Manual Stimulation: Hoshi no Kirby (GameBoy)

I don't know about you, but something I expect from any Kirby game manual is a ton of adorable illustrations of the pink puffball himself.



Sadly, the Hoshi no Kirby instruction manual disappoints mightily in that regard.



Sure, it offers up a few nice Kirby drawings, but I thought I'd find a lot more than a few in this particular booklet.



Oh, well. It's still worth ogling. One case in point: the rather fabulous border that lines each and every page of the Hoshi no Kirby--Kirby's Dream Land elsewhere in the world--manual.



Seriously, it's bubblegum pink and it's filled with stars. What more could you ask for in this kind of situation?



This booklet is similarly filled with screenshots of the game, of course. Normally that would prompt an unenthusiastic yawn from me, but here they're colored to complement the rest of the manual's color scheme, so instead it produced a mildly appreciative nod of the head.



This next page, on the other hand, is like a stab through the heart. No one at HAL Laboratory or Nintendo could be bothered to whip up some line drawings of Hoshi no Kirby's items?



The game only has a handful, after all. Plus, I can't imagine reproducing them in illustrated form would be much of a challenge.



To be honest, the only illustrations that impress here are found on the Hoshi no Kirby instruction booklet's last couple of pages.



These pages detail the game's five stages, by the way. Speaking of which, I love their names--especially "Float Islands" and "Bubbly Clouds."



Now that you've taken a gander at the Japanese Kirby's Dream Land manual, what do you think of it?

See also: my Hoshi no Kirby review, some photos of the Hoshi no Kirby GameBoy cartridge and box, and scans of the Hoshi no Kirby Famicom manual

I rarely buy mobile games, but I may make an exception for HAL Laboratory's Hataraku UFO

The above assumes the company best known for the Kirby series of platformers releases its first (I think?) mobile game outside of Japan, of course.

I have a feeling it will, though, as Hataraku UFO looks--and sounds--like a lot of fun based on the trailers that can be seen over on japanesenintendo.com.

In fact, I'd say the game looks like equal parts Kirby (the protagonist's design, in particular), Hayden Scott-Baron's Tumbledrop, and your average "claw crane" game.

Add in the fact that HAL's selling Hataraku UFO for just 480 Yen in Japan (about four bucks in North America)--with no in-app purchases--and you've got yourself a sure-fire winner. Or at least that's my view of the situation.

You know what I'd like even more than for this game to make its way to my region's App Store and Google Play Store? For HAL to expand on it a bit and release some sort of "deluxe" version for the Nintendo Switch.

Don't worry, I'm keeping my eyes peeled for Hataraku UFO to land on my shores regardless. Are any of you going to do the same now that you're aware of this adorable game's existence?

Aural Gratification #5: 'Sea City' from Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS)

I'm showcasing "Sea City" here because it's my favorite of all the songs that have wafted through my ears in the last week or so while playing Kirby: Planet Robobot.

(In case you forgot, I recently bought copies of Kirby's latest 3DS adventure and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World as a reward for finishing Dragon Quest VII.)

Speaking of Planet Robobot, I've already put more than nine hours into its ample story mode. (I've also spent a good few minutes with its quest-centric "Team Kirby Clash" mode, which is surprisingly fun for something so light and superficial.)



That was just enough time for me to get all the way to and even defeat the game's final boss. I still have a way to go before I fully beat all of the stages leading up to that point, though. (I've found all of the "Code Cubes," which are needed to gain access to bosses and to unlock bonus levels, in the game's first three worlds, and I've found enough of them in Planet Robobot's later stages to earn an overall completion rate of 65 percent.)

Regardless, I've had a blast with this 3DS platformer. The "Robobot Armor" alluded to in the title probably is my favorite aspect of the game at this point, although I also adore a couple of the new copy abilities (doctor and ESP) made available to Kirby this go around.

Have any of you played Kirby: Planet Robobot? If so, what did you think of it? Also, how would you compare it to other Kirby games you've experienced (especially, say, Triple Deluxe)?

