Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe: Difference between revisions

{{Featured}}{{Infobox-Game

|developer=[[HAL Laboratory]]<br>Vanpool

|publisher=[[Nintendo]]

|released=February 24th, 2023

|platforms=[[Nintendo Switch]]

}}{{title font}}

<onlyinclude>{{#ifeq:{{{transcludesection|}}}|lead|

While ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'' features nearly the exact same side-scrolling 2.5-D gameplay as the original, the graphics have been given an overhaul, giving all the characters strong outlines and increasing the detail and contrast. In addition, the [[character]]s (most notably [[King Dedede]]), [[Enemy|enemies]], and objects have been updated to their modern looks. [[Super Ability|Super Abilities]] have also been refined with faster gameplay and more visual flair. On top of this, several gameplay and control style tweaks, sound changes, and other small additions overall transform the experience when compared to the original game. The game reportedly sold almost 1.5 million units as of March 2023, and is thus expected to surpass the sales of the original Wii game.{{#ifeq:{{PAGENAME}}|Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe|<ref>[https://www.kirbyinformer.com/post/kirby-s-return-to-dream-land-deluxe-sales-reach-1-46-million-units-forgotten-land-tops-6-46-million Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe Sales Reach 1.46 Million Units, Forgotten Land Tops 6.46 Million]</ref>}}

''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'' features the same core gameplay of the original, though with many adjustments and touch-ups following innovations introduced by games such as ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'', ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'', and even ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''. At heart, the gameplay still closely matches up with the classic formula established all the way back in ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'', as Kirby and his friends move through largely linear stages, using various abilities and attacks to deal with the enemies that litter the landscape, with the goal being to reach the [[door]] at the end to clear the stage or to defeat the boss at the end of each level. To assist in this endeavor, Kirby and friends can make use of various [[item]]s that appear in the stages, such as the [[Crackler]], [[Stomper Boot]], and [[Prism Shield]], as well as picking up [[food]] items to recover [[health]] and [[Point Star]]s to gain [[1-Up|extra lives]]. The most notable breaks in regular gameplay are the sections in stages that make use of the powerful [[Super Ability|Super Abilities]], which are used to clear large obstacles and open rifts to Another Dimension for an extra challenge just before the end of certain stages.

===Controls===

|align=center|B

|-

|align=center|X

|align=center|X

|-

|'''Drop ability''' (Kirby only)

|-

|'''Super Inhale''' (Kirby only)

|-

|'''[[Emote]]'''

|-

|'''Put on/remove Dress-Up Mask'''

|}

|Bandana Waddle Dee can now use his "Ground Thrust" technique, which was introduced in ''Kirby Star Allies''.

|-

|Magolor's moveset in this game resembles that in ''Kirby Star Allies'', though with a lot of changes.

|}

!Ability

!Appearance

!Description

!Notes

|-

|-

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Mecha Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Mecha]]'''}}

|This ability is similar to [[Leaf]].

|-

|-

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Beam Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Beam]]'''}}

|[[File:KRtDLD Beam.png|125px|center]]

|Kirby can attack with an array of magical beam blasts to zap his enemies.

|

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Bomb Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Bomb]]'''}}

|[[File:KRtDLD Bomb.png|125px|center]]

|Kirby can pull out bombs to toss at his enemies.

|

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Crash Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Crash]]'''}}

|[[File:KRtDLD Crash.png|125px|center]]

|Kirby creates a massive explosion that wipes out all enemies on screen.

|

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Fire Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Fire]]'''}}

|[[File:KRtDLD Fire.png|125px|center]]

|Kirby gains the ability to breathe fire at his foes, and turn into a fireball to tackle them.

|Kirby can also use the Searing Burn and Fireball Jump techniques originating from ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe''.

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Ice Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Ice]]'''}}

|[[File:KRtDLD Ice.png|125px|center]]

|Kirby can breathe ice to freeze his opponents solid and then kick them away while gracefully skating along.

|

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Leaf Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Leaf]]'''}}

|[[File:KRtDLD Leaf.png|125px|center]]

|Kirby attacks his foes with a torrent of razor-sharp leaves.

|

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Spark Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Spark]]'''}}

|[[File:KRtDLD Spark.png|125px|center]]

|Kirby can generate a big electric field around himself and shoot electric projectiles at enemies.

|

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Water Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Water]]'''}}

|[[File:KRtDLD Water.png|125px|center]]

|Kirby gains the ability to surf through his enemies and attack them with pressurized water spouts.

|-

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Whip Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Whip]]'''}}

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Flare Beam Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Flare Beam]]'''}}

|[[File:KRtDLD Flare Beam.png|125px|center]]

|-

|{{center|[[File:KRtDLD Grand Hammer Ability Star artwork.png|75px]]<br>'''[[Grand Hammer]]'''}}

|N/A

|

*[[Traitor Magolor|Magolor]]

*[[Magolor (second form)]] (Story Mode only)

!Notes

|-

|align=center|[[File:KRtDLD Armoroid screenshot.png|75px]]

|{{Y}}

|

|-

|align=center|[[File:KRtDLD Sandran screenshot.png|75px]]

|{{Y}}

|

|-

|align=center|[[File:KRtDLD Lor & Magolor screenshot.png|75px]]

[[File:KRtDLD Lor EX & Magolor screenshot.png|75px]]

[[Merry Magoland]] is a new area of the game where Kirby and up to three other players can participate in competitive Sub-Games (although the games can also be accessed in the Lor Starcutter like in the original ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land''). There are far more than in previous games, with most returning from older games in the ''Kirby'' series.

