The Kirby series is one of Nintendo's long-running franchises, but Adventure- the second game, as well as the one I've played most- is where the series truly got going.
The plot of the game is standard Excuse Plot fare- King Dedede, the villain of the last game, broke the Star Rod into seven pieces and Kirby must reassemble it, getting one piece back from each of the bosses. Unlike most games of the early 90s, though it actually goes for a Plot Twist at the end. That twist raises a fair number of Fridge Logic issues if you think about it, but the fact that the game writers tried is admirable for the time.
Adventure was the first Kirby game to introduce the Power Copying mechanic. By inhaling and swallowing enemies, Kirby can copy their power- for example, inhaling a swordsman will allow Kirby to use a sword, while inhaling a fireball will allow Kirby to shoot forward while on fire. This gives him a variety of powers that can be used, with various advantages. Some powers can even be used to solve various basic puzzles- for example, a hammer can pound posts, while a beam can bounce off inclines. While there are a few duds(for example, Ball causes Kirby to bounce like a ball, while Sleep puts Kirby to sleep), most of the powers are well thought-out and useful in many ways.
The levels are diverse and well-designed, with each of the several worlds having a theme(e.g. forest, islands, sky, etc.) that allows for variation in the levels. The fact that Kirby can fly makes it less likely that you'll fall to your death, but it can happen if you're not careful. Each level has some secrets to unlock, providing rewards to those who explore thoroughly and can solve various puzzles.
The main challenge comes from the boss battles- many levels have a Mini-Boss(which repeat several times, but not so often you get tired of them), and each world has a boss at the end. You have two choices on how to approach them- find a power suited to the encounter, or go without a power and wait until the boss gives Kirby something to swallow and shoot back at it.
The game is relatively short- about two to two and a half hours for a standard playthrough- but it's made well enough to keep your interest, since it's designed in a creative manner and was rather innovative for its time. All in all, I recommend Adventure wholeheartedly to fans of the series.
VideoGame A Nintendo Classic
The Kirby series is one of Nintendo's long-running franchises, but Adventure- the second game, as well as the one I've played most- is where the series truly got going.
The plot of the game is standard Excuse Plot fare- King Dedede, the villain of the last game, broke the Star Rod into seven pieces and Kirby must reassemble it, getting one piece back from each of the bosses. Unlike most games of the early 90s, though it actually goes for a Plot Twist at the end. That twist raises a fair number of Fridge Logic issues if you think about it, but the fact that the game writers tried is admirable for the time.
Adventure was the first Kirby game to introduce the Power Copying mechanic. By inhaling and swallowing enemies, Kirby can copy their power- for example, inhaling a swordsman will allow Kirby to use a sword, while inhaling a fireball will allow Kirby to shoot forward while on fire. This gives him a variety of powers that can be used, with various advantages. Some powers can even be used to solve various basic puzzles- for example, a hammer can pound posts, while a beam can bounce off inclines. While there are a few duds(for example, Ball causes Kirby to bounce like a ball, while Sleep puts Kirby to sleep), most of the powers are well thought-out and useful in many ways.
The levels are diverse and well-designed, with each of the several worlds having a theme(e.g. forest, islands, sky, etc.) that allows for variation in the levels. The fact that Kirby can fly makes it less likely that you'll fall to your death, but it can happen if you're not careful. Each level has some secrets to unlock, providing rewards to those who explore thoroughly and can solve various puzzles.
The main challenge comes from the boss battles- many levels have a Mini-Boss(which repeat several times, but not so often you get tired of them), and each world has a boss at the end. You have two choices on how to approach them- find a power suited to the encounter, or go without a power and wait until the boss gives Kirby something to swallow and shoot back at it.
The game is relatively short- about two to two and a half hours for a standard playthrough- but it's made well enough to keep your interest, since it's designed in a creative manner and was rather innovative for its time. All in all, I recommend Adventure wholeheartedly to fans of the series.