See also: previous 'Aural Gratification' posts

Shall We Do It? (Boxlife and The Starship Damrey plus Kirby: Planet Robobot and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World demos)

Although I've spent more time with Dragon Quest VII in the last couple of weeks than I've spent with the games discussed here, I'm going to save my comments about the former for my inevitable review of it. (Yes, this means I'm that close to finishing Dragon Quest VII's main campaign--thanks to putting more than 25 hours into it since 2017 started.)

Plus, I think I've said more than enough about my Dragon Quest VII playthrough up to this point. And then there's the fact that I've had so much fun with all of the games named in this post's headline that I'd rather write about them instead.

Boxlife--Who could've thought that a game about putting together boxes would wind up being fun? Besides the folks at skip Ltd., the makers of Boxlife (Hacolife in Japan), I mean.

Actually, let me step back a bit and revise my comment about this DSiWare (don't worry, you can still buy it from every region's 3DS eShop) title being fun. A more accurate way to describe it would be "enjoyably frantic," or maybe, "challenging--sometimes in a way that makes you chuckle, and sometimes in a way that makes you want to crush your DSi or 3DS system beneath the heel of a heavy boot."

OK, so, yes, Boxlife occasionally will cause you to lose your cool, but the good news here is you'll usually walk away from those occasions feeling like whatever mistakes you made during your last round were your fault, not the fault of "cheap" artificial intelligence.

At any rate, my advice to anyone who buys Boxlife after reading this write-up: stick with it. The game's "factory mode," especially, may drive you batty at first, but spend some time with its "R&D mode" and things eventually will click. That's when Boxlife's brilliance really hits you and makes you happy you dropped $4.99 (or whatever it costs in your neck of the woods) on it.

Kirby: Planet Robobot demo--It's been a while since I played a Kirby game. In fact, I think the last one I properly put through its paces was Kirby's Return to Dream Land for the Wii. I intended to follow up that experience by buying the pink puff's first 3DS offering (Triple Deluxe), but for whatever reason I never got around to it. When a demo was made available for that title's sequel, though, I decided I had to try it.

Now that I have, I'm itching to give the full game a go. Why? For starters, Planet Robobot focuses on what every Kirby game since the first (that would be 1992's Dream Land for GameBoy) has focused on: having fun. And by that, of course, I mean having a blast inhaling enemies and then taking on and using their special abilities against other foes. Planet Robobot also is a real looker, with candy-coated visuals that are as likely as the title's gameplay to bring a smile to your face.

Most importantly, though, this effort positively differentiates itself from past entries in the series by tossing something decidedly new at players: colorful mech suits that Kirby can pilot. Without fail, they're overpowered, but that's surely the point. Regardless, it's a blast climbing into one and then basically having your way with the rest of that part of the stage, and I look forward to finding out how they impact the overall adventure this time around.

The Starship Damrey--Although I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the Guild series games I've played so far (and that includes Aero Porter, Attack of the Friday Monsters!, Crimson Shroud and Weapon Shop de Omasse), I spent a long time dragging my feet in regard to The Starship Damrey.

I ignored it for a few reasons, of course, with one being that I've never been a big fan of games that have to be played from a first-person perspective and another being that a few folks told me The Starship Damrey was short and not worth my while. I'm glad I pushed aside both roadblocks late last year and bought this digital title while it was on sale, because the two hours I've devoted to it in the last week or so have been beyond intriguing.

If you don't know much about The Starship Damrey, the gist is that basically plops you into a seemingly abandoned spaceship and then tasks you with figuring out why you're there and what's happened to your crewmates. Oh, and you do this using a handful of robots that are placed around said ship, as you're unable to get out of the bed you wake up in at the start of the game.

Anyway, I have no idea how close I am to figuring out the mystery at the heart of The Starship Damrey (I just passed the two-hour mark last night), but even if I accomplish that feat in the next hour, I know I'll walk away from the game feeling I got more than my money's worth with it.

Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World demo--I've been of two minds about this 3DS port of Good-Feel's undeniably adorable Wii U platformer since it was first revealed last fall.

At first, I was thrilled I'd finally be able to give it a go (as I don't own a Wii U and I loved the developer's similarly crafty Kirby's Epic Yarn) while on the go. Later, my enthusiasm faltered when I decided Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World's visuals were far less impressive than I initially imagined them to be.

