Kirby's Return To Dream Land Deluxe Review - Better Than A Copy

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Rating: Everyone 10+

Following a long run of gimmick-heavy titles, 2011's Kirby's Return to Dream Land signaled the franchise's return to the traditional platforming style. With four-player co-op, a massive suite of fun copy abilities, and cleverly designed stages, Kirby's Return to Dream Land stands out as one of the high-water marks for the franchise. Thanks to an HD visual upgrade and meaningful content additions, this new Switch version establishes itself as the definitive way to enjoy this standout adventure.

An interdimensional being named Magolor has crash-landed on Kirby's Planet Popstar, and it's up to Kirby and his friends to gather the missing pieces to repair Magolor's ship. Players must run, jump, and float through a wealth of exciting platforming stages stretched across several distinct biomes alongside up to three friends in drop-in/drop-out cooperative play. I'm glad co-op is still in this version, but I'm disappointed this remaster didn't add online functionality.

While additional players can take on the form of Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Bandana Waddle Dee (each possessing distinct moves), Kirby is the best character to play, thanks to his ability to absorb powers from enemies. Thankfully, every player can assume a variant of Kirby instead of those specific characters, giving each player full access to the impressive list of copy abilities to inhale in Return to Dream Land Deluxe.

 

Every copy ability is carried forward from the original release, giving you domain over water, electricity, fire, snow, and more. While the elemental skills are fun and helpful in solving environmental puzzles, I still prefer the more offensive move sets granted by the magical Beam, the classic Sword, and the swift Ninja. This version also adds two all-new copy abilities in the form of Mecha and Sand. While it's fun to surf around and blast enemies with Sand, I often went out of my way to experience the powerful Mecha ability's lasers, blasters, and rockets. I love the diversity of gameplay offered by the broad spectrum of copy abilities.

The stages in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe use these copy abilities to encourage exploration. Though it's sometimes frustrating to not have the correct power to grab a tucked-away collectible, the game typically gives you heavy-handed hints that you should acquire a particular new ability before moving to the next area. I loved replaying these stages to go through different doors to see how the branching paths rewarded me.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe isn't a difficult game, but the challenge certainly ramps up near the end of the main story. In those moments, I was glad to have mastered some of my favorite abilities. However, if you need extra assistance to push through the adventure, Deluxe adds a new Magolor Helper mode, where he'll throw you some health if you're low or fish you out of pits if you fall. Most seasoned players won't need Magolor's help in this optional feature, but for less experienced players, this option will inevitably boost their enjoyment. Thankfully, the Extra Mode, where bosses are stronger, players are weaker, and bonus stages are more demanding, returns to add more challenge to your second playthrough.

Speaking of Magolor, he's at the center of the two most significant additions to this Deluxe package. In addition to unlocking Extra Mode when you beat the main story, you can play Magolor Epilogue. This all-new story-based mode follows Magolor on a journey to regain his powers after the events of the original adventure. Though Magolor's projectile-based move set is underwhelming initially, you upgrade his skills by defeating enemies and maintaining combo streaks to earn magic orbs while you play. This increased emphasis on combat satisfied me more the deeper I got into this shorter story. By the end of it, I was pulling off massive combos involving bombs, spiraling projectiles, and black holes, tearing through any enemies that dared get in my way. However, the suped-up boss battles in this mode are no joke, giving me some of the most challenging sequences of my time with Return to Dream Land Deluxe.

