Kirby Triple Deluxe (Nintendo 3DS)
User Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): May 2, 2014
- Release Date (EU): May 16, 2014
- Release Date (JP): January 11, 2014
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: HAL Labatory
- Genres: Action, platforming
Game Features:
Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative
Review Approach:
Reviewed on original model 3DS.
Kirby Triple Deluxe is a 2D platformer, released in 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the second in what many refer call the "modern Kirby quadrilogy", consisting of Kirby's Return to Dreamland, Kirby Triple Deluxe, Kirby Planet Robobot, and Kirby Star Allies. Upon release, it would be rewarded with mostly critical acclaim, with it earning an 80 on Metacritic. XGN gave Kirby a 9/10, claiming "The little pink dude does it again. A whole new game with a story mode and two other modes on the side to enjoy. Everything look and feels wonderful. This is a must have on the 3DS.". On the other hand, IGN gave the game a 6/10, stating "Kirby Triple Deluxe may look great and has some clever ideas for how to use 3D, but falls into a rut of simple platforming and puzzles that rarely require any thought or skill. I admire that it tries to give us more powers and abilities to play with than ever before, but that empowerment shouldn’t come at the expense of any real difficulty.". So, is Kirby Triple Deluxe a wonderful adventure, or a dull grind? Let's take a look.
The game opens with a pre-rendered FMV, which depicts a strange creature kidnapping King Dedede, after Dreamland was risen up by a beanstalk. Kirby then decides to adventure up the beanstalk to save the King, and restore Dreamland! Despite the highly detailed FMVs in the opening and ending of the game, the story isn't expanded at all throughout the game. This isn't necessarily a problem, I just find it strange that the devs would create high quality models and environments, only to barely use them. Oh well.
The game's mechanics, art style, controls, and just general game feel... well, feel like they were lifted right from Kirby's Return to Dreamland for Wii. Kirby can jump with A, and suck/inhale enemies with B. By pressing B with an inhaled enemy or stage decoration will see Kirby spit it back out at other enemies in the form of a star. The size of the star depends on how many enemies Kirby inhaled. Pressing DOWN with an inhaled enemy will be swallowed. This will either quickly dispatch the enemy, or in most cases, it will give Kirby the enemy's abilities. Every one of the "copy abilities" has a very fighting game-like moveset, so different attacks be activated depending on if Kirby is running or not, what direction is being pressed on the D-PAD/Circle Pad, whether or not Kirby is in the air, etc. It is an extremely engaging system, and every single copy ability is a blast to experiment with because of this. While many stages have unique gimmicks, by far the most prevalent one is the Hypernova ability, which the player is forced into during stages. While Kirby is in Hypernova mode, the only real move Kirby can perform is an extremely strong inhale. I does get kinda repetitive without any alternate moves or even different animations, but that's not a big deal at all. These sections often have gimmicks that require the player to scan the environment for obstacles to use to destroy other obstacles or make new paths, either to progress in the stage, or to unlock an optional side room. I'm getting ahead of myself, but I think this is a nice transition into level design.
These optional rooms are really fun spatial awareness puzzles that require the player to use their abilities in fun and creative ways, and retrying the challenge is simple and quick, just leave the and renter the room. I don't think a retry feature, similar to the handheld Klonoa titles wouldn't hurt, but oh well. These rooms thankfully sidestep the issue most prior Kirby games suffer from, that being how the player often has to bring in abilities to challenge rooms, and the abilities are often not even obtainable in the stage. This is especially problematic in the ones where Kirby loses an ability upon just one touch, so if the player fails to catch the star that comes out after taking damage, the player will have to restart the process all over again. Kirby Triple Deluxe thankfully just gives the player the abilities in the challenge rooms. Thank god. If I had anything to complain about, some are a bit to simple. Like, maybe if the devs made sure every single room had two steps they would leave a bit more of a lasting impression. I dunno, I think that's all I got, because there really isn't much to criticize in this game. Completing these challenge rooms reward the player with Sun Stones, and each main stage has from 3-5 of them. Collecting all of them in an area will reward the player with a bonus stage. I don't understand why the game has Sun Stones in the bonus stages. The final Sun Stone in each bonus stage are given to the player in the main path anyway, so they are completely redundant. Aside from that, these stages are great rewards for players willing to go the extra mile. The player is still forced to get at least a few to unlock the Boss Stage, which leads to the next area. This is fine, but the game fails to tell the player about this, so he/she may have to replay a stage or two to obtain a few in the first area.
