The 10 BEST Kirby Games
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VOICE OVER: Ty Richardson
WRITTEN BY: Ty Richardson
Kirby has been one of Nintendo's most prominent characters for years due to starring in some pretty great games! For this list, we're listing off our favorite games starring our favorite pink poyo, the puffball with maximum pink - Kirby! Do note that we are not including spin-off games. Our list includes “Kirby Super Star” (1996), “Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards” (2000), “Kirby's Epic Yarn” (2010), “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” (2022), and more!
Script written by Ty Richardson
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at the 10 Best Kirby Games! For this list, we’re listing off our favorite games starring our favorite pink poyo, the puffball with maximum pink - Kirby! Do note that we are not including spin-off games, which means no “Avalanche”, no “Fighters”, and no “Dream Course”, as great as those titles are. Which Kirby game is your favorite? Did it make the list? Let us know down in the comments!
Prior to “Forgotten Land”, Kirby had gone decades without having a 3D platformer. You could say he was one of the few Nintendo characters isolated to the 2D plane. However, “Forgotten Land” showed how a 3D Kirby game could work. What we got was an experience loaded with secrets for us to uncover as we saved every Waddle Dee and enough freedom in each level to explore, find new copy abilities, and simply play around in. And the most surprising part in all of this was how substantially challenging many of the boss fights turned out!
“Crystal Shards” was simply the “Majora’s Mask” to Kirby’s Zelda. Despite its adorable appearance in the early phases of the game, it gets garish and disturbing between characters getting possessed and bosses getting incredibly violent. But that isn’t the only thing that makes “Crystal Shards” so special. This Kirby game introduced the ability to combine copy abilities in ways that force you to play a bit differently. Mix stone and fire to become a walking volcano, mix ice and bomb to become an explosive snowman, or mix spark and cutter to turn Kirby into an adorable Darth Maul. It’s an incredibly imaginative game, and if you’ve been enjoying any of the Kirby titles to have come out on Switch over the last handful of years, you should grab Switch Online and give this a shot!
Flipping back over to some of the modern Kirby games, “Star Allies” is another unique entry in the franchise worthy of your time, especially if you and your friends have been itching for a co-op platformer you can just chill and vibe with. “Star Allies” grants Kirby the ability to befriend in-game enemies now, turning them into “Dream Frends”. This allows your friends new ways to play the game between their new abilities and how you can combine your powers for new attacks or effects on the environment. On top of that, post-launch support gave you new ways to replay the game by including characters from past Kirby games like Daroach, Marx, Magolor, Dark Metaknight, Adelaine and Ribbon, and more.
With everything we know about “Kirby” as both the franchise and character, the original game truly looks like the black sheep of the bunch. After all, this is a Kirby game where his only ability was to float. Even so, the lack of copy abilities does not detract from this Game Boy classic. “Kirby’s Dream Land” stands the test of time thanks to its basic gameplay. You can make the game as easy or as difficult as you want depending on how often you use Kirby’s float ability (an idea brought to you by Masahiro Sakurai, Kirby’s creator, who would go on to become the series director for “Super Smash Bros.”), and with it only lasting about an hour long, every Kirby fan ought to have played this by now.
Now, this was where Kirby truly managed to become fully realized and steered clear of being just another platformer. “Kirby’s Adventure” was where the copy ability was first introduced, and the many copy abilities you could find would lay the groundwork for what puzzles and combat challenges in future games could look like. There was another level of interactivity on display in how you navigated levels, fought baddies, and found secrets. Plus, you had bonus rooms that allowed you instant access to certain copy abilities or threw you into minigames like Quick Draw or Egg Catcher. There was fun to be had around literally every corner.
Of all the games in the franchise, “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” is the jaunty job where there are virtually no stakes. It is the least risky Kirby game of the entire series, and yet that does not make it a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. “Epic Yarn” had this carefree attitude about it with its cutesy visuals and focus on collecting beads to purchase furniture for your apartment (a sort of chocolate-peanut butter moment where the “Animal Crossing” fans got their Nook’s Corner in our Dream Land). Kirby games are already cozy as is, but here, there was real comfort in the music, aesthetic, and mechanics, and it’s kind of what made “Epic Yarn” such a memorable game on Wii. Now, if only Nintendo can port that expanded 3DS version to Switch.