Well, things took a turn back toward "OK, I'm buying this sucker ASAP" after I played the game's demo--a few times over, at that--over the weekend. When seen on an actual 3DS screen, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World looks almost shockingly good. More importantly, it feels shockingly good, too, and that's true whether you experience it on an original 3DS or a New 3DS. (I played through the demo twice using both systems. )

If you're a frame-rate snob, you'll want to make sure you own a New 3DS, but rest assured you'll still have a blast with it if you only have access to an OG system.

See also: 'Are we f$%kin' there yet? (or, more thoughts on Dragon Quest VII after spending 40-plus hours with the 3DS remake)'

If you could only buy three of these 3DS games, which ones would you get?

Now that we've all (mostly) got the excitement surrounding "Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017" out of our systems, let's chat about something else.

Today, the "something else" consists of helping me figure out which of the following six North American 3DS games I should buy this week.

What can I say? I have a few "free" bucks to blow, and I want to blow them on a few more titles for my favorite handheld.

I really only have enough to pick up three of the 3DS games mentioned below, though, so keep that in mind while coming up with your suggestions.

Corpse Party--I actually pre-ordered the North American 3DS port of Corpse Party well in advance of its just-in-time-for-Halloween release date. I canceled it before the game hit the streets, though, as I knew I wouldn't be able to play it by the end of the year. I also wasn't a huge fan of its $49.99 asking price. I'm still not a fan of it, to be honest. Still, I'd really like to play this iteration of Team GrisGris' iconic survival-horror title, so I'm including it here as a possibility.

Kid Icarus: Uprising--I know it's bizarre that I've yet to play this long-time-coming sequel to one of my all-time favorite NES games. At first, my disinterest was due to all of the online whining about Uprising's quirky controls. Later, it was due to there being too many new 3DS titles coming out that I wanted more than this "old" one. Now that the system's time as a "relevant" system is nearing its end, though, I'm itching to pick up a few of the gems that were released early on in its existence.

Kirby: Planet Robobot--Although I used to turn up my nose at the Kirby series, that all changed after I finally played my first real entry. (That would be Epic Yarn for the Wii, by the way. Previously, I'd played--and loved--Canvas Curse for the DS, but that's hardly a traditional Kirby game.) I've read only positive reactions to Planet Robobot, so I figure I should consider giving it a go, too.

Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World--I've got to be honest here: I'm pretty sure I'll buy this 3DS port of Woolly World whether or not any of you suggest I do so. Yoshi games have long had a hold on me, even when they've ended up being stinkers. That said, if some of you really hated the Wii U version of this title, let me know. After all, the portable iteration surely is going to look worse than the original, and I doubt it's going to play better, so I probably should pass on it if the consensus is it's a turd.

River City: Tokyo Rumble--I've been on the fence about Tokyo Rumble since it was first announced for North American release. As for why I've failed to buy it until now, that would be because I'm just not sure I'll enjoy its gameplay over the long haul. In the past, brawlers have bored me to tears, and even though this new River City title is priced well enough, that won't mean much to me if I tuck it away after putting just a few hours into it.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers--The last thing I need right now is another JRPG in my backlog. None of the ones currently residing there are set in modern times, though, and only a few are dungeon-crawlers. So, Soul Hackers is as deserving of consideration as any other 3DS game discussed in this post. The question is: does it deserve to be bought?

So, what do you think? Which of these 3DS games should I get?

UPDATE: I've made my decision, and the games I'll be ordering are Kid Icarus: Uprising, Kirby: Planet Robobot and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers.

Although I initially thought I would choose Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World over Kirby, I went with the latter in the end because it's currently cheaper than the former ($33 compared to $40), and I have a feeling Yoshi will see a similar price cut (even if unofficial) in the coming months. Also, based on what many of you said here, on Facebook and on Twitter, it sounds like Planet Robobot is a better, more enjoyable platformer than Woolly World.

Anyway, thank you helping me with this dilemma. Hopefully I'll be able to share impressions of all of these titles soon!

Aural Gratification #4: 'Snowy Fields' from Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)

I was reminded of this wonderfully wintry track when my friend Anne recently sent out a tweet about a similarly seasonal tune from Yoshi's Woolly World.

The reminder was much appreciated, as both "Snowy Fields" and Kirby's Epic Yarn have long had a special place in my heart.

