Last year wasSuper Mario’s 35th anniversary, and to celebrate Nintendo’s flagship franchise, it released a number of enthralling titles, such asSuper Mario Bros. 35, an interesting take on a battle royale. But the release that ended being the talk of the town wasSuper Mario 3D All-Stars, bundling together three ofSuper Mario’s 3D hits:Super Mario 64,Super Mario Sunshine, andSuper Mario Galaxy. While its limited-time release caused some controversy, bringing older titles to the Switch ultimately thrilled fans, especiallySuper Mario Sunshine, which had been trapped on the GameCube. A neighboring Nintendo title, theKirbyfranchise, deserves the same when it celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2022.
It’s difficult to tell how likely any kind ofKirbybundle could be. On one hand, it’s beloved series of Nintendo’s that’s been around for a long while, spawning a kid’s TV series, and Kirby’s even appeared inSuper Smash Bros.since the original release. And it did celebrate its 20th anniversary in the form ofKirby’s Dream Collection, which brought a handful of the older titles. It would even be great just to see that group brought to the Switch, though this is unlikely. Regardless, there is a multitude of games that would be welcome on the Switch, both modern and retro releases that nostalgic gamers would appreciate.
RELATED:Kirby Spin-Off Games Tier List
The Best of the Retro Kirby Games
TheKirby’s Dream Landtrilogy is an obvious place to begin when debating which games would make a good bundle. But it’s worth mentioning that the originalKirby’s Dream Land 3along withKirby Super Star,Kirby’s Adventure,andKirby’s Dream Courseare all available through Nintendo Switch Online’s database of NES and SNES games. It also goes without saying that these titles are a bit dated and, being some of the first installments,Kirbyhas naturally developed into a stronger gameplay experience since. For a rerelease of these titles, the best course of action would likely be to remake them onto the Switch, combining the setting and premise of the originals trilogy with smoother and more compelling combat as well as graphics and art that go beyond the basics of 16-bit pixels.
What fans consider to be the “best"Kirbytitles is largely up for debate, but many are partial to the games they’re most nostalgic for. For example,Kirby 64: The Crystal Shardswas the only title to release for the Nintendo 64. It was included in theKirby Dream Collection, and while it didn’t receive the most rave reviews, many fans would be happy to see it get a bump in graphics akin toSuper Mario 64. Likewise,Kirby and the Amazing Mirroris trapped on the Game Boy Advance, never having seen a port of any kind. And thoughKirby’s Adventurewas remade for the GBA in 2002 inKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, perhaps that near-20-year gap has warranted yet another remake for what’s often considered one of the best NES games out there.
The 3DS Kirby Games
The3DSline was an excellent era for Kirby games, depending on who’s asked. WhileTeam Kirby ClashandKirby Fighters Deluxemay not have landed the best with players, other releases likePlanet Robobot, Extra Epic Yarn, andTriple Deluxeare sometimes noted as some of the best titles the series has to offer. The latter three in particular showcase what makesKirbysuch a fantastic gem of games unlike any other.
What’s even better about these three releases is that they’re pretty modern in comparison tootherKirbytitles, meaning less work would be needed to bring it up to speed on the Switch or simply just port them in an anniversary package.
