December 2, 2002 - Fans of the little pink guy might be a little disappointed to find out that the game isn't that much more than a retooled copy of Kirby's Adventure released on the NES platform almost a decade ago. But it's a good introduction to newcomers to the character, and players who have already played through this adventure in its original 8-bit incarnation can still enjoy a quick play-through with a few new additions to take advantage of...namely, four player cooperative mode, as well as three new mini-games that take advantage of the GBA's single cartridge link feature.

Features

• More than 20 different abilities to utilize
• Three mini-games
• Extra boss battle mode
• Link cable support for four players (single and multiple-cartridge support)
• Cartridge save (four slots)

The game as a whole is a very satisfying Game Boy Advance experience, with clever level design ideas that put Kirby's move-stealing abilities to good use. Most of the areas can be completed without breaking a sweat, which is a shame for the many gamers that just blow through a game without really doing any of the "discovery" stuff; the real challenge is to learn where all the hidden stuff is tucked away.

Unlike the way Nintendo has handled past ports for the Game Boy Advance, Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland really only lifts the gameplay and level design from the NES Kirby's Adventure; all of the graphics and sound effects have been recreated from scratch in order to take advantage of the GBA's more powerful system capabilities. Kirby's animation is absolutely fluid in all of his adorable movements, and what's more, since the guy visually shows what power he's currently holding onto, the artists had to redraw many of Kirby's motions while he's wearing his different hats. Backgrounds are almost as impressive, as many of the backdrop images look to be handpainted, scanned-in paintings, definitely putting the GBA's high-color abilities to use.

The gameplay from the NES game received slight tweaks here and there, but nothing to get in a twist over. Some of the alterations, like providing more visible hidden doorways, make the game a bit easier, while others, like end boss size and behavior, give the game a slightly more difficult challenge. But to be honest, the game's average in difficulty; it's no slouch, though, and it'll take a bit longer to complete the game 100% (and to get the "extra" element), but the first time through the game shouldn't take more than a couple of hours of play.

There are a few things that increase Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland's replay value. Along with the discovery of the hidden doorways to earn the 100% complete status, the mini-games in the adventure can be played with up to three other GBA owners through the magic of single-cartridge multiplayer. though they're really nothing hugely elaborate, the games are a nice change of pace from the main adventure and put the system's more challenging abilities to work. The Air Grind level in particular is pretty impressive to watch, as four rails intertwine like a Twizzler vine, with each of four Kirbys scaling into the foreground and out to the background as they slide along the line. The Bomb Rally is nothing more than a game of Hot Potato-meets-Tennis, but it's still a good way to earn a few extra lives. And Quick Draw says it like it is; the fastest player on the A button after the timer starts wins the battle.

Most promising is its cooperative option; if every player has a copy of the game, they can enter the adventure together...at any time. Find a boss battle particularly challenging? Get a friend (or two, or three) involved to take him out a little easier. While the game isn't a massive pain in single player, it's always great to work together with a couple of other Kirby fanatics.

Closing Comments
Nintendo seems to really like rehashing old games on the Game Boy Advance, but at least when they used Kirby's Adventure as the blueprint for Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, it wasn't "quick and dirty" like Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island. Not that those ports weren't top notch developments on the GBA, it's just that, even though not a lot of level design effort went into the Kirby project, a whole team of artists were put to work for this game; it's definitely one great looking GBA platformer. It's not a hugely challenging game, and don't be surprised if you blow through the game to the end in a sitting or two. But keep in mind that there's a lot of discovery and, yes, a little strategy in order to complete the game 100%, and you'll want to do that to get the "extra" something.

Rating	Description
out of 10	click here for ratings guide
8.0	Presentation Kirby's always been about over-the-top cuteness, and the first version follows the formula closely.
9.0	Graphics Excellent pixel-art animation of all the Kirby morphs and enemies, with wonderful painting background elements that utilize the GBA's color capabilities.
8.0	Sound The Kirby soundtrack has been kept intact, and it's rendered excellently with the GBA's sound capabilities.
8.0	Gameplay The level designs aren't exactly taxing, but they do hide some of the hidden exits pretty well. That's where the challenge lies.
7.0	Lasting Appeal It's a short adventure for those who just want to blow through all the levels. The extras are pretty good, with its single cartridge multiplayer option and extras only earned after beating the game.
8.5 Great	OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average)