This remake of Kirby's Adventure finds a good home on the GBA.
Nightmare in Dream Land is a remake of Kirby's Adventure, meaning if you're new to Kirby, you get to experience Kirby's first bout with Meta Knight, the epic journey up to the Fountain of Dreams, among other moments, for the first time, while anyone who has played the original can find the adventure perfectly preserved and improved to GBA quality.
Kirby's normal arsenal of moves are here to aid him, including his ability to fly, suck in enemies, and his ability to gain special powers from inhaling certain baddies. Various powers can be found such as Needle, Fire, Burning, Ice, Freeze, Tornado, Sword, Cutter, Hammer, and even Wheel (a personal favorite). For the most part, a lot of these power-ups are insanely fun to use, and can wreak havoc on an otherwise adequately challenging level. A few others are difficult and sometimes even frustrating to use properly, such as Ball. However most of the power-ups can be found to be quite useful and essential for beating otherwise tricky segments.
In the game there is a decent amount of levels, however easier levels, which can be dashed through without any sort of caution, may feel drastically shorter than later, more challenging levels. The game's 7 worlds are divided up and there are about 40 levels in total, not including bosses. All but the first world have a respectable 6 stages. Mini-bosses are littered throughout the many levels, and provide a nice change of pace and break up some levels well without throwing off the flow of the action. The various power-ups that were mentioned earlier also for the most part help smooth out the gameplay.
Bosses are typically somewhat challenging if Kirby does not have some sort of power-up, and if he does have a power-up, each boss usually has a swift attack that can catch a player offguard if not properly avoided, allowing boss battles to feel like the accomplishment they should.
Kirby's controls are easy-to-use and also execute without any trouble. Pressing jump twice or pressing up twice initiates Kirby's loveable flight mode, while B is the main action button, with a varying result depending on the situation (either sucking up foes if without a power, blowing out air while in midair to land quickly, using a power-up attack, etc.). If Kirby has a power-up, pausing the game with Start will tell you a little bit about how that power-up works, usually with humorous or cute text.
Also spread throughout the game are various minigames which can win Kirby extra lives. These include a hot potato type game. While most players will fly through the game without even touching these subgames, they are fairly enjoyable and worth a look if you want to flesh out the experience.
The graphics of the game are something best described as "Kirby". With colorful worlds to explore, the adorable visuals never take a pitstop, with the game even as far as giving players a trip down memory lane in one level late in the game. Like any Nintendo game, expect nothing but nonstop eye candy.
The music in Nightmare in Dream Land, like any Kirby game, is poppy, upbeat, and just damn catchy. From the jingles of the grassy beginnings to the soothing melodies of the final world, to the boss music, while a good few tracks are forgettable, almost all of them are enjoyable. Most of the tracks also fit the mood of that level, giving some levels a distinct personality, like the Fountain of Dreams itself near the game's end.
Sound effects blend well with the game's atmosphere, and many sound effects are reminiscent of the original Kirby's Dream Land. The sucking of air, the popping sound when Kirby gets a power-up, there's a lot of simply neat little sound effects that add to the game's overall charm. Short jingles like the famous "Kirby Dance" theme or the jingle when Kirby loses a life are here as well, in their unforgettable glory. While a few sound effects seem to have a little less impact, most will grab the attention of the ears.
Nightmare in Dream Land is sadly, like most Kirby games, a short run, especially if one rushes through most of the game's 40-ish stages and ignores and side stuff. However that short journey is still an absolute blast anyone that loves the Kirby franchise should give a spin, and most players with a love of the GBA and an interest in platformers can find enjoyable.
Score Breakdown:
Gameplay - 9/10
Presentation - 8/10
Graphics - 8/10
Sound - 8/10
Tilt - 9/10
Pros and Cons:
+devilishly fun gameplay
+highly adorable and charming visuals
+catchy soundtrack
+power-ups have great variety
-short
-a few power-ups aren't nearly as useful as others
Overall Score: 8.5
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land is by and far a must-have for Kirby fans, a recommended title for platforming fans, and something worth looking into for anyone that has access to the Game Boy Advance. If you're trying to convince someone that Kirby is a great series, or want to be convinced of that, this is a great title to present to support that.