Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe

This adventure is enjoyable as a solo adventure, but it really takes off as a multiplayer matchup of chaos and co-operative fun. Diving into Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe is an enjoyable experience, particularly if you haven't played the original version of the game from 2011. The gameplay is very accessible regardless of your skill level, and the option to have Magolor act as a helper to provide health and powers means that kids and new gamers alike can participate with experienced Kirby fans. Speaking of, the large number of powers for Kirby easily makes him more versatile than Dedede, Meta Knight, or Waddle Dee. In fact, the inclusion of the Super abilities tips the playing field fully in Kirby's favor since he can smash through environmental blocks and fling enemies out of his way "into" the game screen. Not all of these powers are equal – for instance, the enhanced version of the Sword and Beam are vastly better than many of the basic attacks, and the Sleep power is just awful. But figuring out which powers work better against certain bosses, or if they match your playstyle is part of the fun. This amusement is ramped up by adding three other people that can hop in or out at any time. The result is an amusing party game where players are fighting each other for power ups, health, or the finishing blow on an opponent, especially if everyone has chosen to play as four differently colored hues of Kirby.

Players will also find themselves entertained by the mini-games at Merry Magoland, where their reflexes will be tested in a range of mini-games. These can be amusing for a while, particularly at higher difficulty levels, where objects are moving at high rates of speed and you're frantically trying to shoot a target or avoid swallowing a bomb. All of your scores are redeemed for additional masks at the shop, which offer cosmetic pieces for your characters in the story mode. These are fine, but ultimately, not particularly deep, which, if anything, is probably the largest issue with Dreamland Deluxe – the gameplay is best done in bursts with friends rather than sitting down for a long play session. Stages frequently can be completed in a manner of minutes, and they're not overly challenging. Even Magolor's Epilogue, a section where you take on the role of the alien trying to regain his powers, barely scratches the surface. While the mechanics here revolve around making combos with attacks to earn points to help power Magolor up, his stages are easily half the size of the story missions, so you don't really get a chance to appreciate how different or unique the character is. That's not really an issue if you're willing to accept Dreamland Deluxe for what it is – a fun diversion best played with friends for small periods of time.