The Best Kirby Games of All Time | Wealth of Geeks

Kirby epitomizes the Nintendo way as well as any other character the Japanese gaming giant owns. The pink ball of energy with a multitude of facial expressions fights bad guys without a drop of bloodshed. The non-violent nature of Kirby’s universe (besides the fact he eats his competition alive) makes the franchise one of gaming’s most successful. Kids from every new generation are drawn to Dream Land, the unique colors of the world, and the cheerful music setting the tone. With over 30 titles to choose from, it can be an overwhelming task to decide which Kirby game to play. These are the best Kirby games of all time!

1. Kirby’s Epic Yarn

Kirby’s Epic Yarn not only transformed the Wii into a home craft studio, but it also founded a new way to artistically portray Kirby’s fantastic world of fun! The easy difficulty may turn off some gamers, but this game relaxes and absorbs the player into a world of yarn, arts, crafts, buttons, and seasonal joy. Often, the best game in a franchise takes chances the others aren’t willing to; Kirby’s Epic Yarn fits that mold exactly right. 

2. Kirby and the Forgotten Land

The Switch has made it a habit to revive or reintroduce old games to the public for a new set of players. Kirby and the Forgotten Land adds a third dimension to Dream Land and fully realizes all the nooks and crannies of Kirby’s world. The blend of old-school platforming nostalgia and new-age console adventuring makes this game not only one of the best Kirby games but one of the best Nintendo games, regardless of character. 

3. Kirby Super Star Ultra

While most Kirby games dabble in a limited number of genres, Kirby Super Star Ultra branches out into untraditional realms for even more fun. The game remakes the classic Kirby Super Star on the SNES for the Nintendo DS generation of gamers. Racing mini-games, exploration, more bosses, and even shooting quests coagulate into an odd but enriching experience!

4. Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land remakes the second game in the series, Kirby’s Adventure, transforming the graphics with a shiny new coat of paint. Kirby has always been perfectly suited for the Game Boy and other portable gaming devices, and not many games in the series distill the best elements of these platformers better than this one. 

5. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

Nintendo’s hesitancy to make 3D Kirby games puzzles many fans. The 2D platforming occupies our Kirby mindset, but variety is the spice of life, especially when staying in the past can result in a franchise becoming obsolete. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards serves as a kind of test drive for Kirby and the Forgotten Land. The 64-bit graphics and 2.5D style dipped Kirby’s toes into the modern gaming pool, but the company typically went in reverse for future releases. 

6. Kirby’s Return to Dream Land

The zany multiplayer option of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land coincided with Nintendo’s desire to push party gaming to the general public with the Wii. The title showed how fun Kirby’s universe is when more people are involved, and it returned the series to its roots after the creative, yet fundamentally different Kirby’s Epic Yarn a year earlier. 

7. Kirby: Planet Robobot

This Nintendo 3D game identifies the best parts of Kirby Triple Deluxe and brings forth a richer story and environment to make for one of the best titles on the handheld console. Traditional platforming is the main tool in the box here, but the addition of commercial elements and robotics put a unique twist on Kirby games so players don’t get bored with the same old stuff. 

8. Kirby’s Dream Land 3

Like many of the games on the SNES, Kirby’s Dream Land 3 takes the solid base of its NES predecessor and materializes exactly what the developers were attempting to create on the first console. More powerups and additional songs on the soundtrack expand Dream Land and Kirby’s repertoire for a fulfilling and ageless platforming experience from the 16-bit era of gaming. 

9. Kirby: Triple Deluxe

Kirby: Triple Deluxe relies on many of the tried and true tropes of the genre to make for a relatable and well-worn platforming experience on the Nintendo 3DS. The game treated longtime fans to the usual copy abilities and fantastical worlds of Kirby, bursting with fun and youthful exuberance! Fans of some of the more unique ventures in the Kirby games series probably were left longing for more novelty, though. 

10. Kirby Air Ride Kirby games

Kirby Air Ride doesn’t force intensity onto the player like F-Zero, and it won’t create living room chaos like Mario Kart. Still, Kirby’s foray into racing superbly incorporated all of the world-building Kirby’s games are known for with a simple gameplay engine, resulting in one of the most fun games on the Nintendo GameCube! Speeding through Dream Land feels fluid and easy; therefore, the game’s accessibility shines through. 