Magolor isn't all about blasting away his foes, though. A second new mode to bear his name, Merry Magoland, is all about kicking back and having fun with friends. Here, various subgames from the past and a couple of all-new ones allow you to experience a wide array of gameplay challenges. Whether it's the frantic Bomb Rally game from Nightmare in Dream Land, the combative Smash Ride from Squeak Squad, or the reaction-based Samurai Kirby from Super Star, I loved experiencing the divergent gameplay styles on offer from this fun collection. A mission system serves as an exciting in-game checklist and rewards you with cosmetic masks featuring characters from the series based on your accomplishments in the mode.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is still an enhanced remaster of a 12-year-old Wii game, but it effectively brings forward one of the pink puffball's best outings, complete with meaningful additions. The result is a game worthy of sitting in the Switch catalog next to last year's superb Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

Score: 8.75

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Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Review – Refined Harmony

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: PlayStation 4, Switch
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Rating: Teen

The Theatrhythm series has been a standout, if criminally underplayed, example of how to both showcase a series’ excellent set of scores while celebrating a prolific franchise’s history. Since the previous entry’s release on 3DS in 2014, Final Fantasy music has evolved thanks to the releases of Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy XIV expansions, remakes, and more. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line folds these additions into a mix of returning classics and lesser-known tunes to create an amazing catalog of songs to play through in the series’ trademark take on the rhythm genre.

And just like in 2012 and 2014, it remains as quirky and eclectic as ever. I have minor gripes with the game, but they rarely get in the way of what matters: the gameplay. This new Theatrhythm sets a high bar for the entire series, continuing the trend of outdoing what came before it and showcasing just how well a celebratory series compilation can be done. 

There’s a lot that’s familiar this time around for returning players. This sequel retains the same chibi art style, the same types of stage formats, and many of the existing songs. It’s a “don’t fix what isn’t broken” situation and one that works. One big difference is that due to the hardware differences between the 3DS, where the last two games resided exclusively, and the PS4 and Switch, is how you hit notes. The 3DS games were more tactile because you’d use the touch screen stylus to tap the notes on screen. Now, you’ll need to hit a note as it scrolls across the screen by pressing a face button, shoulder button, or slashing directionally with an analog stick. 

Admittedly, it’s quite awkward at first and I wasn’t a fan of this necessary format change, in part because the game does little to help you determine a fitting control scheme. Because you can hit most notes with almost any button on the controller, it’s initially hard to keep track of where your hands are and where they should be going when things get hectic. After an hour or two, I settled into a scheme that worked for me, but I discovered that all on my own. I would have liked more direction from Final Bar Line, especially in a genre where most games assign specific button presses to specific notes. 

After discovering what worked for me, I fiendishly blazed through songs, and my old love of Theatrhythm reignited. Both Field Music Stages and Battle Music Stages begin by selecting one of your five party loadouts. Each loadout can contain up to four characters from various Final Fantasy games. I enjoyed mixing and matching some of my favorites, like Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII and Cloud from Final Fantasy VII, to create offense-heavy builds. And when boss fights, for example, gave me particular challenges, I equipped magic-focused characters to target the enemy’s weakness alongside more defensive heroes. It’s a new element of strategy that adds a deeper level of engagement for players chasing down the highest possible scores and treasure yield in each stage. 

 

This was especially important to complete Series Quests, which are optional objectives attached to each song. Completing these quests ranges from defeating challenging boss enemies, necessitating that you hit “critical” notes for the duration of the song, or something as simple as completing a stage with a particular character in the party (usually because that character is attached to the song in some way). These quests add a touch of additional challenge if you want it. They’re also completely optional, meaning if you only want your Final Bar Line experience to consist of playing through some great songs and staying on rhythm while doing so, it can be just that. 

I do wish the quests were more integrated into the primary progression. While they aren’t necessary to advance, completing them does come with rewards. But sometimes the reward is lousy, like a potion, which is an item I rarely used. Other times, it’s better, such as when you earn a CollectaCard that showcases a key Final Fantasy moment in a trading card style. Regardless, because these extra challenges are optional, I rarely felt compelled to give each more than a couple of tries. If I failed a song enough, I’d just move on because there’s no penalty for doing so. Completing the song is all that’s required to advance. 

