Kirby: Planet Robobot

Kirby’s homeworld is constantly getting invaded and attacked by outside forces, interrupting his naps and important sky-staring. Planet Robobot is no exception. This time, the invaders are robot aliens seeking to destroy all organic life, and Kirby has to defend the world by borrowing some of their technology, but also relying on the old standby of stealing powers by ingesting enemies. This Kirby is not a radical new departure from the hero, but it’s a well-designed platformer with some new mechanics – and a particularly compelling final few hours.

Planet Robobot plays it safe by not feeling particularly distinct from Kirby’s previous platforming adventures. You still make your way through short platforming levels and swallow up enemies to steal their abilities. It was a fun formula when it premiered on Game Boy in 1992, and the core has not changed much, with only small experiments layered on top. In 2014’s Triple Deluxe it was stereoscopic 3D flourishes. For Robobot, it’s a mech suit.

Kirby moves just as well inside his suit as he does on foot, which keeps the platforming pace thankfully consistent, regardless of your state. Kirby can still swallow enemies to steal abilities using his mech, and I had fun playing with their destructive capabilities to open up secret areas and gain access to new enemies. Taking the suit into boss fights is rare but rewarding, since those battles put about more like focused dismantling rather than just depleting hit points.

Kirby is not the only 2D platformer to jump the player between the background and foreground as well as scroll left and right, but among those that do, Kirby does it the best. I often turned on the stereoscopic 3D to get a better perspective on the action between the planes. Jumping between the front and back to grab collectibles, or remote controlling a character in the background and Kirby in the foreground simultaneously is fun, and is a good use of the 3DS’ mostly underused stereoscopic capabilities.

Two extra modes are included alongside the main campaign. Kirby 3D Rumble gives you full 360 degree control of Kirby in a series of small arenas taking on waves of enemies. The added campaign is brief, but entertaining enough to make me wonder if a whole Kirby game could support this kind of gameplay. Team Kirby Clash is a cooperative mode that can be played locally, and is a big improvement over Triple Deluxe’s multi-player battle mode. You and friends can choose between a collection of classes (i.e. stolen powers) to take on bosses together, and you level up and get stronger as you make your way through. These modes aren’t destinations, but they’re fun distractions that add value to the overall package.

Planet Robobot is entertaining, flows well, and never overstays its new mechanics…but occasionally feels like a retread with an occasional mechanical twist. It does differentiate itself, however, with an ending that takes a surprising leap from the established Kirby norms for an engaging climax. The game extends past its final boss with completely different gameplay that works as a great finale. Planet Robobot doesn’t move Kirby forward in any significant way, but it’s a well-made platformer that’s worth completing.

Kirby and friends return for another fun and action-packed adventure, this time blasting off into the great unknown of space. Kirby: Planet Robobot sees the round and squishy hero Kirby battling across his entire home planet after a spaceship launches a full-scale invasion. Gearing up for adventure and using the brand new Robobot Armor, Kirby sets on an epic adventure to defeat the invaders and save Planet Popstar once again. Consistently fun and easy to play, Kirby: Planet Robobot is another excellent addition to the franchise.

Main Game Features

• 2.5D platforming action
• Suck up enemies and use their powers
• 3 modes and 2 mini-games

Story

Kirby: Planet Robobot increases the scope of the Kirby franchise, launching our hero from the confines of Dreamland as seen in games like Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland and Kirby's Return to Dreamland. In Kirby: Planet Robobot, the happy Planet Popstar is invaded by a giant spaceship called the Access Ark, which plants five bases around the globe. After Meta Knight and King Dedede fail to fend off the Access Ark, only Kirby can destroy it and prevent Planet Popstar from succumbing to its control. Along the way, he encounters characters both new and old on an interstellar journey of adventure.

Like Kirby: Triple Deluxe, the story in Kirby: Planet Robobot is straightforward on the surface, but contains quite a bit of complexity the further you progress. What starts as an assumed alien invasion spirals into a huge conspiracy involving a mega-corporation, advanced computers, and futuristic technology. Despite the sci-fi grandiosity, the plot is still presented in an easy-to-understand way, so you won't get overwhelmed. At the very least, you can completely ignore the story and still get a great experience.

Gameplay

Kirby: Planet Robobot builds on the existing Kirby formula in some fun ways, including new abilities to use in combat, interesting 2.5D level design, and more. Besides jumping and floating through the air between various platforms, Kirby can also inhale his foes and use their powers, constantly changing his arsenal of abilities. Planet Robobot introduces some new transformations to play with, including the Poison and ESP powers. However, the biggest new addition is the Robobot Armor, which enables him to destroy obstacles and blast through enemies with ease. The Robobot Armor can also copy enemy abilities, making it an impressive piece of offensive tech.

Like in Kirby Super Star, Kirby: Planet Robobot contains multiple mini-games and a few unlockable modes to round out the experience. The two new mini-games are “Team Kirby Clash” and “Kirby 3D Rumble”, both of which offer unique styles of gameplay different from the core game. Once you complete the story mode, you'll also unlock Meta Knightmare Returns, a harder version of the base story where you play as the blade-wielding antihero Meta Knight. You can also attempt the challenging boss rush mode called The Arena, where you have a limited amount of health to defeat as many bosses as possible.

Conclusion

Kirby: Planet Robobot is a fun and inviting platformer that smartly uses its sci-fi setting to offer some cool new concepts. The Robobot Armor is one of the best additions to the Kirby franchise ever, leading to ridiculously fun fights and interesting puzzles.

Pros

• Robobot Armor is super cool
• Fun sci-fi setting
• Both unlockable modes are great

Cons

• Very easy to beat
• Not enough Robobot action
• Repetitive puzzles