The following Sub-Games are available:

[[File:KRtDLD Magolor Epilogue gameplay screenshot 8.jpg|thumb|250px|After the main Story Mode, a new Extra Mode is unlocked which stars Magolor, stranded in Another Dimension and greatly weakened.]]

{{main|Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler}}

This Extra Mode features new stages and souped-up versions of bosses from the main game. It can also be played with up to four players, though all of them play as different colored Magolors. While significantly shorter than the main adventure, Magolor Epilogue features a fresh take on the ''Kirby'' formula, using its progression system for Magolor as well as an emphasis on scoring combos on enemies.

[[File:KRtDLD Kirby Wave.png|thumb|250px|Image of Kirby using one of his [[emote]]s, which was not possible in the original game.]]

[[File:KRtDLD Sand Challenge screenshot 01.png|thumb|250px|Screenshot from the [[Sand Challenge]], one of the two new [[Challenge Stage]]s in ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe''.]]

*The new enemies and Copy Abilities have been dispersed throughout the regular stages, replacing previous enemies and/or [[Copy Essence]]s in certain instances.

*Additional collectibles have been added to stages, such as [[Stamp Rally|Stamp Tickets]].

*A new item, the [[Random Copy Essence]], has been introduced. This item acts like the Mix Copy Essence from ''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'', but cycles between abilities much more slowly. It can be carried in Kirby's inventory and spawned at will. Notably, using this item means Kirby can make use of Copy Abilities in the [[Another Dimension]] platforming stages.

*Kirby can now obtain [[Stock Item|Souvenirs]] which he can carry in his inventory to save for later, much like the Stock Items in ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''. These items include [[Maxim Tomato]]es, [[Energy Drink]]s, [[Crackler]]s, [[Balloon Bomb]]s, and Random Copy Essences.

*All bosses have unique Special Page descriptions on the [[pause]] screen. In the original, only a select few had them.

**In the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean versions, the Special Pages give titles to several of the bosses, similar to ''Kirby Star Allies'' and ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''. This was largely removed from the other localizations, which instead work the titles into the actual text.

*''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'' has [[amiibo]] functionality, allowing the player to scan in figures to get items during stages.

*[[The True Arena]] adds the six bosses from Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler, so it now has 21 rounds, up from 15 in the original.

===Gameplay/control changes===

*The player can adjust the controls between Type A, the default control style that plays like ''Kirby Star Allies'', and Type B, which plays more like ''[[Kirby Super Star]]''. There is also an option to have Kirby automatically swallow ability-yielding objects or enemies, like in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''. If Helper Magolor is enabled, Auto-Swallow is automatically turned on, though it can still be turned off with Helper Magolor enabled.

*Controls have been updated to match later games in the series.

**Kirby and friends now have the ability to [[Dodge]] and Air Dodge, a mechanic that was introduced in ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe''.

**A [[Cannon|Fuse Cannon]]'s [[fuse]] can now be made to burn faster by crouching while inside the cannon, like in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''.

*Various Kirby's Copy Abilities and other playable characters have their move [[damage]] tweaked.

*Some of Kirby's Copy Abilities (e.g. [[Sword]], [[Fire]]) contain moves that were not introduced until games released after the original ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land''.

*Many of the stage puzzles have been subtly redesigned to facilitate their completion and lessen the consequences of failure (e.g. newly placed Copy Essences, weaker water currents, etc.).

*Because of the revamped lighting engine, dark areas are now lit up by any object that gives off ambient light, rather than specifically-coded ones.

*[[King Dedede]], [[Meta Knight]], and [[Bandana Waddle Dee]] have been given additional moves to more closely match their appearance as [[Dream Friend]]s in ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' and Buddies in ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]''.<ref name="friends">{{Twitterlink|Kirby_JP|1615182337884712961}}</ref>

*Stages in [[Extra Mode]] have been further altered with additional enemies and fewer health items, going further than the Extra Mode in the original.<ref name="overview">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWoeRuFWo8 Overview Trailer]</ref>

*Super Abilities have received multiple changes to make them faster overall:

*Much like in ''Kirby Star Allies'', obtaining the max number of lives (99) places a crown on Kirby's stock icon. In addition, the icon will then smile.