One of my favorite aspects of Final Bar Line is unlocking special Event Music Stages, which allow you to play through songs while cinematics from the game play behind the notes. It’s a nice touch and adds a premium level of quality to the game’s nostalgia factor. The in-game Museum also helps out on that front, as you can view your CollectaCards anytime. Looking at promotional art I forgot existed for some Final Fantasy games was an especially nice treat, but other cards give a better look at in-game characters or enemies in their chibi design. It’s a great addition for players looking to 100 percent the game and speaks to the Final Bar Line’s celebratory nature well. 

Outside of the game’s single-player offerings, there are Multi Battles. Here, you can compete with up to three other players, and I enjoyed how this switches up the gameplay. The success of other players triggers effects on your screen, like a “Fat Chocobo” rush that sends a fleet of large Chocobo to your screen, obscuring incoming notes. Others remove the UI that tells you how well you hit a note, which has a surprisingly negative effect on how I perform. And the most challenging effect sent by an opponent adds fake notes to my scroll. It’s an exciting and stressful way to play through my favorite Theatrhythm songs and a sure way to extend my playtime with the game. The same goes for the Endless World stage, which lets you play track after track until you no longer have HP. 

Final Bar Line does little to propel you forward through any of this, though. There’s barely a semblance of a story, and I rolled credits without even realizing I was near the end – I had only completed roughly a third of the 385 tracks. You can earn new Summons, which automatically play during a stage based on your rhythmic action, from other players in Multi Battles, and you can go for high scores by replaying songs, but Final Bar Line doesn’t emphasize why you should be doing this.

Despite that lack of propelling factor, I’m still completely engrossed in this game, playing it during any 15 free minutes I can find throughout my day. Though I’ve technically completed the game, I want to SSS rank all of my favorite songs, dig deeper into the libraries from Final Fantasy games I’m less familiar with, and show off my rhythm prowess against other players. This is a fantastic rhythm game set to the tune of arguably the greatest music catalog in all of games. While I would have liked more guidance in how to proceed, the musical content on offer is so diverse, so nostalgic, and so well done, that I have no problem composing my own fun.

Score: 9

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Atomic Heart Review - A Red Rapture

Reviewed on: PC
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Developer: Mundfish
Rating: Mature

After more than half a decade in development, Atomic Heart has arrived as the first title from developer Mundfish. This BioShock-inspired shooter is an impressive debut in many ways, and it wears its influences on its sleeve – for better and worse. The game’s dazzling world design, extraordinary production values, and fast-paced fights make for a solid campaign, but the derivative plot and often painful writing insist on dragging it down.

Atomic Heart’s premise is one of its most intriguing elements. The game takes place in an alternate-history Soviet Union that has become the world’s foremost superpower after World War II, thanks to the scientific innovations of Facility 3826. The player assumes the role of Agent P-3, an operative under the command of Soviet genius Dr. Dmitry Sechenov. When Sechenov’s latest social experiment goes wrong, P-3 is ordered to fight through the Facility’s rampaging robots and murderous mutants to reach the truth.

P-3 has access to uniquely upgradable weapons and elemental abilities, but combat is less like BioShock than it may sound. Instead of stealth, hacking, and environmental traps, Atomic Heart demands faster and more reactive shooting to curb the attackers’ superior numbers. Enemies have particular weaknesses that can only be exploited with clever combinations, like covering a plant-based mutant with accelerant gel before setting it aflame with incendiary rounds. Battles are both dangerous and satisfying, and the diversity of opponents keeps combat engaging.

The world of Facility 3826 is also gorgeously realized with Atomic Heart’s sublime art direction. From the very first scene, the game wows you with its exceptional production values. Meticulous attention to detail is seen in everything from the communist architecture to the internal components of robots, and it really makes the game’s what-if scenario seem plausible. The sprawling overworld of the Kazakh mountains also feels large without being empty; plenty of surprising secrets and environmental variety supplement the close-quarters fights and spatial reasoning puzzles of the underground levels.

