Kirby's Return to Dream Land first launched on the Wii where it saw great success as an adorably-enjoyable adventure. The announcement of it getting a remaster was exciting for every Kirby fan as the title had many fan favorite elements and we would soon learn it was coming with a slew of new content too. With a new style, new release and new goods awaiting Kirby and his friends, he must do his best in his Return to Dream Land and see what this wild remastered adventure is all about.

The story begins as a mysterious flying ship crash lands on Kirby's home of Planet Popstar. After going to investigate with his friends, Kirby meets the inter-dimensional traveler known as Magalor. During the crash landing his ship fell apart and Magalor asks if Kirby can help him recover them from every corner of Planet Popstar. He also lets Kirby know that should he recover all the pieces they can go on a trip together back to his home all while acting as thorough support. Kirby, Dedede, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee then set off on their journey to reclaim the lost pieces of the ship and making their way through the more dangerous areas of Planet Popstar in order to see Magalor home at last.

The gameplay is the usual fare for Kirby. The lovable pink puffball can float, eat enemies to gain their power and also just generally be the most optimistic adorable character known to mankind. Along his journey Kirby occasionally stumbles upon super enemies which he can consume and gain some of the greatest power he's ever used which allows him to break blocks and take down enemies with ease. This will be necessary for anyone looking to snag collectibles along the way as Kirby can find Energy Spheres to return to Magalor in order to unlock tons of extras to partake in. Much like on the Wii, Kirby can be joined with up to three additional friends. Players can choose between Dedede, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee or if they prefer can play as another Kirby and help suck up enemies and solve the various puzzles along the way requiring unique abilities Kirby can use. New to Return to Dream Land Deluxe are the Sand and Mech abilities which were a welcome and powerful surprise throughout levels that made trying out new skills a blast. Sand feels a bit like the water ability combined with the whip, while the Mech is an arsenal-based ability that lets Kirby have a new float at his disposal.

When Kirby isn't out adventuring he's able to take a break in Magalor's ship or at Merry Magoland. Magalor's ship offers weapon challenges and places to grab certain abilities based on how many Energy Spheres he's managed to collect. The weapon challenges give Kirby a short gauntlet he must get through while earning points along the way to get the highest ranking he can. This will take time to master for those looking to get the top score, but creates a great side activity for those wanting to complete everything. Merry Magoland gives players access to minigames that can also be found on Magalor's ship as well. Playing them will earn stamps that can be claimed for items to help Kirby in addition to masks he and his friends can wear on their adventure. All the masks are of iconic characters that have appeared throughout the series, making it a fun way to have them make an appearance. Some masks even change the sound effects of a character's moves make it all the more fun to collect them along the way. Some of the minigames are solo, but many are multiplayer so friends can enjoy going through them together and trying to earn high scores.

Those wanting an even greater challenge can take on the Arena mode which tasks Kirby with taking down the bosses throughout the story with limited healing items and ability selection. Kirby will be up against foes back to back so he'll need to think wisely about what's working best in his favor while remembering how to dock and dodge to take as little damage as possible along the way. If even that isn't enough, the Extra mode upon finishing the story unlocks a second story campaign with Kirby having less health and harder enemies to face early on. This will be the ultimate test for Kirby to see if he can take everything on again while being significantly weaker this time around making this the mode for the hardened star warriors and not those that are faint of heart.

The biggest new addition to Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe was the inclusion of the Magalor Epilogue. After finding himself drifting through dimensions, Magalor lands in a mysterious place weakened and without any strength. He must make his way through each area gathering fruit fragments to regain his powers and trying to find a way to escape. This is a fantastic post-story mode that offers a different style of gameplay focusing on collecting gems that can be used to power up Magalor and help him get new abilities. One of the coolest elements is how there's a combo system that rewards Magalor based on how well he can combo hits of enemies. Stages are mostly akin to regular Kirby style but without absorbing abilities and with a larger puzzle emphasis with many side stages. It's easily the highlight of this fantastic remaster that makes it well worth checking out. It would have been nice if the Magalor Epilogue were just a bit longer, but it's a great look into what else the series could offer as new side content from here on out.

Kirby titles always shine in their visuals and Return to Dream Land Deluxe is no exception. It has seen an entire overhaul of the visuals adding a wonderful outline on characters and changing up a few designs to better suit the art style. It's wonderful on the eyes and a treat to stop and admire along the way. The soundtrack is the typical cheery Kirby fare that knows when to get dark and when to amp players up. Perhaps the more iffy moments are during cutscenes that put a filter over things to make it look like it's on a parchment, which just doesn't land as well as it tries. There's also the lack of real sound effects during the cutscenes, which while typical for Kirby games, is still weirdly off putting when the characters are all well known for making iconic noises.

Closing Comments: 

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a wonderful remaster with a good amount of love put into it. While it may not be as vast as last year's new Forgotten Land title, it has a lot to offer players, especially those who may not have touched it before. Those who have previously played Return to Dream Land might not have much to look forward here unless they're a hardcore fan, but those who like Kirby and have never tried this title will want to consider picking it up. It doesn't do anything crazy compared to the typical Kirby adventure, but it's so well put together with tons of optional activities that it's well worth going along with Kirby and his friends to see it through to the end.