either way Kirby makes his second appearance on the Wii in Kirby’s Adventure Wii (or Kirby’s Return to Dreamland as it’s named in the United States).

In contrast to Kirby’s Epic Yarn (2010) the newest instalment returns to the original concept of the Kirby franchise. There’s no peculiar overhead plot that turns everything into cotton or paint like most of his recent appearances. No, Kirby’s Adventure Wii is a traditional platformer where the main game mechanic is Kirby’s ability to copy the powers of his enemies.

Traditional tracks

The plot in Kirby is very traditional too: a strange spaceship crashed and crucial parts needed to restore the ship are scattered across the levels. It’s up to Kirby to explore each different area and return the various missing pieces.

Luckily for Kirby (who’s dragged into this space travellers’ dilemma) he has two abilities to help him in his adventure. His first ability allows him to fly over short distances – a mid-air pounce if you will. His second trademark power is to copy his enemy’s powers buy swallowing them whole.

Yes; Kirby gobbles up whatever stands in his way and absorbs their powers.

This means that Kirby can go from sword-wielding to fire-breathing simply by swallowing a fire enemy. There’s a great variety of enemies in the game which implies that there’s a great variety of powers for Kirby to use. Unfortunately most of the enemies and powers will already be familiar to fans of the series and there are not a lot of new bad-guys to swallow.

Control

Once Kirby acquired a power there’s a wide variety of moves and attacks he can perform. While most of the button presses are intuitive to use, there are a few combinations that can be a little awkward to perform. The Wii remote is turned sideways (as has become the norm with side-scrolling platformers on the Wii) and this can be an awkward adjustment if you’re not used to this layout.

The game makes very little use of the motion capabilities of the Wii; now and again you’ll have to shake the remote to perform a stronger version of Kirby’s inhaling attack, but that’s pretty much it.

A new addition is the “Super Ability” – a temporarily pumped-up version of its normal counterpart. These Super Abilities can be used on rare occasions and can take out multiple enemies and obstacles. Although Kirby basically becomes invincible when using these Super Abilities, quite a lot of thought went into it. When Kirby uses the Super Ability of the normal sword power he’ll get a blade that’s 10 times bigger than normal, for instance.

Every time Kirby launches the attack a different blade and animation will be used; sometimes you’ll get a sword, a dagger or even a meat cleaver. The wide variety and detail of the power-up system is one of the game’s best features.

The level design, while varied and colourful, can seem a bit boring when compared to other platformers on the Wii. There’s not a lot that we haven’t seen, and there’s not a lot of challenge either. While the levels are longer than your average Mario level it can feel like you’re just running
through a long corridor to get to the other side. Your biggest challenge will be the enemies and bosses in the way.

Playing with friends

Kirby’s Adventure Wii features co-operative play for up to four people. Players can jump in or out of play by simply pressing a button on the Wii remote.

The first player will always be Kirby and when Kirby dies everyone goes down too. The remaining players can choose between a different coloured Kirby, Meta Knight, Waddle Dee or King Dedede. Each character has their own abilities and weapons – but unless you’re playing with Kirby, you cannot copy the enemy’s powers. This can cause the other characters to take a back seat while Kirby goes ahead and finishes the level.

Unlike Super Mario Bros. Wii, players have a shared life counter. This ensures that no-one has to sit a level out, but weak players can jeopardise the entire team.

If one player finds a section difficult to traverse, his character can jump onto another character’s back and get carried across the level. This is a great mechanic for parents to help their younger children through a level. Playing with friends and family is loads of fun and is a great way to play the game.

As you progress through the game you can unlock a few mini-games by collecting gears hidden throughout the level. The mini-games offer 3 difficulty levels and are quite enjoyable. One game has you throwing daggers at targets by swinging the Wii remote and precise timing is essential. The games can seem a bit out of place and unrelated to the main campaign, but it’s a nice bonus addition.

Conclusion

Kirby’s Adventure Wii might seem dull when compared to Super Mario Bros. Wii or Donkey Kong Country Returns, but it has its own old-school charm and appeal. In light of its great co-operative mode, it is best suited for parents who want to have something to play with their children.

Don’t overlook Kirby’s Adventure Wii as a kiddie’s game, though; there’s plenty of variety and Kirby’s innocent charm has a way of creeping into your heart.