In terms of the main stage design, it is quite traditional, but incredibly polished. I think the actual environment has a fantastic balance between open areas and more closed-in ones. Even in the open areas, there is usually has quite a lot going on, with enemies attempting to attack the player from the background and foreground, moving sand on the ground, moving obstacles, etc. My limited talk about the normal paths may make them sound shallow, but there's enough going on to keep you engaged. The 20 or so different abilities Kirby has at his disposal, along with the Hypernova gimmick definitely take center stage. Again, the stages do have plenty going on, but I'd be lying if I said the level design was at all revolutionary. The variety in Kirby's abilities and the challenge rooms bring more than enough to hold together the core game loop.
The game's bosses are great as well. Well, by that I mean the major bosses that appear at the end of each area. Like most Kirby games, Triple Deluxe has plenty of moments where the player is forced into a mini-boss. Defeating them will allow the player to copy them, and they often have very strong abilities. They serve the gameplay loop well, and they are fun to fight, and they game even often has Crash and Mic abilities hidden away in the prior room, which allow the player to completely kill the boss nearly instantly, but they are recycled quite a lot. They're never reused so much to be annoying, but that isn't a praise. The main bosses, however, are fantastic! They're fun, multi-phase spectacles that really impress on the technical perspective.
This game is sufficient in terms of longevity, too. I already mentioned the Sun Stones, but the game also features collectible Keychains, which contain images of early Kirby sprites. They truly look fantastic, and are worth collecting just to admire. Triple Deluxe features the franchise's signature sub-games, and these ones are well above the rest. Kirby Fighters is a smash-like fighting platforming fighting game, featuring Kirbys with different copy abilities to serve as player characters. Dedede's Drum Dash is a rhythm game, where Dedede must time his jumps on trampolines to match the beat. Both are complex enough to be made into $7 Eshop games. Kirby Fighters would later be expanded in a $20 Eshop title, Kirby Fighters 2 for the Nintendo Switch, released in September of 2020. The game also features the series' well known boss rush The Arena. Not much to say here. The player is given a few life restoration items between matches, and he/she must tackle all of the games' bosses and minibosses with their ability of choice. There is also the harder True Arena, which features more difficult bosses. Those harder bosses come from the side mode Dededetour, which sees the player controlling King Dedede in a sort-of time attack mode. Basically, it is just like if you had the Hammer ability for the entire game. It's a fun way to replay the game, and is fun to speedrun.
Triple Deluxe is also one of the system's best looking games, especially considering that it isn't a late release. The beanstalk aesthetic owes a ton of visual variety, and the colors are quite possible some of the prettiest I've seen in a game.. period! It is truly jaw-dropping at points, and a real showcase for the 3DS hardware. This doesn't come at the cost of performance either, as the game is at a perfect 60fps at all times. The geometry is sufficiently high-poly, and the texturework is truly fantastic. The soundtrack is no slouch either, with this game consistently pushing out banger after banger. It truly is phenomenal, and some of the best in a series that has always been known for its fantastic music.
So, in conclusion, Kirby Triple Deluxe is a fantastic game, and one that really is hard to criticize. I know everyone has said this about every Kirby game to date, but it really is a challenge to play this game without a constant smile glued to your face the whole time.
The game's mechanics, art style, controls, and just general game feel... well, feel like they were lifted right from Kirby's Return to Dreamland for Wii. Kirby can jump with A, and suck/inhale enemies with B. By pressing B with an inhaled enemy or stage decoration will see Kirby spit it back out at other enemies in the form of a star. The size of the star depends on how many enemies Kirby inhaled. Pressing DOWN with an inhaled enemy will be swallowed. This will either quickly dispatch the enemy, or in most cases, it will give Kirby the enemy's abilities. Every one of the "copy abilities" has a very fighting game-like moveset, so different attacks be activated depending on if Kirby is running or not, what direction is being pressed on the D-PAD/Circle Pad, whether or not Kirby is in the air, etc. It is an extremely engaging system, and every single copy ability is a blast to experiment with because of this. While many stages have unique gimmicks, by far the most prevalent one is the Hypernova ability, which the player is forced into during stages. While Kirby is in Hypernova mode, the only real move Kirby can perform is an extremely strong inhale. I does get kinda repetitive without any alternate moves or even different animations, but that's not a big deal at all. These sections often have gimmicks that require the player to scan the environment for obstacles to use to destroy other obstacles or make new paths, either to progress in the stage, or to unlock an optional side room. I'm getting ahead of myself, but I think this is a nice transition into level design.
