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| Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland Reviewed by Pirate Yoshi Over-view: Kirby, one of Nintendo's lesser-distinguished heroes, began life on the GameBoy, and quickly became a powerful new asset to Nintendo's growing library of characters. It seemed as if some other-worldly connection existed: GameBoy went hand in hand with Kirby, as he received second and third Dreamlands, then expanded into the realm of pinball and more. But on the Nintendo Entertainment System, it was pure action alone, and his first console title, Kirby's Adventure, took flight and soared high above many other NES titles in existance, even some of which were Nintendo's own making! Kirby's Adventure was so successful, in fact, that over ten years later, a remake would be designed for Kirby-hungry players on GameBoy Advance. Kirby is back on HIS platform again... Graphics: 9.4/10 While Nightmare in Dreamland may be a 2D side scroller, with no flashy cutscenes or special effects, it has very good graphics. The worlds and characters are very colorful and stand out apart from less-important parts of the environment, and the movement and motion is smooth. While many GBA games arguabley have better graphics, I feel strongly that Kirby's graphics are just what they need to be: not flashy, not 3D, but gentle, colorful images with a distinct look. Nightmare's graphics, I believe, rival that of many SNES games, and may even surpass some! Sound: 9.8/10 As is the case with most any Kirby game you'll ever play, Nightmare's sound is superb, particularly the music. The sound effects are nice and fitting and all, but the real shining point is the excellent musical score following Kirby through each level of the game. The music, while constantly maintaining a certain cheerful, bouncy feeling, changes just enough to make every song feel totally different from the last, and every tune is tweaked just a nudge to ensure that it fits the stage perfectly--from creepy castle-like structures to pleasant green meadows. So why the missing .1 of a point? Because the SOUND is TOO QUIET! I feel frustrated often, because I turn the sound up fully, yet still can barely hear what's going on! Controls: 9.8/10 Controls for most games receive high rankings, simply because you seldom find a game on the market that cannot yet be truly controlled (although, there are a few rare exceptions out there....). Kirby doesn't break the pattern here, and pulls out a 9.8 of 10 because of its finely-tuned control set up. The only slight waver it has is that movement can sometimes feel a little shakey, and Kirby is a bit loose in keeping up with your presses, but nothing that should ever affect how good/bad you do at this game. And, I wish there was a way to get rid of enemies in your mouth when you're in the water... Replay: 6.2/10 Admittedly, there's not many REAL reasons to go back through the game once you've beaten it; you unlock very little that's special (not that I'll give away what you DO unlock...which IS special...), and a second or third time through is very much identical to the first. However, devouring different enemies and trying attacks in new ways at different points gives Nightmare a fun feeling that can be retained through a second and third game. You might not be challenged as much on repeat attempts at going through the game, but the chance to find new enemy powers and new uses for old powers can feel very rewarding. Also, if you watch the videos during the credits that reveal some very skilled playing, you'll almost undoubtedly get the urge to try fighting the bosses over again with varying powers, to see what works best. Over all, a 6.2 well sums up Nightmare's replayability: better than average, but not stellar. Gameplay: 9/10 If it wasn't fun, it wouldn't be a Kirby game. Nightmare in Dreamland is a very fun game to play, and the different mini-games add a twinge of extra flavor to the mix. A multiplayer mode is even included, which outdoes its old NES counterpart! The level design is very clever and challenging, yet easy enough to find your way through relatively unscathed, while the puzzles are generally easy to eventually decipher. The bosses, who are quite creative, have various attack patterns and weaknesses, which must be discovered and exploited in order to come away with a win. The powers you can obtain are very different from one another, yet all work in wonderous ways...when used correctly... However, the game is a bit short, and some more variety or wilder levels might've been nice... **Story: .6/1 Like the original Kirby's Adventure, Nightmare in Dreamland boasts a tale telling of the stolen Star Rod, which causes the dreams of everyone in Dreamland to turn into terrible nightmares (therefore, the name). The only way anyone anywhere will ever be able to sleep soundly again is if Kirby (our hero, by the way) collects the broken pieces of the Star Rod (for which King Dedede is responsible) and restore them back together again at the Dream Fountain. While the scenerio is rather odd and simple, a significant plot twist awaits the player right near the end of the game, which adds some extra to the score. **Multiplayer: .9/1 The mini-games? Nah, they aren't what boost the multiplayer score so high...in fact, I'd be tempted to give this catagory something more like a .5 or lower if they alone were what I was judging by! What actually caused me to give .9 points here was the awesome 4-player cooperative mode, in which up to four Kirbys (of different colors, mind you) trek along through the game, destroying the evils as a team. While 4 different players might be a bit confusing, the very thought of it is impressive. Graphics: 9.4/10 Sound: 9.8/10 Controls: 9.8/10 Replay: 6.2/10 Gameplay: 9/10 **Story: .6/1 **Multiplayer: .9/1 Total Mathematical Score: 9.14 Total Assigned Score: 8.5 Final Score: 8.82 Score Explanation: A low replay, along with an unusually low gameplay score (for a Nintendo game, at least) cost Nightmare in Dreamland the extra .2 of a point needed to push it up past 9. But, this is a silver-medal score, and worth some credit as a good game to try! |