Not only did I declare the latter my favorite Wii game of 2010, but I now work my way through it every year in the run up to the holidays.



Why? The game's "Snow Land" is a major reason, of course, but the rest of Epic Yarn's many worlds play a role, too. After all, each and every one of them look (and sound) like they sprang out of a child's toy chest.

Plus, the whole adventure evokes that same wide-eyed feeling of wonderment and awe that washed over me as a kid after I woke up on Christmas morning and first caught a glimpse of the brightly wrapped presents under our tree.

Do any of you also have fond memories of Kirby's Epic Yarn? If so, please share them in the comments section that follows.

See also: previous 'Aural Gratification' posts

The Great Gaymathon Review #71: Hoshi no Kirby (GameBoy)

Game: Hoshi no Kirby

Genre: Platformer

Developer: HAL Laboratory

Publisher: Nintendo

System: GameBoy

Release date: 1992

It may be hard to believe given my current love of cute games, but my first experience with a Kirby game didn't come until I eagerly picked up a copy of the DS-based spin-off known in my neck of the woods as Canvas Curse.

Which means, of course, that I was about 13 years late to that pink, puffy party. (The title we're chatting about here, which was Kirby's maiden voyage--or whatever the gaming equivalent of that ages-old phrase may be--first hit store shelves back in 1992.)

Why did I ignore Hoshi no Kirby (aka Kirby's Dream Land) for so darn long? I owned a GameBoy system and a whole slew of GB games at the time this cart was released in my region, after all, so adding it to my collection shouldn't have been out of the question. Sadly, the only answer I can come up with at the moment is that it looked a tad too easy for my liking.

Even then, it seems, I couldn't understand the point of a cakewalk platformer. I mean, really, who wants to stroll through a side-scrolling action game that refuses to put up an adequate fight? Not me, that's for sure.

And so I turned my nose up at Hoshi no Kirby--until I played and loved Canvas Curse. Actually, it took longer than that for me to give this portable effort a chance, as I didn't dive into it until after Kirby's Epic Yarn extracted its flannel-tipped claws from the depths of my soul sometime in 2010 or 2011.

At any rate, I eventually acquired a copy of Hoshi no Kirby--and quickly fell in love with it, too. Which is a good thing, as this particular Kirby adventure doesn't last very long. In fact, its five or so worlds and their respective bosses can be toppled in about 25 minutes if you can keep yourself from dillydallying.

Strangely, coming face to face with that truth didn't bother as much as I thought it would, and my only explanation for that is Hoshi no Kirby is so damn cute, and its titular protagonist is such a joy to control, that it's hard not to put aside your usual prejudices and instead focus on having fun when you pop its cartridge into your trusty GameBoy.

Does that mean I consider this initial iteration of the Kirby formula--which is what I imagine Super Mario Bros. would be like if it had been made by kids, what with its cartoonish, dream-like focus on manipulating Kirby's gaping maw to inhale baddies and float above the earth--to be portable perfection in black and white? Not hardly.

A case in point: although Hoshi no Kirby is a total, grin-inducing hoot to play through, there's no denying its brevity--even when a second, slightly more difficult adventure is offered up on a pixelated platter at the tail end of the first. Also, there's no question that this Kirby escapade feels a bit "bare bones" when compared to pretty much every other game that stars this pink puffball.

That's not enough for me to give this game whatever my version of a "thumbs down" would be, though, especially considering both physical and digital copies of it can be picked up for less than $10 these days. Back when it was a new release and cost a couple of times that amount? Sure, why not. But here in 2015, the only reason I can come up with that would prompt me to recommend someone not buy this gem of a platformer is if they already own it in some form or fashion.

See also: previous 'Great Gaymathon' reviews

I also got this adorable 'Pupupu Friends' 3DS XL pouch for Christmas

So, the copy of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley I chatted about yesterday isn't the only game-related present I received this holiday season. I also got the following 3DS case from my sneaky sister-in-law.

I'm calling her sneaky, by the way, because she figured out I wanted it by reading the "All I want for Christmas is..." post I published a few weeks back. (I honestly didn't realize until Wednesday that she occasionally checks out my blog.)



