Kirby: Planet Robobot introduces mech suits and new, dynamic powers. What's not to like?
The addition of the robot suits in Kirby isKirby: Planet Robobot introduces mech suits and new, dynamic powers. What's not to like?
The addition of the robot suits in Kirby is probably the most refreshing mechanic in a Kirby game that I’ve seen in some time. Jumping into the suit makes Kirby an absolute powerhouse. Every ability can be used in the robot suit, giving a whole new dimension to the combat and puzzle solving. Some puzzles can only be solved with a combination of the suit and a specific power, making puzzles much more enjoyable and dynamic.
One of the biggest complaints I’ve had about Kirby games is that many of the powers have been one-dimensional. As an example, the Beam power has been around forever and the only thing you could do with it is create an arching beam “sword” against enemies. Now, in this new game, almost every ability has several different styles. From shooting up or at an angle or to creating a new effect while having full health (like Zelda’s sword beam), each new ability really shows off better combat capabilities for a more dynamic sense of play. In the Robot suit, instead of Electric powered Kirby shooting off an electric aura like Blanka from Street Fighter, the Robot suit shoots off bouncing balls of electricity. On top of that, most abilities also have alternate modes of fire, like being able to charge up a shot to do more damage.
Planet Robobot really shows off in the collectibles department. Each level has hidden code cubes you gather by solving gradually tougher puzzles throughout the game. Each level has a set number of cubes and if you collect all of them in an area, a new EX level opens, giving the player a more difficult but ultimately fun challenge. Alongside the code cubes, players also collect stickers throughout each level. Most common stickers act on a seemingly RNG mechanic and certain levels will contain hard to find gold stickers which are usually rarer designs. Ultimately, all the stickers did was change the look of your robot suit and did nothing in the way of stats, making them seemingly useless. However, for the true collector, it gives a solid incentive to go back through levels and collect more stickers.
The developers out-did themselves on level and enemy design in this game. Each level felt different and dynamic. There were times where most of the level I would run through using the robot to smash enemies and other times I would be using it to carefully solve puzzles. Most times, the levels were split between a foreground and a background area that you could jump between to progress or collect items and it really busted up the monotony of typical side scrolling games. Some of the more memorable levels had Kirby transform into a car to traverse the level or flying areas where Kirby would change into a plane and fight flying enemies and bosses. Bosses and sub-bosses were even dynamically fresh with multiple phases, attack patterns and arena changes. At one point you could be fighting a boss in a flat 2D environment and the next phase you could be dodging projectiles in a 3D circle while the boss tries to stomp on you. It made for a great use of the 3DS mechanics while still keeping the style of Kirby intact.
Of course, many of Kirby’s old pals and enemies are back for the ride like Meta Knight and King Dedede but it also brought in some pretty cool antagonists and frenemies The antagonists were interesting though sparsely used. After beating the game, there are several different endings depending on the amount of code cubes you’ve collected, all culminating in some truly epic boss battles. Even after beating the fairly lengthy main story, there are a good chunk of mini-games and side missions including a boss arena, a time-attack mode, a 3D puzzler and a 4-player Monster Hunter styled adventure game, pitting you and 3 other Kirby's against bosses with huge health bars. Players can level up in this mode and use different Kirby forms such as Swords, Hammer, Healing and Magic to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible, making this one of my favorite mini-games in ANY Kirby game to date.
Overall, the new Kirby: Planet Robobot is a fantastic title for Nintendo and their 3DS system. I found hours and hours of new things to do or collect without ever really feeling any kind of repetitive gameplay. With the addition of robot suits, new abilities, engaging boss battles and levels, the game really shows its strength in versatility. I haven’t played a Kirby game in some time due to stale gameplay but Planet Robobot showed me that Kirby and friends are still just as awesome as they ever were.
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Score: 9/10
+ Robot Suit
+ Fresh new Skills and developed abilities
+ Dynamic Boss fights and Level design
+ Great blend of platforming and puzzles
+ Fun collection elements
- Sticker collection felt useless
Recommended for Kirby fans of every age or for fans of platforming/puzzle games and collection mechanics.… Expand