Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002)

First Kirby game I've ever beaten and really enjoyed it. Agree with other reviewers here that it starts to feel quite cheap regarding enemy placement in later levels, but difficulty remains relatively easy overall.

Graphics are great, music very memorable, and Kirby is beautifully animated.

I was super impressed by the final bosses; the game becomes surprisingly cinematic and fast-paced - something I think the rest of the game could have benefited from.

(RetroArch on Switch) Played this with Ross back in the day - switching off his SP in the backseat of an SUV on the way to the marina (I wasn't the rich one). Why was it gripping? Kirby is cute af, maybe that's all there is to it. I love the backgrounds, too. It's Kirby!

Crystal Shards is the only other entry I've played.

The fifteenth Kirby game ever released and the seventh in the mainline series, this time HAL Laboratory created a remake of Kirby's Adventure (1993), named Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land.

And, to be honest, it's the same game. There are some differences, like some enemies were changed, the graphics are obviously better, the soundtrack was re-done, and the final boss is considerably easier, which can be a good or bad thing depending of the person you ask, but the gameplay and level design are just like in Kirby's Adventure, so, if you played that game before, this will feel just like more of the same.

There are also new minigames that you can play in order to get lives, and instead of Crane Fever and Egg Catcher there are Kirby's Air Grind, where you race against three other Kirbies; and Bomb Rally, where you pass around a bomb that explodes if any of the Kirbies fail to hit it in time. You can also play them in multiplayer, so they are a nice addition and arguably better than the original minigames, but like most of them, you'll probably get bored after playing them for more than five minutes.

However, the biggest addition is easily Meta Knightmare: If you complete the game in the normal and extra mode (both of them are basically the same experience, but in the normal mode you have six hit points, while in the extra mode you only have three) you can play as Meta Knight! You can do the same movements he does during his boss battle, but he can't play any of the minigames, copy abilities or save the game. It is a fun experience and his unique moveset is a breath of fresh air, but you have to really love the game to play the story mode three times, especially because the levels and enemies never change.

In conclusion, if you have played Kirby's Adventure then you already played Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, but if you never did, or really like the game, then this is perfect for you, and I'd argue that the few changes introduced make this a slightly better experience.

I did not have a traumatic childhood, but it was not a fun one. I spent every waking moment looking for an escape from reality. I watched TV with such passion that I could quote ads as if they were shakespeare. However, while many of those faded with memory, this Kirby jingle stayed lodged in my mind.

I played this Kirby game not out of a love of franchise (though I do love it), but from a love of this advertisement. My adulthood is much better than my childhood ever was, but this jingle still rattled through my spirit. As if the song etched some spell upon my soul. I knew my life wouldn't be complete without playing this game.

The game is alright. It's a remake of Kirby's Adventure, a game I was superficially familiar with. The Kirby series has two hallmarks: forgiving gameplay and creativity. Yet this game surprised me. It often demanded precision from me, especially in its chaotic second half. With Kirby's floaty physics, this sometimes felt like trying to finger paint a self portrait. Very possible, but not convenient.

Like all Kirby games, it was delightful while it lasted and it doesn't last long. The boss battles are some of the best in a medium. The fight between the sun and the moon who share a health bar is still transcendent.

I wonder what will become of the jingle now that I played the game it promotes. Will it leave me? Will it embed itself further? Will it's very essence outlive me?

This is a very nice portable remake of the classic Kirby's Adventure. Having played the original as a kid (and completed it on 3DS as an adult), this version felt very faithful.

The updated graphics are colorful and extremely well-animated, though I'll admit I still prefer the originals for what they accomplished with a limited NES palette. I also miss the original's claw minigame. But I found this version's final boss a lot less frustrating than on NES.

I'm not sure I'd seek this out instead of Kirby's Adventure, but if you prefer the updated graphics or just want to play on GBA, it's a great option.

Pretty good game. The powers are lost on getting hit and, on later levels, enemies are literally just thrown at you from ridiculous places for cheap hits.

Seriously, you are running and right out the corner of the screen a non-flying enemy falls from the sky straight in your face, only god-reflexes or premonitions will save you. To be fair they are probably as confused and surprised as you.

Otherwise, it was a nice and simple Kirby game. Really liked Meta-Knight mode and think the game would work better if it wasn't shallow in so many places.

NOTE: I always recommend that people try games themselves, nobody likes like YOU like. ;-)