Anyway, this Kirby-themed case is pretty sweet, don't you think? And not only is its exterior the definition of adorable, but its interior is nicely cushioned and includes a couple of pockets for DS or 3DS carts.

Even better than either of those attributes, though, is that it perfectly complements my pink-and-white 3DS XL system--as should be evident for all to see in the photo below.



Now I just have to find a case or pouch that can be used to protect and carry my gold Pokémon Center 3DS LL. I've been considering this cute Monster Hunter airu one for ages now. What do you think?

Also, what kind of gaming-related gifts did all of you get this holiday season? Spill the beans in the comments section below--if you're willing to share, I mean.

All I want for Christmas is ...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. OK, so that isn't completely true here in Seattle, although we did get a dusting of snow over the weekend. (A rarity here, I assure you.)

Still, it certainly feels like Christmas here, or it's starting to feel like it. As such, I can't stop thinking about my holiday "wish list"--which is kind of funny, as I'm sure to get a small handful of presents from my parents this year and that's about much it. (That's not a complaint, mind you. I'm just pointing out how things work in my family circle at this point in time. And given that, producing a "wish list," as I've done here, is kind of pointless.)

You don't really need to know the details of my family's gift-giving traditions, though, do you? No, you do not. So, let's push all of that to the side and get to the contents of my kinda-sorta holiday wish list:

1. A couple of Japanese and North American DS games--Which ones? Here are a few of the DS games I'd love to add to my ever-growing collection: the first Ace Attorney title, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Ghost Trick and Okamiden. As for Japanese releases, the ones currently topping my "obtain as soon as humanly possible" list include Dig Dug: Digging Strike, Nanashi no Game and Ni no Kuni.



2. Cyber Neko-Nyan silicon cover for 3DS LL/XL--I've wanted one of these suckers ever since the guys over at Tiny Cartridge first mentioned them in a post. Specifically, I want the pink one for my pink-and-white (North American) 3DS XL and the tortoiseshell one (above) for my black-and-gold Pokémon Center (Japanese) 3DS LL.



3. Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley--Although I love that my parents got me a copy of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call for my birthday, if I'm allowed to be completely honest, I kind of wished they'd gotten me this 3DS game instead, as I've been curious about it since the first screenshots of it popped up months ago. Oh, well, that's what wish lists like this are for, right?



4. "Kirby Taikoushin" hard cover--Yep, another 3DS LL/XL accessory. I'm kind of hesitant to ask for this one, though, as I'm worried that attaching it to, or removing it from, my system may scratch its surface. Still, I'm willing to risk that thanks to the overwhelmingly adorable design of this particular "hard cover." (I especially like the message on the bottom lid: "Pink. Puffy. Powerful.")



5. "Kirby Friends" soft pouch--Isn't this just the cutest thing? Seriously, it's so cute it makes me want to barf--and I mean that in the most positive way possible. Another reason I want one of these beauties (which can be bought here): I just know my pink-and-white 3DS XL would feel right at home tucked inside of it.



6. Light pink/white PS Vita--If I'm going to get a Vita, it's got to be the pink-tastic version showcased above. Sadly, it's only available in Japan at the moment (and is unlikely to ever see an official release in North America), but that's not as unfortunate as it sounds given the strength of the dollar--in comparison to the yen, at least--right now.

Now that I've had my say, which systems, games or even game-related items are you hoping to receive from your loved ones this holiday season?

Let's chat a bit about the awesomeness that is Kirby and the Rainbow Curse's Japanese box art

Also, let's chat a bit about how awesome it is that games like this are still getting released via retail--as opposed to only being sold digitally. Speaking of which, copies of this absolutely amazing looking Wii U title will hit store shelves in Japan on Jan. 22 and in North America on Feb. 13--although European (and I'm guessing Australian?) store shelves won't be stocked until sometime in third or fourth quarter of 2015.

The question is: will Western copies of Kirby and the Rainbow's Curse sport the same great cover art that was created for Touch! Kirby Super Rainbow (that's the Japanese version's name), or will Nintendo's European, Australian and American artists once again ruin everything by transforming this cuddly cover boy into "angry Kirby"?