These optional rooms are really fun spatial awareness puzzles that require the player to use their abilities in fun and creative ways, and retrying the challenge is simple and quick, just leave the and renter the room. I don't think a retry feature, similar to the handheld Klonoa titles wouldn't hurt, but oh well. These rooms thankfully sidestep the issue most prior Kirby games suffer from, that being how the player often has to bring in abilities to challenge rooms, and the abilities are often not even obtainable in the stage. This is especially problematic in the ones where Kirby loses an ability upon just one touch, so if the player fails to catch the star that comes out after taking damage, the player will have to restart the process all over again. Kirby Triple Deluxe thankfully just gives the player the abilities in the challenge rooms. Thank god. If I had anything to complain about, some are a bit to simple. Like, maybe if the devs made sure every single room had two steps they would leave a bit more of a lasting impression. I dunno, I think that's all I got, because there really isn't much to criticize in this game. Completing these challenge rooms reward the player with Sun Stones, and each main stage has from 3-5 of them. Collecting all of them in an area will reward the player with a bonus stage. I don't understand why the game has Sun Stones in the bonus stages. The final Sun Stone in each bonus stage are given to the player in the main path anyway, so they are completely redundant. Aside from that, these stages are great rewards for players willing to go the extra mile. The player is still forced to get at least a few to unlock the Boss Stage, which leads to the next area. This is fine, but the game fails to tell the player about this, so he/she may have to replay a stage or two to obtain a few in the first area.
In terms of the main stage design, it is quite traditional, but incredibly polished. I think the actual environment has a fantastic balance between open areas and more closed-in ones. Even in the open areas, there is usually has quite a lot going on, with enemies attempting to attack the player from the background and foreground, moving sand on the ground, moving obstacles, etc. My limited talk about the normal paths may make them sound shallow, but there's enough going on to keep you engaged. The 20 or so different abilities Kirby has at his disposal, along with the Hypernova gimmick definitely take center stage. Again, the stages do have plenty going on, but I'd be lying if I said the level design was at all revolutionary. The variety in Kirby's abilities and the challenge rooms bring more than enough to hold together the core game loop.
The game's bosses are great as well. Well, by that I mean the major bosses that appear at the end of each area. Like most Kirby games, Triple Deluxe has plenty of moments where the player is forced into a mini-boss. Defeating them will allow the player to copy them, and they often have very strong abilities. They serve the gameplay loop well, and they are fun to fight, and they game even often has Crash and Mic abilities hidden away in the prior room, which allow the player to completely kill the boss nearly instantly, but they are recycled quite a lot. They're never reused so much to be annoying, but that isn't a praise. The main bosses, however, are fantastic! They're fun, multi-phase spectacles that really impress on the technical perspective.
This game is sufficient in terms of longevity, too. I already mentioned the Sun Stones, but the game also features collectible Keychains, which contain images of early Kirby sprites. They truly look fantastic, and are worth collecting just to admire. Triple Deluxe features the franchise's signature sub-games, and these ones are well above the rest. Kirby Fighters is a smash-like fighting platforming fighting game, featuring Kirbys with different copy abilities to serve as player characters. Dedede's Drum Dash is a rhythm game, where Dedede must time his jumps on trampolines to match the beat. Both are complex enough to be made into $7 Eshop games. Kirby Fighters would later be expanded in a $20 Eshop title, Kirby Fighters 2 for the Nintendo Switch, released in September of 2020. The game also features the series' well known boss rush The Arena. Not much to say here. The player is given a few life restoration items between matches, and he/she must tackle all of the games' bosses and minibosses with their ability of choice. There is also the harder True Arena, which features more difficult bosses. Those harder bosses come from the side mode Dededetour, which sees the player controlling King Dedede in a sort-of time attack mode. Basically, it is just like if you had the Hammer ability for the entire game. It's a fun way to replay the game, and is fun to speedrun.
Triple Deluxe is also one of the system's best looking games, especially considering that it isn't a late release. The beanstalk aesthetic owes a ton of visual variety, and the colors are quite possible some of the prettiest I've seen in a game.. period! It is truly jaw-dropping at points, and a real showcase for the 3DS hardware. This doesn't come at the cost of performance either, as the game is at a perfect 60fps at all times. The geometry is sufficiently high-poly, and the texturework is truly fantastic. The soundtrack is no slouch either, with this game consistently pushing out banger after banger. It truly is phenomenal, and some of the best in a series that has always been known for its fantastic music.
So, in conclusion, Kirby Triple Deluxe is a fantastic game, and one that really is hard to criticize. I know everyone has said this about every Kirby game to date, but it really is a challenge to play this game without a constant smile glued to your face the whole time.
Verdict
What I Liked ...
- Fantastic visuals
- Great performance
- Sublime soundtrack
- Fantastic bosses
- Great controls
- Excellent level design
- Plenty of extra content
What I Didn't Like ...
- Repetitive minibosses
- Lack of animations, making Hypernova repetitive to use
9
Gameplay
The level design provides a fantastic playground for Kirby to play around with his huge pool of abilities, which are all somehow just as fun as the last one.
10
Presentation
Absolutely sublime visuals that put nearly every other game on the system to shame is accompanied by a wonderful soundtrack, which pushes this game to the top tier presentation-wise on the 3DS.
10
Lasting Appeal
The huge variety of additional modes, collectables, and abilities will keep you coming back for quite some time.
9.5
out of 10
