Kirby's Dream Land
Reviewed by Diane Cote
Kirby's Dream Land suffers from an enormous flaw you just cannot ignore: there
is no way to save your game. This means that unless you're going on a long trip
and will have nothing to do except play Game Boy, this is a game that will
rarely get played.
The game play is the classic "swallow the bad guys" Kirby platform action
that's been around since the NES. On the Game Boy, despite the lack of color
and the miniaturized screen, little is lost in the graphics department.
The visuals are pleasant and distinctive. Kirby's worlds are filled with
cutesy characters that pop out from cutesy buildings. I enjoyed the fact that
this round little creature got from place to place by riding stars. Being shot
from the spout of a whale up to a higher level is quite cool as well.
The sounds in Kirby's Dreamland are comprised almost entirely of Kirby's vacuum
suction, twinkling stars and baddies popping into star dust. The music has that
familiar jingle quality that will keep you humming after you shut down your Game
Boy, sort of a cross between your favorite happy cartoon, your favorite happy
commercial and the theme from The Price Is Right.
There's quite a bit to see in this little cart. Younger gamers, who are looking for
something to do while they're sitting in the backseat waiting to get to Disneyland,
will lap Kirby's Dream Land up. Older gamers, looking for some quick fun before the
boss gets into work, will find it a drag that they can't save their progress and are
forced to see the same levels again and again.
A good Game Boy introduction for Kirby but a shame the proper tech wasn't
added into the cart.