Atomic Heart’s biggest problem, however, is its writing. Most of the dialogue ranges from irritating to downright unbearable. P-3 is an angry military man who is constantly yelling, cursing, and using witless sarcasm. He talks a lot – and it’s usually to complain about something. His interactions with the sexually frustrated crafting machine are especially painful, and the rest of the cast isn’t much better. The script is not provocative; it’s just covering up a lack of substantial character development.

 

Sadly, the actual plot is also a major letdown. Most of it is told through abrupt info-dumps, which quickly erodes any sense of mystery and makes all the events incredibly predictable. The story spends much of its time clumsily rehashing many of BioShock’s themes with a Soviet spin. Sadly, the best writing is hidden in the various terminals throughout the game, which contain most of the worldbuilding and connect other characters to one another.

On the one hand, Atomic Heart is a good game on its own merits. The fun and frantic gunplay, outstanding visual design, and intricate level of detail in its world amount to an experience worth your time. On the other hand, it could have been so much more. The story and characters simply don’t do justice to the game’s thought-provoking premise, and some better writing would have done wonders. Despite that, Atomic Heart is still an exciting and memorable first outing from Mundfish. 

Score: 7.75

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Metroid Prime Remastered Review - A Modernized Masterpiece

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Retro Studios
Rating: Teen

Metroid Prime has long been considered one of the crowning achievements of Nintendo’s GameCube library. The series’ seamless transition to the first-person genre was defined by its frenetic action, massively explorable environments, clever puzzles, and daunting boss encounters. However, the subsequent two decades have worn on the original release, but much like Samus by the end of each game, Metroid Prime Remastered brings the title back to full power.

Metroid Prime Remastered takes the already-stellar original title and gives it a shiny coat of paint. While not unique to this release, I’m struck by how well the art style of Metroid Prime translates to modern visuals. Meticulously detailed textures and vastly improved lighting further accentuate the already beautiful character models and environments. Even the sound is better, making the excellent soundtrack that much more enjoyable. In fact, everything looks and sounds so good, you could easily fool a less-knowledgeable player into thinking this is a new release for 2023.

 

The visual improvements are noteworthy, but the modernized controls are downright revelatory. This version of Metroid Prime offers various control settings to allow you to play how you want. Classic and Pointer controls, meant to emulate the single-stick GameCube and motion-control Wii settings, respectively, play to the nostalgia of those who experienced this on those previous platforms. However, the new Dual Stick option is the best way to play Metroid Prime.

This setting (the default) maps movement to the left stick and aiming to the right in the most effective control modernization I can recall. This new control scheme makes almost zero concessions in its updates; the best compliment I can give is that my modern first-person shooter brain instinctually knew how to do almost every action with minimal tutorials or guidance. When combined with the lock-on system of Samus’ suit, this game delivers the amazing power fantasy of being one of the galaxy’s ultimate bounty hunters.

With these improvements in tow, Metroid Prime Remastered opens the doors for a new audience to experience one of the greatest Nintendo exclusives of the 21st century. Exploring Tallon IV is an eerie and atmospheric delight; the original development team at Retro Studios clearly understood how to transpose Metroid’s established formula of obtaining new powers to aid in thoughtful exploration of an ever-expanding map to an all-new genre. Throw in memorable boss fights, stellar environmental storytelling, and exciting combat encounters, and Metroid Prime’s superb design still feels awesome.

I emerged from my revisiting of Metroid Prime with only minor complaints. The unwieldy camera when you’re a Morphball, the lack of a real waypoint system, and the cluttered HUD show the game’s age but are miniscule complaints in the grand scheme of this remarkable remaster. Even the antiquated checkpoint system and the abundance of backtracking are little more than nitpicks and add to the tension without feeling cheap.

Metroid Prime Remastered is more than meets the eye, serving as a testament to how spectacular and timeless the original design was. The visual and performance improvements go a long way to making it more approachable, but paramount to those upgrades is the fact that it controls as well as nearly any other shooter on the Switch today. Metroid Prime was a masterpiece in 2002, and that assessment still rings true in 2023.

Score: 9.5

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