(Via neogaf.com/forum)

I've quickly gone from having zero copies of Hoshi no Kirby (aka Kirby's Dream Land) to having two

Given my propensity toward cute games, the declaration in the header above probably strikes a few of you as odd.

Sadly, I can't really explain to you why it took me so long to acquire a copy of--or even play--this particular platformer, other than I just wasn't all that keen on this Kirby character when he first arrived on the scene back in 1992, and that lack of interest prompted me to ignore him and pretty much every one of his games until Kirby's Canvas Curse piqued my interest a few years ago.

Even after I had that change of heart--which was bolstered by the release of Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Return to Dream Land--about the little squeeze toy, though, I still couldn't be bothered to pick up the GameBoy cart that introduced him to the world.

That's mainly because I'd always imagined a "mainline" Kirby game without the series' trademark--the ability to take on enemies' powers--would be a waste of time. Then, a couple of months ago, I watched a video of Dream Land's first stage. I liked pretty much all of what I saw, of course, but what pushed me from "like" to "love," strangely enough, was seeing a couple of Grizzos--one of which had a Poppy Bros. Jr. on its back--hop to and fro in the most adorable manner.

So, I ran out--well, directed my browser to eBay--and bought a copy of the Japanese version of Dream Land, which is known in that part of the world as Hoshi no Kirby, or Kirby of the Stars.

Its packaging, as you can see in the photos shared throughout this post, is simple but effective. I especially like how the illustration that sits behind Kirby (on the front cover) looks like it may have been made out of fabric. (A precursor to the aforementioned Epic Yarn, perhaps?) That said, I think I prefer the even more simplistic cart-label art to the box art.

The back of the Hoshi no Kirby's packaging is pretty darn appealing, too--or at least I think it is.

I still haven't played a ton of the game, I'm embarrassed to admit, but I've played through a small handful of stages, enjoying every second of the experience, and as a result I can assure you I'll return to finish the rest of them sooner rather than later.

Do any of you consider yourselves to be fans of Hoshi no Kirby or Kirby's Dream Land? If so, please share your thoughts about why that is in the comments section of this post.

See also: 'I guess I've come around to Bubble Bobble Junior's box art as well as its gameplay'

Kirby and Meta Knight 'en fleur'

I may be an odd Kirby fan (my first two Kirby experiences were with Kirby: Canvas Curse and Kirby's Epic Yarn), but I'm a Kirby fan nonetheless.

As such, I'm always down for great pieces of Kirby fan art--like the ones below, for instance.



Both were created by artist Pauli Kohberger, aka madamluna, for the soon-to-be-released Kirby’s Dream Zine.

For more on the latter, click on the link above. To see more examples of Kohberger's work, on the other hand, go to madamluna.deviantart.com or electricopolis.net.

An artistic mash-up I'd never considered before now: Kirby x Zelda

Before today, I could've envisioned a couple of game series being successfully combined artistically with Kirby--Mario and Pokémon among them--but The Legend of Zelda? Not even a consideration for me--until I came across the example below, of course.

The Zelda elements all can be found within the giant Kirby, by the way. Some are images while others are text.



This painting--made using posca, which is supposed to be some sort of water-based marker--is yet another product of artist and blogger Oskunk, by the way. To see more samples of his work, check out custom-art.blogspot.com.

Let's take a moment to bask in the beauty and brilliance that is Kirby: Triple Deluxe's trailer

I know what some of you are thinking: How about we bask in the brilliance that is Super Mario 3D World's latest trailer?

Well, yes, I think that would be a worthy endeavor, too, but everyone and his or her mother (OK, maybe that's pushing it) already are raving about the shiny new Super Mario 3D World trailer that was included in yesterday's trio of Nintendo Direct broadcasts, so I thought I'd focus on the trailer that was shown for the upcoming 3DS game that's currently known as Kirby: Triple Deluxe instead.

Here's the trailer, in case any of you have yet to see it:



I'm sure some will say Kirby: Triple Deluxe looks a bit too similar to Kirby's Return to Dream Land, which hit the Wii back in 2011, and I can't disagree with those statements. That said, I really liked the look of that Kirby release, so if Triple Deluxe (or whatever it winds up being called) resembles it graphically in the end, I'm more than OK with that.

