My personal experience with the Kirby series is limited to borrowing his debut Game Boy title, Kirby's Dream Land and the NES sequel, Kirby's Adventure from a neighborhood friend over 30 years ago. Despite their quality, Kirby's leisurely action and lighthearted presentation couldn't compel me to explore the franchise beyond the 8-bit era. Persisting over decades, he's managed to become such a top-tier Nintendo character that I couldn't ignore him much longer. And with the Switch Online service's available Kirby titles already in the double digits, it's impossible not to try taking one more puff.
While a simple and easy platformer targeted towards beginners, Dream Land by no means lacks creativity. Inhaling enemies alive provides a unique sense of cathartic violence compared to the usual stomping, attacking and shooting. Kirby's limitless flying ability initially seems overpowered, until you discover that his easily punctured bloat demands constant vigilance. The single game before his famous copy ability became a series mainstay, power-ups are scattered here and there to expand his attack power, whether belching spicy curry or clearing the screen by spitting out a maximum decibel microphone. In case you find the half hour experience too easy, the unlockable hard mode, featuring new enemies, is so brutal it feels like an entirely different game.
The five spacious levels evolve as you go. Within a single stage you'll start at the beach, explore a seaside cave, emerge on a pirate ship, then ride a star that sends Kirby crashing into a whale's blowhole, from which he embarrassingly gets spouted up to the clouds...where a boss awaits! Doorways to interior areas are employed similar to Super Mario Bros 2, adding depth to the levels without losing the sense of straight forward progression. Many reoccurring enemies and bosses debut here, from the pitiable Whispy Woods to the far goofier than evil King Dedede. Hal's previous rotund protagonist, Lolo, even pushes his way into a boss cameo.
Touting arguably the best Game Boy graphics of 1992, well-crafted sprites decorate foreground and background elements that are largely static, yet so striking and detailed that you'll swear they're in motion as you're playing. Much of Jun Ishikawa's catchy soundtrack would be reworked in later games; it's heightened pep and aggressive drums carving an identity distinct from Mario. Only the Boss Fight and Mt. DeDeDe tracks suggest the slightest hint of danger, sounding quite like 8-bit Mega Man titles.
Contrasted with the charming but awkward pair of Mario Land games, Kirby's Dream Land feels like a platformer finally tailor made for the Game Boy. Modestly designed yet expertly polished, this is a most impressive debut for Masahiro Sakarai, who's work on Super Smash Bros would make him an industry legend within a decade. Even if this series couldn't initially 'suck me in' like Super Mario or Donkey Kong Country, Kirby's Dream Land deserves much respect for inviting players to celebrate the Game Boy not for its scaled back adaptions, but for the original franchises it proved capable of establishing.
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