When people think of Nintendo’s exclusive franchises, the first ones that always come to mind are Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Pokémon, Smash Bros., and so many others. The Big N has a stellar library of specials, and while he may not be as iconic as his counterparts, the lovable pink blob Kirby has always managed to release some great games. So, here, we’re going to run through the top 10 best Kirby games of all time, updated for 2022 to include the rather spectacular Kirby and Forgotten Lands!
10. Kirby Air Ride
While every other game on this top ten list is traditional platforming Kirby games, let’s use this space to shout out one of the best spin-off games among the top 10 best Kirby games of all time.
I don’t know why it took so long for a proper kart racing game to pop up in the Kirby universe, but fans were lucky when Kirby Air Ride finally became a thing for the GameCube. Nintendo knows a thing or two about kart racers, so it’s a plus right off the bat, and on top of that, the Kirby universe is full of power-ups that make great weapons that can be used in tons of creative ways. Caste.
Here’s hoping another game in this series gets to see the light of day soon.
9. Kirby’s Epic Yarn
About five to ten years ago Nintendo went through a yarn phase. I don’t really understand why, but no harm done because all those yarn games starring Kirby and Yoshi were great, and Kirby’s Epic Yarn is no exception.
While it came out for the Wii (and was later re-released on the 3DS as Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn), Kirby’s Epic Yarn is still pretty cool both visually and from a gameplay perspective as well. Yarn Motif is a timeless look that will probably end up looking pretty, no matter how far we go with the graphics, and the platforming is a mix of traditional Kirby gameplay with Ravel abilities playing on the Yarn theme.
8. Kirby’s Dreamland
Although by far the simplest Kirby game on this list, the Kirby game that debuted on the Gameboy still deserves a shout out and deserves to crack the top 10 best games in the series.
While it lacks powerups that are now a main staple of the series, everything we love about Kirby is set in the game. Kirby’s voracious appetite, ability to suck and spit enemies, fly with his breath held, and of course many of the series’ iconic stages, enemies, and music tracks.
7. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Despite Nintendo’s first Kirby game to take place on Kirby 64: Crystal Shards still took place on a 2D plane. However, don’t make the mistake of calling the Kirby 64 lazy. It’s more than just dragging its own weight into the gameplay.
Kirby 64 allows players to combine every single power in the game, giving them really fun and creative powerups to experiment with such as combining sparks and ice to turn Kirby into a refrigerator or you can use the same power up. Can charge with double. even more destructive.
Honestly, it’s still one of my favorite personal gimmicks out of all of Kirby’s games to this day and I wish it saw more use.
6. Kirby Superstar (Ultra)
For some, putting Kirby Super Star (Ultra, if you’re playing the re-release) might be less sacrosanct because it’s a favorite of many hardcore Kirby fans, and I get the reasons. Kirby Super Star, originally released on the SNES, is a highly polished Kirby game that feels like a real evolution of gameplay that players at this point had only experienced on the Gameboy and NES.
From a gameplay perspective it really has no flaws and expands on the classic formula with lots of new powers, and the ability to turn enemies into allies, compared to the similar (but in many ways better) recently released Kirby. Star Allies.
However, what drives some of the pegs down for our list is the unbounded nature of the game modes, essentially splitting the game into multiple mini-games that never really gives it a chance to build worlds, story, or difficulty. . Ramp-up/rhythm.
5. Kirby’s Dream Land 2
Kirby’s Dreamland 2 takes the Gameboy formula established in the first game, and mixes it with some of the more modern elements of the Kirby franchise, with some unique tricks up its sleeve to great effect.
Kirby’s Dreamland 2 introduces powers into the mix, but also lets you enhance your powers by teaming up with one of Kirby’s animal friends: Rick, Kaine, and Koo. For example, jumping onto Rick’s back with a fire ability causes the hamster to start breathing fire. Like all of the platformers on this list, Kirby’s Dreamland 2 has tons of fun puzzles to solve using these mechanics, excellent level design, and memorable music.
4. Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Kirby’s Triple Deluxe laid the groundwork for what feels like the modern Kirby game, and its influence still exists today. There are clearer story beats than ever before, and visually everything appears with more vibrancy, color and polish than ever before.
And of course, because it’s an early-ish 3DS game, you can flip on the 3D graphics and enjoy it too if you’re into it. While many third-party games struggled to use the feature, Nintendo first-party games generally made them work, and Kirby: Triple Deluxe is one of those games.
3. Kirby: Planet Robotobot
Where Kirby: Triple Deluxe leaned more into just traditional Kirby gameplay while increasing visual excitement, Kirby: Planet Robots benefited from coming out later and the developers were clearly able to focus more on refining and expanding the gameplay. . The result is one of the best modern kirby games ever, landing in the top three of our list of the best kirby games of all time.
Kirby: Planet Robobot, as the name suggests, sees Kirby battling mechanical enemies who are trying to turn the world into a machine. Kirby is able to combine powers with a powerful mech suit that turns Kirby into a killing machine (even more so than usual) and allows Kirby to solve new puzzles as well.
For someone who hasn’t played it before, this might sound like another weird gimmick, but everything about Planet Robot is very well polished, designed, and fun and it’s been around since its 2016 release. Consistently a fan favorite.
2. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
eventually. That’s probably the word that popped into the minds of many Kirby fans when they saw that Kirby and the Forgotten Lands would open things up and allow Kirby to actually walk in 3D environments. So-So Kirby: After Star Allies, the series needed a shake-up, and HAL certainly delivered.
Kirby and the Forgotten Lands takes everything you know and loved about Kirby games, and places them in a 3D space where Kirby can fight, explore and solve puzzles in brand new ways Is. Although not revolutionary in terms of gameplay, we’ve had at least one 3D platformer since 1996, a complete game-changer for the series and one of the freshest and funniest Kirby games ever. Whether it’s experimenting with powers or fighting bosses, even these classic staples feel new and exciting now that they’re usable in a 3D plane.
1. Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland / Kirby Adventure
For our top spot, I have to go with the NES Classic (or the GBA remake if you prefer), which for many put Kirby on the map and established him as a core Nintendo character and franchise. Kirby’s Adventures. To this day, it’s still, at least in this writer’s mind, the perfect classic 2D Kirby experience. No tricks or gimmicks, just suck on some power and go.
The Nightmare in Kirby Adventure and Dreamland still feels really big, even by modern Kirby game standards with 41 levels in seven worlds, each with its own memorable flair and theme. There are so many secrets to uncover and the game is 100% incredibly satisfying.
The gameplay is just challenging enough not to be a total walk in the park, but still accessible to a young child with certain skills. It’s packed with classic powers and introduces the popular Kirby anti-hero, Meta Knight, who will become a star in his own right.
It’s hard to believe that the original, Kirby’s Adventure, was an NES game. It’s still incredibly cool and deserves our number one spot on the best Kirby games of all time.
With the announcement of Kirby’s Dream Buffet to offer some chaotic multiplayer action, it’s always likely that it could break into our top 10 when it launches in the summer of 2022. We will update this post when it drops.
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