Fans of Nintendo’s pink puffball mascot started 2022 with the release ofKirby and the Forgotten Land. MainlineKirbygames in the 3DS era were often followed by spin-offs expanding different sub-games, such asDedede’s Drum Dash DeluxeorKirby’s Blowout Blast. Most of the side activities inForgotten Landwere diegetic -Kirby plays Tilt-and-Rollor goes fishing in Waddle Dee Town - so it appeared less likely HAL Laboratory would follow up with a related spin-off.Kirby’s Dream Buffetshows the studio is more than willing to experiment.
WhileDream Buffetis consistent with olderKirbyfare such asDream CourseorAir Ridein that it drops the character into an unprecedented situation, it retains the spirit of HAL’s 3DS releases. Shortly afterKirby’s Return to Dream Landin 2011, the series celebrated its 20th anniversary withKirby’s Dream Collectionon Wii, and following titles likeTriple Deluxe,Planet Robobot, andStar Alliesincluded more nostalgic elements.Forgotten Landset Kirby on a wholly original adventure, butDream Buffetcapitalizes on many of the same nostalgic, archival strengths of its predecessors.
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Kirby’s Steady Self-Reflection
Outside acelebration concert featuring Kirby’s voice actress Makiko Ohmoto, there hasn’t been a ton of fanfare for the series' 30th anniversary - which is a shame considering how robustKirby’s Dream Collectionwas a decade prior. It featured six games updated for then-modern hardware, but also a soundtrack encompassing the whole series up to that point, a museum with art and videos, as well as episodes of the animeKirby: Right Back at Ya!
Future releases clearly carried elements of that celebration. Though just about everyKirbygame has a version of Whispy Woods, more unique bosses began to appear in remixed forms.Triple Deluxe’s Paintra appear similar toCanvas Curse’s Drawcia, for example, andStar Allies' final boss Void Termina references items like the Master Crown fromReturn to Dream Land. Secret endgame content offered even more, such as Dark Meta Knight fromAmazing Mirrorappearing inPlanet Robobot’s Dededetour! mode.
However, collectibles from these titles carried a lot of weight.Triple Deluxehas 256 keychains based on pixel sprites from previous games (including a few unique sprites for characters likeYin-Yarn fromEpic Yarn), andPlanet Robobot’s stickers served a similar purpose with official artwork.Kirby Star Allieson Switch went a step further thanks to its “Dream Friends” post-launch support adding playable allies and antagonists from past games.
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How Kirby’s Dream Buffet Embodies This Spirit
Kirby’s Dream Buffetis a straightforward spin-off. A brief cinematic intro shows Kirby shrunk down by the Dream Fork, but there’s no dark mystery behind this item as one would expect from mainline entries such asForgotten Land. It merely serves as an excuse to plop a set of customizable Kirby avatars into massive culinary obstacle courses within abstract spaces - an aesthetic many havecompared to Mediatonic’sFall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.
Players can take part in local or online matches to collect the most strawberries across three modes in a grand prix format: races, mini-games (such as defeating the most enemies), and a “battle royale” that involves defeating opponents with one of the game’s eight “Copy Food” abilities. Performance in each round contributes to a growing Gourmet Rank, with 135 levels of rewards to unlock.
The game is arguably sparse even for its $15 price tag, butKirby’s Dream Buffetmakes up for this with references lovingly sprinkled throughout. Those aforementioned rewards include new music tracks featuring remixes from across the series, and costumes based on characters like Meta Knight, Adaleine, or Taranza. There are also 256 Character Treats that serve a similar purpose to keychains and stickers, but can be set as the starting platform or placed around the main menu and Free Rolling practice mode - where players find further references toKirby’s Switch catalog as well as series staples like a candy Whispy Woods.
ThoughDream Buffet’s frantic gameplay should appeal to any friend group interested inMario KartandMario Party-esque shenanigans, it’s clear HAL hopes the spin-off will appeal to longtime fans. There are even unlockable bonus music tracks if Switch save data appears for games likeStar Allies,Forgotten Land, andSuper Kirby Clash. In an industry often averse to preservation efforts, it’s good to seeKirbykeeping its long history in mind with so many releases.
Kirby’s Dream Buffetis available now on Nintendo Switch.
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