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Kirby has always been one of my favorite Nintendo characters and I'm always eager to pick up a new Kirby game.

Returning to Dreamland once more, one day, a mysterious beanstalk called the Dreamstalk sprouts out of the ground, bringing Kirby's home as well as King Dedede's castle into the sky. When Kirby decides to check on Dedede in his castle, he arrives to find Dedede being kidnapped by Taranza. Kirby decides to ascend the Dreamstalk and save Dedede.

There isn't much to say about the gameplay compared to past Kirby installments other than the fact that Kirby now has the ability to dodge moves in a fashion similar to Smash Bros. 21 abilities reappear in the game including the classic Sword, Fire, and Ninja. The game also adds 4 new abilities: Archer, Beetle, Bell, and Circus. Archer allows Kirby to fire Arrows and camouflage himself, Beetle is a strictly melee based ability with tons of power, Bell has a lot of defensive properties, and Circus is a quirky ability loaded with Circus act related skills like juggling and jumping through flaming hoops. Another ability (sort of) is the Hypernova ability which greatly enhances Kirby's Inhale ability. Granted, it's limited to the level you get the power, but it's more for puzzle solving than combat.

Overall combat is similar to Return to Dreamland so each ability has a plethora of moves to use. Bosses are also difficult as I've seldom found myself defeating a boss without losing health save perhaps the first boss. The usage of 3D Warp Stars to shift between the foreground and background is interesting and it would be wise to be aware of enemies on the background as they can attack the player even if they are in the foreground. There are numerous Sunstones scattered across each level so finding them will require a bit of exploration and perhaps a few level replays. Lastly the game has collectibles in the form of keychains. Each level has 1 rare keychain hidden to collect while the others can be obtained by finding them scattered across the worlds or by paying with 3DS Play Coins. Overall, there is plenty to keep you busy just in the story mode alone.

True to all kirby games there is a Boss Rush that is unlocked once you beat the game. An Ex-Mode where you play a speed-run version of the game using Dedede. Both require you to completes story mode first. The other two bonus games are Kirby Fighters and Dedede Drum Dash. Drum Dash is a single player rhythm game. It is simple but not much fun after you complete the levels as there is no multiplayer mode so you'll only be able to compare records with those you pass. Kirby Fighters, however, is a true shining gem. Players will chose one of ten abilities and then fight against other Kirbys in a Super Smash Bros. styled KO competition. It has multiplayer functions and it is a ton of fun and filled with mayhem. Personally if given more expansion, this mode could be its own standalone game.

The soundtrack is great, but a lot of it is merely remixes of old them or straight up reuse of old themes. It's not a bad thing, but where the original compositions come in, it's sublime.

Nonny's Rating: 8/10. Solid good old fashion Kirby fun. Great for newcomers and veterans. The bonus modes also hold ground and make the game better. It's worth the $35 tag if you are a Kirby fan.

Nonny's Tip: As mentioned above, pay attention to both the foreground and the background to avoid sucker punches.