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Much like Mario games, the Kirby franchise has never been afraid to experiment and try new ideas for the character. This resulted in a lot of main games and spin-offs; some loved more than others.
10 Worst: Kirby’s Blowout Blast (2017) - 69
Similar to what Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker did, Blowout Blast takes a mini-game from Kirby: Planet Robobot and makes its own game out of it. Not a bad idea but not executed in the best way. The game is very minimal and can be beaten a little too quickly.
It’s not exactly considered a bag game, just very average at best with a lot of mediocre elements that bring it down. It should have expanded its concept and added more to do as Captain Toad did.
9 Best: Kirby: Nightmare In Dream Land (2002) - 81
Nightmare In Dream Land is your typical Kirby title like Kirby Super Star, but on the Game Boy Advance. That’s far from a bad thing as the game takes everything great about Kirby games and further polishes them. Kirby’s power copying, the sprites, and the level structure are all well-done.
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There are no gimmicky gameplay mechanics to hook the player in. Nightmare In Dream Land is just a beautifully executed entry into the Kirby series for fans to enjoy.
8 Worst: Kirby Fighters Deluxe (2014) - 66
Fighters Deluxe was an attempt at making a 3DS alternative to Super Smash Bros. using the Kirby world. Once again, not a bad concept as there are a ton of interesting characters to choose from. However, despite a decent campaign, Kirby Fighters Deluxe does not hold a candle to the series it tries to imitate.
The online multiplayer was a disappointment to fans. Overall, Fighters Deluxe was just a mediocre fighting game that could have been great but ended up being forgotten.
7 Best: Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition (2012) - 82
A compilation of all the best Kirby games, music, and more all for the character’s 20th anniversary? HAL had the fans at “Hello.” Kirby’s Dream Collection features Kirby’s Dreamland trilogy, Kirby’s Adventure, Kirby Super Star, and The Crystal Shards– six of Kirby’s best games all on the Wii. The Dream Collection was (and still is) the perfect option for any Kirby fan who does not want to spend a lot of money on eBay for old games.
6 Worst: Kirby Air Ride (2003) - 61
Similar to Fighters Deluxe, Air Ride attempts to take on another genre of gaming to less success. Kirby Air Ride is essentially a Mario Kart wannabe. It could’ve been a good attempt like Crash Team Racing but it mainly just copy and pastes Mario Kart mechanics without any effort put into it.
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The game did offer a variety of modes but with bland tracks and poor mechanics. It’s more of a starter kart racer for children in the end.
5 Best: Kirby Mass Attack (2011) - 83
Variety is the keyword when discussing Kirby Mass Attack. There’s the usual Kirby action-adventure side scrolling, there’s puzzle-solving, there are minigames. Mass Attack brings so many ideas to the table and balances them out just right so the game never feels cluttered.
It’s another cute adventure with Pikmin-esque mechanics that made Kirby fans happy. It would be the last Kirby game on the Nintendo DS before swapping to the 3DS; the beginning of an unfortunate downward slope for Kirby fans.
4 Worst: Team Kirby Clash Deluxe (2017) - 57
Four Kirbies controlled by four players working together in a boss rush game? Sounds like fun, right? Well, not only is the game extremely repetitive to the point of feeling like a chore, but it is also just as short as Blowout Blast. That’s not even the worst part.
Clash Deluxe is structured like a freemium game where the player is either forced to wait days on end to continue or pay extra money to continue. Obviously, this microtransaction option rubbed gamers the wrong way instantly.
3 Best: Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005) - 86
Taking full advantage of the Nintendo DS, Kirby, Canvas Curse utilizes the stylus to control Kirby. The visuals were unique and original for the time, clashing well with the fluid gameplay. Canvas Curse was not the hardest game of the series nor was it all that deep but it was a fun ride.
Canvas Curse is one of those titles that can be picked up at any time and provide fun for the player. In many ways, this makes the game a lot like the Kirby on the NES. It wasn’t the hardest game but it didn’t need to be.
2 Worst: Kirby Battle Royale (2018) - 57
For years, the Mario Party series has been disappointing fans. Kirby Battle Royale was meant to be the new party game to get gamers hooked on the 3DS. Unfortunately, Battle Royale was just as watered down and simplistic of a party game as Mario Party 10.
Battle Royale also suffered from poor connection in the online and was so bare minimum that it should not have been sold at full price.
1 Best: Kirby’s Epic Yarn (2010) - 86
Before Yoshi was entirely made of yarn, Kirby came along on the Nintendo Wii to platform his way to victory. The visuals of every character being made of yarn were absolutely stunning for gamers when it was released. The controls are tight, responsive, and fun with either single or multiplayer.
Kirby’s Epic Yarn became one of the most successful Wii titles of 2o10 and became a penultimate return for Kirby. Since then, no game has yet to recapture the same magic as Epic Yarn.
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