“Squeak Squad” was an interesting Kirby game not just for its villainous league of malicious mice, but in how it borrows elements from “Kirby 64” (like the ability to combine certain copy abilities with others) and would inspire future Kirby games like “Return to Dream Land” and “Forgotten Land”. In addition to including a massive collection of old and new copy abilities for Kirby to utilize, “Squeak Squad” introduced Copy Scrolls that could power-up certain copy abilities. You also had a new feature that, like the OG Kirby game, could make things as difficult or as easy as you wanted; the touch screen functioned as storage for an additional copy ability that you could access at almost any time in case you lost your current one or needed a different set of tools in that instance. It wasn’t super groundbreaking, not as much as the other Kirby games, but “Squeak Squad” was solid regardless.
Too much of something is rarely ever a good thing, but in the case of “Kirby Super Star” and its proudly declared “8 games in One” package, it’s one of the best games to ever grace the SNES. From Spring Breeze and Dyna Blade to Meta Knight’s Revenge and The Great Cave Offensive, “Super Star” had a ton of different adventures to keep us busy, and they all ranged from a cozy and comfortable easy difficulty to something demonstrably tough. And hey, if you haven’t played it already, it is available on Switch Online!
As much as we loved the remake “Nightmare in Dream Land”, “Amazing Mirror” was the best Kirby game on the Game Boy Advance. One aspect that made this title so interesting was how it utilized a non-linear design instead of the traditional format used in prior installments; now, Kirby could explore and retrieve mirror shards in whatever order he so desires. Of course, the feature most players fondly remember is the co-op. With unlimited texting and calling, Kirby can call up three friends to assist him in his adventure (so long as he has a full battery), and these friends can be controlled by an AI or a fellow player (assuming someone remembered their Game Link cable).
Yes, the newest Kirby game, the remake of the 2009 Wii game, is worthy of being called one of the best Kirby games ever made. “Return to Dream Land Deluxe” is unique in how it not only brings back four-player co-op, but in how it makes Kirby absolutely sick in how he controls and the different powers he can wield. Not only do you have the expected copy abilities and a few new ones like Sand and Mech, but you also have Super Abilities that can destroy terrain and uncover rifts that open up new challenges. As for changes from the Wii original, the game plays a lot faster than its original, and the Magolor Epilogue was an excellent addition to cap off the fun adventure. Also, Merry Magoland is way more fun than it had any right to be!
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at the 10 Best Kirby Games! For this list, we’re listing off our favorite games starring our favorite pink poyo, the puffball with maximum pink - Kirby! Do note that we are not including spin-off games, which means no “Avalanche”, no “Fighters”, and no “Dream Course”, as great as those titles are. Which Kirby game is your favorite? Did it make the list? Let us know down in the comments!
“Kirby and the Forgotten Land” (2022)
Prior to “Forgotten Land”, Kirby had gone decades without having a 3D platformer. You could say he was one of the few Nintendo characters isolated to the 2D plane. However, “Forgotten Land” showed how a 3D Kirby game could work. What we got was an experience loaded with secrets for us to uncover as we saved every Waddle Dee and enough freedom in each level to explore, find new copy abilities, and simply play around in. And the most surprising part in all of this was how substantially challenging many of the boss fights turned out!
“Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards” (2000)
“Crystal Shards” was simply the “Majora’s Mask” to Kirby’s Zelda. Despite its adorable appearance in the early phases of the game, it gets garish and disturbing between characters getting possessed and bosses getting incredibly violent. But that isn’t the only thing that makes “Crystal Shards” so special. This Kirby game introduced the ability to combine copy abilities in ways that force you to play a bit differently. Mix stone and fire to become a walking volcano, mix ice and bomb to become an explosive snowman, or mix spark and cutter to turn Kirby into an adorable Darth Maul. It’s an incredibly imaginative game, and if you’ve been enjoying any of the Kirby titles to have come out on Switch over the last handful of years, you should grab Switch Online and give this a shot!
“Kirby Star Allies” (2018)
Flipping back over to some of the modern Kirby games, “Star Allies” is another unique entry in the franchise worthy of your time, especially if you and your friends have been itching for a co-op platformer you can just chill and vibe with. “Star Allies” grants Kirby the ability to befriend in-game enemies now, turning them into “Dream Frends”. This allows your friends new ways to play the game between their new abilities and how you can combine your powers for new attacks or effects on the environment. On top of that, post-launch support gave you new ways to replay the game by including characters from past Kirby games like Daroach, Marx, Magolor, Dark Metaknight, Adelaine and Ribbon, and more.
