Kirby: Triple Deluxe

Kirby: Triple Deluxeis a 2014action-platform gamedeveloped byHAL Laboratoryand published byNintendofor theNintendo 3DS.It is the tenth main installment of theKirbyseries. The game was released in Japan on January 11, 2014, in North America on May 2, 2014, in Europe on May 16, 2014, and in Australia on May 17, 2014. The game follows Kirby as he embarks on a journey through six worlds to rescueKing Dededefrom Taranza.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Packaging artwork
Developer(s)	HAL Laboratory
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Director(s)	Shinya Kumazaki
Producer(s)	Hiroaki Suga Hitoshi Yamagami
Designer(s)	Yuki Endo
Programmer(s)	Yoshihiro Nagata
Artist(s)	Tadashi Kamitake
Composer(s)	Hirokazu Ando Jun Ishikawa
Series	Kirby
Platform(s)	Nintendo 3DS
Release	JP:January 11, 2014 KO:April 17, 2014 NA:May 2, 2014 EU:May 16, 2014 AU:May 17, 2014
Genre(s)	Action,platform
Mode(s)	Single-player,multiplayer

It received generally positive reviews upon its release. Praise went to the level design, the new Hypernova ability, soundtrack, graphics, use of 3D, and extra content. However, it received some criticism for its low difficulty level.Kirby: Triple Deluxewas succeeded byKirby: Planet Robobotfor the 3DS in 2016.

Gameplay

Kirby: Triple Deluxeis a platformer displayed in a2.5Dperspective. Some enemy attacks also emanate from the background. Kirby can eat a rainbow-colored Miracle Fruit to become Hypernova Kirby, which allows him to inhale extremely large objects.Bandana Waddle Deealso throws Assist Stars at Kirby, which, by pressing the Y button, can heal Kirby.

New copy abilities include Beetle, which allows Kirby to use aJapanese rhinoceros beetle's horn to impale enemies, slam them on the ground, or carry them around; Bell, which lets Kirby wield twin bells, use them as a shield, and attack with sound waves; Archer, which lets Kirby fire arrows and use fake trees and boulders to avoid enemy attacks; and Circus, which allows Kirby to ride on a giant rolling ball to bowl over enemies, juggle flaming bowling pins to attack enemies above him and use exploding balloon animals as weapons. At least 20 copy abilities from previous games return, including Wheel, which was absent fromKirby's Return to Dream Land.

Two new subgames areKirby Fighters,aSuper Smash Bros.style fighting game where the player can customize their own Kirby and give him one of ten copy abilities to battle other Kirbys in stages based on levels from previousKirbygames; andDedede's Drum Dash,arhythm gamestarring King Dedede, who jumps ondrumswhile avoiding enemies and collecting coins to the tune of classicKirbysongs. The main game is single player only. Players can also find and collectkeychainswhich depict characters from previousKirbygames.

After the main story mode is completed, players unlock an extra mode calledDededetour!,featuring King Dedede as the playable character. In this mode, all of the Boss es are replaced by their "DX" counterparts, who sport different color schemes, are more powerful, and have new attacks. At the end of this mode, Dedede fights Shadow Dedede and Dark Meta Knight, who are King Dedede's andMeta Knight's evil clones from theMirror World.

Plot

After a rela xing day,Kirbyheads home for a good night’s rest. While he is sleeping, a large seed falls from the clouds and lands nearby, creating the Dreamstalk that lifts Kirby’s house in the air. In the morning, a shocked Kirby heads to Castle Dedede, which has also been lifted by the vines. Once he reaches the gates, however, Kirby notices anarachnid-like being namedTaranzaentering the castle. Effortlessly, Taranza takes out the Waddle Dee guards and kidnaps a surprisedKing Dedede,carrying him up the Dreamstalk. Kirby gives chase, fighting Taranza’s minions along the way. After following Taranza throughout multiple regions, the adventure reaches its conclusion in Royal Road, the capital city of Floralia, the kingdom in the sky.

When Kirby finally reaches Taranza, he attacks Kirby using a brainwashed King Dedede. After an intense fight, Kirby is able to defeat the king and free him of his brainwashing. Taranza reveals that he has been working for Floralia's self-proclaimed Queen, thevespid-being Queen Sectonia, and that the Floralians planted the Dreamstalk in the hopes of summoning Dream Land's hero to their aid. Mistakenly believing King Dedede to be that hero, Taranza kidnapped him on the orders of Queen Sectonia, who wants to use the Dreamstalk to take over Dream Land. Queen Sectonia scolds Taranza for his failure, blasting at him with her staff that causes him to fly away from the tower before turning her sights on Kirby.