At the moment, though, I do think this trailer showcases some subtle differences to the look and feel of Return to Dream Land that should even appeal to folks who got their fill of that particular kind of Kirby adventure. Case in point: this title's softer, more textured backdrops, which seem to exist somewhere between those found in Return to Dream Land and the ones that appeared in Kirby's Epic Yarn.

And then there's Kirby's ability to leap between background layers. Sure, it's been done many times before (hello, Donkey Kong Country Returns), but I've always liked that particular platforming mechanic, so I'm guessing it'll be a fun addition to Triple Deluxe, too.

Anyway, hopefully I'm not alone in looking forward to the 2014 release of this 3DS game?

A few brief thoughts on the latest trio of Nintendo Direct broadcasts

I don't know about you, but the very first thing I did after waking up this morning was check out the Nintendo Directs that were made available to Japanese and North American audiences a few hours ago. (I skipped the European one because I assumed it would be a rehash, more or less, of the other two.)

Anyway, here are a few brief thoughts on the above-mentioned broadcasts (watch the North American one here, and the Japanese one here):

(Sort of) surprisingly, Super Mario 3D World looks smashing--Although I wasn't all that interested in Super Mario 3D World following the game's unveiling at this year's E3, I'm pretty darn interested in it now. Some of the levels shown during today's Nintendo Direct looked absolutely stunning--and, more importantly, looked like a lot of fun, too. The question is: will I ever get my husband to play it along with me? Thankfully, I have a feeling it'll be a blast while played solo, too.



Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze delayed--The only news related to this Wii U title is that it's release--originally scheduled for later this year--has been pushed to February. That doesn't bother me too much, as I'm not planning on picking it up (I liked Donkey Kong Country Returns, but not enough to buy a sequel), but I know a lot of people were hoping to get their paws on it this holiday season.



The 3DS is really going to suck next year--In a good way, that is--thanks to the new Kirby game that's scheduled for release at some point in 2014. Anyway, this latest entry in the long-running Kirby series--which I believe will be called Kirby: Triple Deluxe in Japan--looks a lot like Kirby's Return to Dream Land, which is a very good thing, in my opinion. That said, I wouldn't mind at all if Nintendo announced a follow-up to Kirby's Epic Yarn for Wii U sometime next year.



Looks like I'll get my yearly dose of Daigasso! Band Brothers sooner than expected--The highlight of the Japanese Nintendo Direct (which covered a lot of the same ground as its North American counterpart) for yours truly: the news that this third entry in the Daigasso! Band Brothers series--called Daigasso! Band Brothers P--will hit the streets in its home country on Nov. 14. Unfortunately, that's about all I got out of this portion of the broadcast--although I think the major revelation here was supposed to be that folks will be able to go on line to access or download a ton of additional tunes. That aspect of the title likely will be lost on me, but that's OK--the 100 or so songs that are supposed to be included on the cart should be more than enough for me.

To those of you who also checked out one or more of this morning's Nintendo Direct broadcasts: which games stuck out at you, if any?

The GameBoy of my dreams? Quite possibly...

The only way this custom-painted GameBoy could be any dreamier, in my opinion, is if its design were inspired by Nintendo's Balloon Kid rather than its long-running (and long-loved) Kirby series.

That said, it's still pretty dreamy in its current state, don't you think?



Additional photos of this beauty can be encountered on artist Oskunk's blog, custom-art.blogspot.com, by the way--including one or two that show its (possibly even dreamier) backside.

See also: previous Oskunk-centric posts

Acquisition #136: Kirby Mass Attack (DS)

OK, folks. Raise your hands if you're at all surprised that I picked up Kirby Mass Attack. No one? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Actually, I'm guessing some of you may be surprised that it took me this long to add it to my collection--especially given my blossoming admiration for the Kirby series.

How does Kirby Mass Attack compare to the other Kirby games I've played--and loved--over the last few years (Kirby's Adventure, Kirby Canvas Curse, Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Return to Dream Land)? As of now, I'd say it stacks up with the best of them.

Granted, I've only completed Kirby Mass Attack's first three or four stages so far, but they've been more than enough to make me fall head over heels in love with the game as a whole.



I especially love all of the different things you can do with your raucous pack of Kirbys, such as tossing them around with a flick of the stylus and sending them scurrying toward enemies with simple tap.