“Kirby’s Dream Land” (1992)
With everything we know about “Kirby” as both the franchise and character, the original game truly looks like the black sheep of the bunch. After all, this is a Kirby game where his only ability was to float. Even so, the lack of copy abilities does not detract from this Game Boy classic. “Kirby’s Dream Land” stands the test of time thanks to its basic gameplay. You can make the game as easy or as difficult as you want depending on how often you use Kirby’s float ability (an idea brought to you by Masahiro Sakurai, Kirby’s creator, who would go on to become the series director for “Super Smash Bros.”), and with it only lasting about an hour long, every Kirby fan ought to have played this by now.
“Kirby’s Adventure” (1993)
Now, this was where Kirby truly managed to become fully realized and steered clear of being just another platformer. “Kirby’s Adventure” was where the copy ability was first introduced, and the many copy abilities you could find would lay the groundwork for what puzzles and combat challenges in future games could look like. There was another level of interactivity on display in how you navigated levels, fought baddies, and found secrets. Plus, you had bonus rooms that allowed you instant access to certain copy abilities or threw you into minigames like Quick Draw or Egg Catcher. There was fun to be had around literally every corner.
“Kirby’s Epic Yarn” (2010)
Of all the games in the franchise, “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” is the jaunty job where there are virtually no stakes. It is the least risky Kirby game of the entire series, and yet that does not make it a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. “Epic Yarn” had this carefree attitude about it with its cutesy visuals and focus on collecting beads to purchase furniture for your apartment (a sort of chocolate-peanut butter moment where the “Animal Crossing” fans got their Nook’s Corner in our Dream Land). Kirby games are already cozy as is, but here, there was real comfort in the music, aesthetic, and mechanics, and it’s kind of what made “Epic Yarn” such a memorable game on Wii. Now, if only Nintendo can port that expanded 3DS version to Switch.
“Kirby Squeak Squad” (2006)
“Squeak Squad” was an interesting Kirby game not just for its villainous league of malicious mice, but in how it borrows elements from “Kirby 64” (like the ability to combine certain copy abilities with others) and would inspire future Kirby games like “Return to Dream Land” and “Forgotten Land”. In addition to including a massive collection of old and new copy abilities for Kirby to utilize, “Squeak Squad” introduced Copy Scrolls that could power-up certain copy abilities. You also had a new feature that, like the OG Kirby game, could make things as difficult or as easy as you wanted; the touch screen functioned as storage for an additional copy ability that you could access at almost any time in case you lost your current one or needed a different set of tools in that instance. It wasn’t super groundbreaking, not as much as the other Kirby games, but “Squeak Squad” was solid regardless.
“Kirby Super Star” (1996)
Too much of something is rarely ever a good thing, but in the case of “Kirby Super Star” and its proudly declared “8 games in One” package, it’s one of the best games to ever grace the SNES. From Spring Breeze and Dyna Blade to Meta Knight’s Revenge and The Great Cave Offensive, “Super Star” had a ton of different adventures to keep us busy, and they all ranged from a cozy and comfortable easy difficulty to something demonstrably tough. And hey, if you haven’t played it already, it is available on Switch Online!
“Kirby and the Amazing Mirror” (2004)
As much as we loved the remake “Nightmare in Dream Land”, “Amazing Mirror” was the best Kirby game on the Game Boy Advance. One aspect that made this title so interesting was how it utilized a non-linear design instead of the traditional format used in prior installments; now, Kirby could explore and retrieve mirror shards in whatever order he so desires. Of course, the feature most players fondly remember is the co-op. With unlimited texting and calling, Kirby can call up three friends to assist him in his adventure (so long as he has a full battery), and these friends can be controlled by an AI or a fellow player (assuming someone remembered their Game Link cable).
“Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe” (2023)
Yes, the newest Kirby game, the remake of the 2009 Wii game, is worthy of being called one of the best Kirby games ever made. “Return to Dream Land Deluxe” is unique in how it not only brings back four-player co-op, but in how it makes Kirby absolutely sick in how he controls and the different powers he can wield. Not only do you have the expected copy abilities and a few new ones like Sand and Mech, but you also have Super Abilities that can destroy terrain and uncover rifts that open up new challenges. As for changes from the Wii original, the game plays a lot faster than its original, and the Magolor Epilogue was an excellent addition to cap off the fun adventure. Also, Merry Magoland is way more fun than it had any right to be!
