Kirby's Adventure
Thankfully, even the plainest Kirby is fun enough to play for a little bit, and while this game is at least four times bigger than its predecessor, it still isn't very long. Containing seven worlds to play through and plenty of secrets to find, it still only took me a few hours to beat. Anyone with experience playing the mainline Kirby series will know exactly what to expect here and should have no trouble diving right in. Kirby's Adventure consists of platforming challenges that encourage smart use of the copy abilities earned from the enemies found on the stage. Almost every ability can carry over between stages, so you can bring your favorite with you if you want (I often did this with "ice"), but the game will often cater the stage towards an ability you can find within it. This means you'll miss out on a few neat interactions and secrets if you aren't willing to experiment. Outside of the central platforming gameplay, there are only a couple other things to do.
If you make even a little progress in the game, you'll likely encounter a boss enemy, or at least a miniboss. I actually really enjoyed these this time around, thanks to their variety and the additional challenge they bring to the table. The minibosses mostly just encourage mashing attacks between dodging if you have a good copy ability, but the full-on bosses require a little more finesse. Each of them has a wildly different attack and movement pattern from the other and it's a lot of fun to figure out what that is so you can take them down.
Outside of the actual levels, you can also find the occasional minigame to play. They come in three varieties (crane fever, egg catcher, and quick draw) and become available in the stage selection area alongside new levels. I didn't really have a ton of fun with these, but they are a nice way to earn an extra life or two if you need it. Quick draw was my favorite of the three, pitting you in a set of wild-west-style duels against the game's enemies and testing your reaction time. I even got pretty good at it by the end of the game. Unfortunately, just like the platforming, all of the minigames ended up feeling a little repetitive or uninspired.
The final boss though, was a huge surprise, and I am glad I actually made it far enough to fight it. I really thought I had finished the game and saved the day, so learning that I might have actually been the bad guy this whole time shook me up a little. This last redemptive phase is a blast. It's not easy, but it offers the perfect final opportunity to prove your skills and hopefully leave the game feeling accomplished. I know that I did, at least.
While a great ending doesn't make a great game on its own, it's probably still worth trying Kirby's Adventure. Pretty much everything established here continues on throughout the rest of the series, so you'll probably find more enjoyment if you haven't played any of those games yet, but it's still a good time, even if just for a little while. I can't give this the hearty recommendation that I wish I could, but there are definitely some elements here that are worth the time investment, so if you're looking for a short game to zone out with for a while, this may be the kind of thing you're looking for.