Kirby faces Queen Sectonia and wins. Kirby and Dedede celebrate, but Sectonia merges with the Dreamstalk and turns into a giant flower-like monster. She begins to spread vines all over Popstar, ripping out pieces of land for her kingdom and preventing anyone from getting close enough to attack her. With Dedede's help, Kirby manages to get through Sectonia's vines and confronts her once more.

After a hard battle, Kirby eventually defeats Queen Sectonia, but Sectonia grabs Kirby with her vines and tries to crush him while Kirby cries for help. King Dedede and Taranza (with a change of heart) come to Kirby's rescue, freeing him and giving him a Miracle Fruit to finally defeat the queen. Kirby finishes off Queen Sectonia by inhaling her giant laser blast and spitting it back out at her, destroying her utterly. With Floralia rescued, Kirby is ferried back home by the People of the Sky, and the Dreamstalk is purified, fully blooming and becoming a permanent fixture of Dream Land.

Optional scenes

At the end ofDededetour!,an extra mode featuring King Dedede as the protagonist, King Dedede encounters a clone of himself from another dimension, Shadow Dedede. After the real Dedede beats the shadowy clone, he encountersDark Meta Knight,who has come back for revenge. Dedede, however, defeats him, sending him back into the mirror he came from. He then uses his hammer to destroy the mirror.

At the end of The True Arena, aBossrush that is unlocked by beating the game, Queen Sectonia uses the Miracle Fruits to revive herself. Kirby then fights Soul of Sectonia, a harder version of Queen Sectonia with brand new attacks. Defeating her first form makes her rip herself out of the Dreamstalk for the final (bonus) Boss of the game. She is capable of many new attacks, some of which reference previous Kirby final Boss es such asMarxandDrawcia.Upon her final defeat, Queen Sectonia explodes in a flurry of blue petals, as a single large, sparkling blue petal is seen drifting down the screen.

Development

The game was announced on October 1, 2013, during aNintendo Directpresentation.However, the title of the game was not actually revealed until over a month later, when it was mentioned in a recap email sent by Nintendo after that November's direct.The game's title originated from developers wanting to incorporate the letter X due to the game being the 10th main installment in theKirbyseries, as well as reflect the capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS.The game's release in Australia was accompanied by the launch of a pinkNintendo 2DS.

Enhanced versions of the two minigames featured in the main game, titledKirby Fighters ZandDedede's Drum Rush Z,were released as standalone titles downloadable from theNintendo eShopon July 23, 2014, in Japan and August 29, 2014, in North America asKirby Fighters DeluxeandDedede's Drum Dash Deluxeand it was also available in Europe on February 13, 2015. These versions feature new stages and gameplay features, with additional content unlocked if save data fromKirby: Triple Deluxeis detected.

Kirby Fighters Deluxewould later a receive a follow-up on theNintendo Switchin September 2020, titledKirby Fighters 2,using theKirby Star Alliesengine. It features more content, online play, more copy abilities (including the new "Wrestler" ability), and playable characters besides Kirby.

Reception

Critical response

Reception

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	80.62%
Metacritic	80/100

Review scores

Publication	Score
Destructoid	8/10
Digital Trends	4.5/5
Edge	7/10
Electronic Gaming Monthly	9/10
Eurogamer	8/10
Game Informer	8.5/10
GameSpot	8/10
GamesRadar+	3.5/5
IGN	6/10
Nintendo Life	7/10
Nintendo World Report	8/10 8.5/10
Official Nintendo Magazine	87%
PCMag	4/5
Polygon	7.5/10
The Guardian	4/5
Hardcore Gamer	4/5
USGamer	4/5

The game received positive reviews, holding an average of 80 onMetacriticbased on 68 reviews and an 80.62% onGameRankings.GameSpotawarded the game an 8 out 10, praising the level design, graphics, soundtrack, use of 3D, controls, and lasting appeal.Polygongave it a 7.5 out of 10, praising its innovative level design but criticizing the overall aesthetics as "simple" and "drab" in comparison to earlier games.Hardcore Gamergave the game a 4 out of 5 calling it a "one of the best handheld iterations in the beloved Nintendo franchise."

However,IGN's Jose Otero gave it a 6 out of 10, praising its Boss battles and use of the 3D, but strongly criticizing its low difficulty. He stated, "Kirby Triple Deluxemay look great and has some clever ideas for how to use 3D, but falls into a rut of simple platforming and puzzles that rarely require any thought or skill. I admire that it tries to give us more powers and abilities to play with than ever before, but that empowerment shouldn't come at the expense of any real difficulty. "

Sales

As of March 2015, the game has sold 1.78 million units worldwide.As of December 31, 2022,Kirby's Triple Deluxehad sold 2.66 million copies worldwide, making it the27th best-selling game for the Nintendo 3DS.

References

Booklets

• "Kirby Triple Deluxe".Nintendo.2014.RetrievedAugust 25,2024.

External links

• Official website