*In the original game, [[Mix]] was activated by inhaling three ability-providing enemies of any kind, and the roulette would always run in a random order. In this game, while it still can be activated the same way as the original, it will now activate if two enemies with different abilities are inhaled, and the roulette always runs in a fixed order (though it still starts at a random position). These changes bring Mix more in line with how it functions in ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' onward.

*[[Halcandra]] can now be accessed through an icon on Planet Popstar's map, and vice versa.

[[File:KRtDLD Four Kirbys on piggyback screenshot.jpg|thumb|250px|One of the more notable visual changes is that the areas inside the rifts to Another Dimension are no longer initially monochrome.]]

[[File:KRtDLD Kirby and Goal Door screenshot.png|thumb|250px|Kirby posing in front of the Goal Door with a special fanfare at the end of the stage: this was not present in the original game.]]

*The original game's music has been remastered in higher quality, though it has not been changed otherwise. Interestingly, the remasters are not the same as ''[[Kirby Wii Music Selection]]'', and in some cases, sound less crisp than the music selection.

**Certain areas in stages, such as caves and dark places, now add dampening and reverb effects to the music and other sound effects.

**The music and sound effects also muffle if Kirby enters water, much like in ''Kirby Star Allies''.

**[[Welcome Your New Overlord]] was slightly remixed to make the song's guitar solo more prominent.

*Kirby and other characters have new voice clips, with the Super Abilities in particular each having distinct shouts associated with them.

*Some characters who have reappeared in later games have had their designs updated to match, including enemies such as [[Poppy Bros. Jr.]] and [[Walf]]. Others, such as [[Gigant Edge]] and [[Gigatzo]], use upscaled versions of their original designs.

*Certain Copy Abilities have been visually redesigned, particularly ones that appeared in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''. [[Wing]]'s hat has also been redesigned to give it less of a resemblance to a warbonnet.

*[[Merry Magoland]] can now be seen in the background of [[Nutty Noon - Stage 1]].

**The classic Super Ability animations are retained for the boss fight against Magolor and Magolor EX.

*When enemies are hit by Super Ability attacks, they now have a chance to [[Fourth wall|"splat" against the screen]].

*There have been many minor visual updates to various effects and animations in the game, including updated transition effects when going from one area to another.

*Super Ability-granting enemies now warp in through a portal from Another Dimension, rather than simply popping in as before.

*In the Japanese version, the circle mark used in the signs of first few stages is no longer used, replacing it with the check mark normally used in the international versions of games up until ''Kirby Star Allies''.

===Other changes===

*The player can choose to enter Main Mode or Merry Magoland directly after choosing a file.

*In the demo version, Magolor doesn't get annoyed if Kirby talks to him a lot of times. Instead, Magolor says that Kirby is probably expecting him to say "something clever and/or insightful", but then gives a metaphor for how he is out of things to say, and that he and Kirby should talk some other time.

*Like in later games starting with ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'', the [[staff credits]] can be viewed from the start of the game in the [[Theater]]. There is a new credits medley that plays only when the credits are viewed through here.

|-

!Demo

!Notes

|-

|Interdimensional Area

|[[Cookie Country - Stage 1]], Interdimensional Area

|-

!colspan=3|'''''[[Cookie Country - Stage 2]]'''''

|Interdimensional Area

|[[Cookie Country - Stage 4]], Interdimensional Area

|}

Note that Stage 5 is unlocked immediately after beating Stage 2, which, in turn, prevents access to Stages 3 and 4.

The following is a list of staff who have worked on ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'':

|-

!colspan=3|Staff of ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'' &nbsp;

|Shuntaro Furukawa

|-

|-

|}

<big>'''''Kirby's adventures continue in Dream Land!'''''</big>

==Trivia==

**However, the Japanese title is still {{furi|星|ほし}}のカービィ{{furi|Wii|ウィー}} デラックス (''Kirby of the Stars Wii Deluxe'') even though it is not on the Wii system. The developers were worried if keeping "Wii" in the name would confuse customers, and even considered giving the game a brand new name like New {{furi|星|ほし}}のカービィ (''New Kirby of the Stars''), or adding a subtitle, like the novel "''[[Kirby: Lor Starcutter and a Magician of Falsehood]]''", but they decided to use "Wii" in the end, as they ended up agreeing that it would make it clearer that the game was a deluxe version of the original Wii game.<ref>[https://gigi9714.wordpress.com/2023/04/07/translation-of-the-kirbys-return-to-dream-land-deluxe-interview-from-the-may-2023-edition-of-nintendo-dream/ Nintendo Dream interview about Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, May 2023 (translation)]</ref> The "Wii" subtitle also carried over to the Korean and Chinese names.

*The internal codename for this game is "Ark", referencing the [[Lor Starcutter]]. Elements related to Merry Magoland are codenamed "YY" after the Japanese title and elements related to Magolor Epilogue are codenamed "Maho" after the first two syllables of Magolor's Japanese name.