Kirby: Triple Deluxe

Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Kirby climbs into 3D on the dual-screen!
Protagonist(s): Kirby Genre(s): Platform Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: JP: January 11, 2014 KOR: April 17, 2014 NA: May 2, 2014 EU: EU: May 16, 2014 AU: May 17, 2014 Developer(s): HAL Laboratory Publisher(s): Nintendo Country: Japan Series: Kirby Predecessor: Kirby's Return to Dream Land Successor: Kirby: Planet Robobot

Kirby: Triple Deluxe is a platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. The game released throughout 2014 on the Nintendo 3DS, and is the first game made for it.

Why It Triple Deluxe Rocks

1. This game introduces Hypernova Kirby, which is the main gimmick. It doubles your inhaling power and allows you to suck up everything in your path, while also being used in more creative ways for solving puzzles than the Super Abilities from the previous game.
2. Gorgeous and colorful graphics for 3DS standards, which fits in well with the flowered motif of the game.
3. The Dreamstalk and Floralia (the settings of the game) is full of rich environments for Kirby to explore, despite most of them not being the most unique. Some of these include flowered fields, jungles, ancient temples, haunted houses, volcanoes and of course, Queen Sectonia's fortress.
   • To go with this, the level design is still as superb as it always is.
4. The soundtrack, composed by Hirokazu Ando and Jun Ishikawa, is fantastic as usual and never abandons the charm as the other games. Some of the great tracks include Fine Fields Prairie, the Pyramid theme, Queen Sectonia's boss theme, etc.
5. The gameplay is still as fun as usual, with a variety of new Copy Abilities introduced in this game, including Bell, Archer, Beetle and Circus Kirby.
6. Smooth and solid controls, as per usual for the franchise, and the ones in this game are tighter than the previous one.
   • This is also the first Kirby game to use gyro controls, which don't feel intrusive due to them only being used with gondolas and specific puzzles.
7. The 3D Warp Star allows Kirby to travel between the foreground and background to allow for some depth in levels
8. There are Sun Stones spread throughout each level, and they are required to open new paths in the worlds. This ensures that the player does not fly aimlessly through the levels and actually explore them.
9. You can collect Keychains that show sprites from previous Kirby games, which provide much fanservice.
10. Like most Kirby games, the story is simple yet intriguing, with the new characters (Queen Sectonia and Taranza) having a tragic backstory that describes how the former became like she is today.
    • Additionally, Taranza is likeable, sympathetic and relatable, along with having a creative design and depressing backstory of his own. When he mourns Queen Sectonia's death in later games, you can easily feel sorry for him.
      • Taranza also makes a return as a playable character in Star Allies' Guest Star ??? Mode alongside other characters who are or have previously been villains (i.e. Marx, Dark Meta Knight, Daroach, Magolor and Susie).
11. As the title implies, in addition to the main modes, there are also two subgames, Kirby Fighters and Dedede's Drum Dash, which allow you to take a break from the main game.
    • Not only that, but they also received Deluxe versions that could be downloaded from the 3DS eShop!
12. Most of the bosses are creative and fun to fight, including Flowery Woods, Coily Rattler, Paintra, etc.
    • The final boss against Queen Sectonia is nothing short of epic, with the start of it being a cannon section and ending having Hypernova Kirby suck in her laser and shoot it back at her.
13. After beating the main game and The Arena once, you unlock a new mode called "Dededetour!," where you play as King Dedede in a time-attack adventure similar to "Meta Knightmare."
    • The final boss of this mode is none other than Dark Meta Knight, the secondary antagonist of Kirby & The Amazing Mirror who makes his long-awaited return in this game, with new mirror-based attacks.

Bad Qualities

1. Unlike the Super Abilities, which were dropped immediately upon entering Another Dimension, you are essentially forced to complete levels with Hypernova Kirby.
2. Pyribbit is considered a terrible boss by many players, since his fight involves him jumping into the background all the time with no rest, making fighting him very tedious. Not helping matters is that he would return in Team Kirby Clash Deluxe and Super Kirby Clash, where tasks are time based, making him a horrible choice for a boss in this game.
3. Rare Keychains provide no hints as to where they might be, eventually forcing players to use a guide.
4. While King Dedede has always gotten the short end of the stick, here he seems to get it the worst, as he is kidnapped by Taranza and dragged along throughout the Dreamstalk before being forced to fight Kirby against his will.
   • Also, the boss fight against King Dedede utilizes the now-tired "ally is brainwashed to justify them as a boss" cliché.
5. Sadly, due to the 3DS eShop's closure, Kirby Fighters Deluxe and Dedede Drum Dash Deluxe can no longer be purchased at all.
6. Achieving 100% completion is a massive chore, as not only do you have to collect all of the Keychains, but also complete all of the levels of Dedede's Drum Dash (including the Extra level), beat Kirby Fighters using all of the Copy Abilities, and complete all of the Main Modes.

Reception

Kirby: Triple Deluxe received positive reviews, averaging 80/100 on Metacritic and 7/10 on Nintendo Life. Praise went to the level design, graphics, soundtrack, use of the 3D feature and lasting appeal, while criticism was directed at the aesthetics of the levels.

Trivia

• The first letter of each world spells "FLOWERED" (Fine Fields, Lollipop Land, Old Odyssey, Wild World, Endless Explosions, Royal Road and Eternal Dreamland). This is a reference to Queen Sectonia fusing with the Dreamstalk in the final level.

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