In the latest Nintendo Direct,Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxewas revealed. As a remake of the Wii classic,Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxemaintains what made that game beloved with four-person multiplayer including Kirby. Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Bandana Waddle Dee. Levels are full of collectibles, and the roster of Copy Abilities set the standard for polish and move density going intoKirby’s modern era. On top of the brand-new Mecha power and a total visual overhaul,Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxeis sure to delight new and veteran Kirby fans alike.
There will be more to do after the main campaign is complete. Much like the original game,Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxehas a remixed hard mode,the traditional Arena boss rushes, and several mini-games that are available for players to challenge alone or with friends. There’s even at least one brand-new mini-game, Magolor’s Tome Trackers. It’s hard to say what other new contentReturn to Dream Land Deluxewill add, but there is one last feature from the original it should enhance. The Challenges fromReturn to Dream LandandKirby’s Dream Collection Special Editionshould be merged together to create the ultimate score attack package.
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Challenge Stages Are a Unique Addition to the Wii Kirby Titles
InKirby’s Return to Dream Land, Challenges were a unique sub-game accessible in Magolor’s ship, though they are an idea that was brought back with theTreasure Roads inKirby and the Forgotten Land. Challenges open up as Kirby finds Energy Spheres in each stage, with the initial Sword Challenge coming in after seven Spheres are found and the final Item Challenge unlocking after all one hundred twenty are collected. These special stages are quick score-based obstacle courses that are meant to test the player’s knowledge of various Copy Abilities, and provide a lot of replay value for those who enjoy mastering Kirby’s surprisingly deep gameplay.
There are seven Challenge courses inKirby’s Return to Dream Land, each with a harder Extra Mode variant. The first six are built around the Sword,Whip, Hi-Jump, Bomb, Water, and Wing Copy Abilities, while the seventh forgoes abilities in favor of usingReturn to Dream Land’s different held items. Kirby attempts these courses solo, rushing through them as quickly as possible while defeating enemies, avoiding hazards, and collecting Score Coins. At the end, the player is awarded a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Medal, and potentially some extra lives. It’s not a lot of content, but it is satisfying to prove one’s mastery in a more tense atmosphere thanKirbyusually permits.
Return to Dream Land Deluxe Could Expand the Original’s Challenges
Challenges are a great idea, but there aren’t many. OfKirby’s Return to Dream Land’s 20 normal Copy Abilities, only six are represented.Kirby’s Dream Collection Special Editionfit Parasol, Spark, Fighter, and therarely seen Smash Copy Abilitiesin its take on the sub-game, although that came at the expense of Hi-Jump, Bomb, and Water.Kirby’s Dream Collectionalso introduced Combat Chambers and Magolor Races, whichReturn to Dream Landlacked. It only amounted to thirteen trials serving as a short bonus campaign for aKirbyanniversary collection, but their framing device of Magolor building a theme park as an apology was charming.
To make its own existence as a re-released game more enticing,Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxeshould featureDream Collection’s Challenges as a postgame mode. The framing device of Magolor building them would stay the same, but more could be done. Now that they are integrated into an actualKirbygame, more enemies and bosses could be added into Combat Chambers, and more courses could be made for the rest ofReturn to Dream Land’s powers. EvenKirby’s new Mecha Copy Abilitycould get in on the action, along with special courses made for the other playable characters. There’s a ton of potential in an arcade-like approach toKirby’s levels, and with these Challenges featuring tighter level design than usual, it would be great forReturn to Dream Land Deluxeto go wild.
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxewill be released on Jul 08, 2025, for Nintendo Switch.
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