Like so
many of his past outings, Kirby's latest adventure is about partaking in
a lively world filled with charming monsters. Kirby can inhale these
creatures to acquire new abilities; you can go from swinging a sword to
throwing bombs to riding a wave of poison all in the span of a few
screens. Kirby has more than 20 transformations in Planet Robobot, and
it's an impressive feat that each one offers a distinct skillset that
redefines how you move, attack, and defend.
Kirby's natural ability to flutter into the sky, swallow
enemies and take on their powers make him a force to be reckoned
with--even more so when he hops into Planet Robobot's mechs. When Kirby
suits up, he trades agility for strength, earning the ability to punch
through substantial objects and knockout enemies in a single blow. These
heavy suits appear in the middle of levels and feel like a direct
translation of the Ride Armor suits from Mega Man X games. I say "suits"
because like our little pink friend, Kirby's mech can acquire extra
abilities from enemies: he can blast enemies with sound waves as a
massive boombox, wield two massive swords, or make use of a massive
propellor that lifts his mech into the air while slicing through
unsuspecting enemies.
With access to so many tools, you
can get through most levels without much trouble. However: unlocking the
final stage in each of Planet Robobot's six worlds requires you to
collect a certain number of code cubes, three of which are hidden in
each stage. Though some code cubes are easy to stumble upon, you will
have to go out of your way to access--let alone locate--most of the
cubes in each stage. This is when Kirby's powers prove uniquely useful,
as some cubes are only attainable if you're packing the appropriate
abilities.
The hunt for code cubes is made less tedious
than it sounds by wild variations in level design that affect how your
environment looks and how you navigate its challenges. You spend most of
your time running and jumping about, moving not just to the left and to
the right, but into and out of the background as well. Kirby also takes
on side-scrolling shooting missions, which play similarly to arcade
classics like R-Type or Gradius. With Kirby's inherent design that
encourages you to play in different ways, these segments aren't a saving
grace--they're the icing on the cake.
This
sentiment extends to the extra modes in Planet Robobot, which range
from short diversions to generous unlocks, such as Meta Knight Returns.
This mode in particular is enticing as it allows you to replay the
entire game as Meta Knight, Kirby's long-time frenemy. This marks the
third chapter in the Meta Knightmare saga, which began on Game Boy
Advance with Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. Though you are essentially
replaying Planet Robobot's levels over again in this mode, Meta Knight
plays drastically different than Kirby: he can't take on new powers, and
instead relies upon his speed and trusty sword to surpass obstacles and
enemies. Where the base game is about finishing levels and collecting
code cubes while relishing in a wealth of powers, Meta Knight Returns is
a time trial mode. The race against time and the added challenge of
more difficult bosses is enough to warrant a second playthrough without
fear of succumbing to deja vu.
The other standout extra
mode is unlocked from the start: Kirby 3D Rumble. This is a top-down,
fully 3D Kirby game where your goal is to destroy every enemy on a map
using as few moves as possible, achievable by inhaling multiple enemies
at once. Like Captain Toad's levels in Super Mario 3D World, these
stages feel like part of something bigger that could very well
constitute its own game. I only wish there were more of them here: there
are just over a dozen stages total. At least when you're done with
them, you can look to Team Kirby Clash, which allows you to team up with
AI or nearby friends to tackle bosses in a medieval fantasy-themed
setting. Planet Robobot is a game about variety, not only in Kirby's
innate copy ability, but also in its wealth of extra modes.
Planet
Robobot's meager difficulty may feel like a turn off at times, but it's
not a reason to write it off. Once you spend time sampling the large
selection of powers in each stage, taking in the detailed visuals, the
catchy soundtrack, and exploring the wealth of extra modes on hand, you
are so focused on the game's pervasive charm that you're looking forward
to the next delightful surprise, rather than praying for a grueling
test of skill. Planet Robobot is another great feather in Kirby's cap
that shouldn't be overlooked.