Speaking of which, watching them beat the crap out of hapless foe after hapless foe is a bit disconcerting, but it's also kind of invigorating. (It helps, of course, that said hapless foes often are doing their best to bring down as many of your brain-dead Kirbys as possible, so it's not like they didn't have it coming.)

I also love the game's jaunty soundtrack, which seems to fit both its graphics and gameplay to a tee.

And then there's Kirby Mass Attack's box art. I know I was a bit ambivalent about it when it was first revealed, but now I positively adore it (despite the fact that the illustration's largest Kirby is of the angry variety).

Have any of you played this one? If so, what do you think of it?

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

One more reason to pick up Kirby's Dream Collection later this year

If I hadn't made up my mind some time ago to buy Kirby's Dream Collection as soon as it lands on our shores this autumn (on Sept. 19, to be exact), I'd certainly have done so after watching the video below--of an orchestra performing a special Kirby medley that will appear on the music CD included with this Wii compilation--earlier today.



Thanks to the video above, I've also made up my mind about something else Kirby-related--with that "something else" being that, as soon as I've got the time, I'm going to play through Kirby's Epic Yarn once again. I absolutely adored that title's orchestral-esque soundtrack.

See also: 'Surprise of surprises: I dislike the packaging produced for Kirby's Dream Collection'

Surprise of surprises: I dislike the packaging produced for Kirby's Dream Collection

Considering it was home to a pair of completely awesome Kirby titles, it seems pretty appropriate that one of the Wii's last releases will be a collection of some of the adorable pink blob's best games, don't you think?

Sadly, the outer packaging produced for this collection--called Kirby's Dream Collection in North America and Kirby 20th Anniversary Collection in Japan--isn't as fabulous as I imagined it would be. Oh, it's far from terrible, that's true, but I can't help but find it kind of ... underwhelming.

That's especially true of the North American version's packaging (below), which is mucked up by a terribly boring font (the "Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition" part), a trio of pointless product scans and that jarring swath of gold along the bottom edge.

The packaging made for the Japanese iteration is a lot more appealing, if you ask me. I especially like that the "included products" are illustrations instead of scans.

Thankfully, it seems that the cover art created for the game itself (the scans above are of the boxes that will contain the game, a soundtrack and a commemorative book of some sort) won't be so manhandled between the collection's Japanese and North American release.

Don't believe me? Compare the scan below--of the game's Japanese cover art--to the one shown on the North American packaging scan above.

Kirby 20th Anniversary Collection will hit store shelves in Japan on July 19, while its North American counterpart, Kirby's Dream Collection, will do the same on Sept. 19. Will any of you be picking it up, as I will, on day one or shortly after?

(Via andriasang.com and superphillipcentral.blogspot.com)

Put me down for one copy of Kirby's Dream Collection, please

When I first heard that the folks at Nintendo were planning a Kirby's Dream Collection (I'm leaving out the "Special Edition" part because I think it's both pointless and stupid) for Wii, I wasn't sure what to think.

I mean, Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition was nice enough--as far as "ROM dumps" go--but I barely spent any time with it. Would I similarly ignore the not-all-that-different Kirby's Dream Collection, despite my new-found love for the Kirby series? Both my heart and head suggested I would--although it's hard to know that for sure without knowing this upcoming release's contents.



Fast-forward to a few days ago, when I read (here) that Kirby's Dream Collection would include the six "mainline" Kirby games that were released for the GameBoy, Famicom, Super Famicom and Nintendo 64, as well as a "More Challenge Stage" mode that I don't quite understand at the moment.

Has that news caused me to change my mind about picking up this Wii compilation? Actually, it has--although obviously it helps that I've only played one of the collection's six games thus far (that being Kirby's Adventure).



Also responsible for my change of heart: Unlike the games featured on the aforementioned Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition, the ones included on Kirby's Dream Collection will feature adorable--rather than black--borders (like the ones seen in the screenshots above).

Finally, I find the packaging that's being prepped for this particular title--see it here--to be beyond adorable (and we all know I'm a total sucker for anything adorable).

Now all that needs to happen is for the folks at Amazon to allow me to pre-order the darn thing.