The positive track record of the Kirby franchise has seen its catalog of games maintaining a consistent level of quality across decades, with its ports and remasters being met with praise alongside brand-new titles alike. Now that recent rumors have indicated that the 3DS' Kirby: Planet Robobot could be coming to the Switch in the coming months, however, it appears that Nintendo is now leaning more heavily into classics over developing original concepts. It's practically certain that this well-received title will be welcomed as an updated port toward the end of the Switch's life cycle, but it also might represent a missed opportunity to continue the success of Kirby ports on the Nintendo Switch.

Despite being in games that have remained relatively similar in their platforming mechanics for over 30 years, the character of Kirby has managed to remain more popular than ever. 2022's Forgotten Land ranks as a top-seller of the console and the peak of sales in the series as a whole, making it clear that HAL Laboratory is still more than capable of innovating. If Kirby: Planet Robobot ends up being re-released as the next entry, the benefits of its newfound exposure could be countered by the redundancy of following yet another port.

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A New Kirby Game Would Face a Major Fork in the Road

It's only a matter of time before a new Kirby game graces players, but after the series' latest title, developers face a big decision moving forward.

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Kirby: Planet Robobot Would Come Hot on the Heels of Return to Dream Land Deluxe

Making the Most of Kirby's Rich Library

As the Switch approaches the twilight period of its life, it's a solid strategy to leverage the archive of solid Kirby games as polished remasters. Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe updated a Wii classic in a way that proves this series has evergreen properties which could see potential in revisiting any of its older entries. As a widely celebrated title from within the past few generations, Planet Robobot is a ripe opportunity for breathing new life into a beloved game that has always been restricted to the handheld format.

Nintendo Risks Making the Series Feel Stalled

It likely reached many new players who wouldn't have experienced it otherwise, but Return to Dream Land Deluxe also supports an ongoing trend of Nintendo focusing on the profitability of the nostalgia of older products over the proper pioneering in the industry that the company has always been known for. With Kirby's prolific status as an experimental series on top of that foundation, it shouldn't get too far away from the triumphs of delivering on unexpected shifts in direction.

Multiple Kirby Ports Would Only Serve to Highlight the Lack of a New Full-Fledged Entry

Kirby Has Hardly Seen Long Gaps Between Main Titles

Throughout the history of the Hal Laboratory flagship franchise, there have been few gaps longer than a couple of years between what are considered main series Kirby games, and rarely more than one year between releases in general. Practically every major title during this time featured its own unique gimmick, leading up to Kirby and the Forgotten Land's Mouthful Mode taking the copy ability concept to a new extreme. The mech armor concept of Planet Robobot would probably feel rather novel to a large portion of Switch owners who weren't able to play the 3DS original, but it wouldn't match up to the excitement generated by a game that delves into unseen territory.

When considering the timeline of the Nintendo Switch's successor, there may be a silver lining to more Kirby remasters. If the Switch 2 can allow the next main series title to use the stronger technology to explore more demanding mechanics, then filling out the time until then with ports would be the best of both worlds through making the most of the Switch's remaining time in the spotlight.

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Kirby's Return To Dreamland Deluxe Tag Page Cover Art

Kirby's Return To Dreamland Deluxe
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Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 79%
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Released
February 24, 2023
ESRB
e
Developer(s)
HAL Laboratory
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Franchise
Kirby
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WHERE TO PLAY

PHYSICAL
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An adventure of deluxe proportions awaits!

The tough puff Kirby is back for a 1-4 player* platforming adventure across Planet Popstar. Help Magolor rebuild his ship with newly added Mecha and Sand Copy Abilities! Float and fight along with friends on the same system as you control Kirby. Each other player can control a different Kirby or one of Kirby’s iconic friends like King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Bandana Waddle Dee.

Take on the adventure alone as Kirby or invite other players to join the game as a different Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight, or Bandana Waddle Dee. You and up to 3 friends can work together to find missing ship pieces in 4-player co-op on the same system.

Combine powers with other players by riding piggyback! Just press and release the L or R buttons at the same time for a super-strong Team Attack. Effects will vary based on the number of players and who is on the bottom of the stack.

Platform(s)
Switch
Genre(s)
Platformer
OpenCritic Rating
Strong