11. Kirby: Canvas Curse

Kirby: Canvas Curse removes Kirby’s legs and puts his mobility in the power of the plastic stylus of the Nintendo DS! Gamers capitalize on Nintendo’s newfound love for touch-style gaming by drawing rainbow paths for Kirby through familiar environments and enemies. It may feel a little forced (Nintendo really wanted people to notice the features of the DS), but the game design flawlessly executes what the developers were going for.)

12. Kirby & the Amazing Mirror

Kirby & the Amazing Mirror ventures into new genre modes here by creating a large map that players explore and return to when they’ve discovered what they need. The adventure feels similar to a Castlevania or Metroid game but with Kirby’s suction ability and charm! It’s too bad Nintendo never quite returned to this type of gameplay in the future of the series.

13. Kirby’s Dream Land 2

Kirby’s Dream Land 2 adds intimate details to Kirby’s gameplay that still affect the series and other platforming games today. Animal companions, more swimming levels, and grander boss fights helped to make the sequel to the first Game Boy game feel like Nintendo knew exactly what the franchise was going to be about in the decades to come!

14. Kirby’s Adventure

Kirby’s Adventure expands on the base of the franchise from the first game, Kirby’s Dream Land, and gives the title the full capabilities of a console release. Kirby feels more like himself here, sucking up enemies and fighting King Dedede for Dream Land supremacy. For an 8-bit adventure, gamers could do a lot worse 30 years later than playing Kirby’s Adventure. 

15. Kirby’s Dream Land

Kirby has the honor of getting his start on the Game Boy rather than a home console like the NES. Due to the limited graphical and hardware capabilities of Nintendo’s primitive portable unit, Kirby’s Dream Land feels more like a demo of the series, and it hasn’t exactly aged well. Seeing the ideas like jumping and floating that became the bedrock of the franchise always does good for a gamer’s heart, though. 

16. Kirby Mass Attack

Kirby Mass Attack followed in the footsteps of Kirby: Canvas Curse by introducing unique gameplay elements that fit Kirby on the Nintendo DS. What’s better than one Kirby? 10 Kirbys! The title gives players control over a whole pack of pink fighters in an experience some gamers might have found a little busy, but we find absolutely charming.

17. Kirby’s Dream Buffet

Die-hard Kirby fans might not appreciate this party game to its fullest, but newcomers will be introduced to the magic of Dream Land through simple mechanics and concepts. Kirby’s Dream Buffet allows players to traverse a variety of courses in an attempt to gorge on Kirby’s favorite foods. Multiplayer options make this a fun one for friends and families. 

18. Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble

Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble exemplifies the unbridled gimmicky creativity of Nintendo by adding accelerometer controls to move Kirby through pinball-inspired obstacle courses. Fans should appreciate the different ways Kirby has been utilized through the years, this game being a prime example of that quality. The game was added to Nintendo Switch Online for new-age gamers to try if they missed out back in the Game Boy Color days. 

19. Kirby: Squeak Squad

Kirby: Squeak Squad represents one of the most traditional and, unfortunately, generic games in the series. Not much differentiates this title from the older classics on the NES and SNES, but by the Nintendo DS era, fans were clamoring for some of the obscure concepts used in Kirby: Canvas Curse and, eventually, Kirby Mass Attack. 

20. Kirby’s Star Stacker

A lot of Nintendo franchises have falling block puzzle entries, and Kirby’s Star Stacker symbolizes the super tough pink puff’s version of the genre. Nothing makes this one better than something like Dr. Mario or Wario’s Woods unless a player just loves the Kirby aesthetic added on top of the geometric madness. 

21. Kirby Star Allies

It might shock gamers to know that Kirby Star Allies delivers a clunker when compared to the later Switch release Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Basic platforming and low difficulty make the game stale in the grand scheme of the series. 

22. Kirby’s Dream Course

One of the first good spinoff games in the series, Kirby’s Dream Course transforms Kirby into a golf ball, and players push him around the field of play to get to the goal. The game showed Nintendo that non-platforming games would be successful in the wonderful world of Kirby!