Super NES Retro Review: Kirby's Dream Course

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Join us as we review all the games on the SNES Classic Mini Edition in chronological order!

We've had a run of incredible SNES Classic game reviews, but I guess it's time to slow down a bit, adjust our glasses, and peer at the road ahead. The next game up for scrutiny, Kirby's Dream Course, certainly isn't bad, but it's mild and unassuming next to the rest of the spicy mid-'90s releases stowed on the SNES Classic Edition.

See, Kirby's Dream Course doesn't offer smooth, brisk action like Contra III, or epic story-telling like Final Fantasy III, and it doesn't add welcome tweaks and polish to a genre-changing game like Street Fighter II: Turbo. Kirby's Dream Course is simply a putt-putt golfing game adorned with Kirby's pink candy-floss charm.

Remember when I compared the SNES Classic's line-up to a dinner party guest list back in my review of Mega Man X? Well, Kirby's Dream Course is at that party, too. He's the tag-along kid who's standing off to the side with a wide smile, holding a picture he drew. He's adorable beyond words, and you give him a pat on the head and a kind word, but ultimately most of your time is taken up rushing from one esteemed guest to another.

That's not such a bad thing, though. At some point, you're going to need a small break from gobbling down one A-class game after another. When that happens, Kirby's Dream Course is ready to spend time with you. Together, you'll slow down the pace, knock a few balls into a few holes, and talk quietly. Maybe a friend will join you.

Like regular putt-putt, your goal in Kirby's Dream Course is to sink your ball (Kirby lends his rotund body to the job) in as few strokes as possible. Now, even vanilla putt-putt is kind of goofy – when I was a kid, my parents favored a course that had a gorilla puppet in a cage – but the courses you work through in Kirby's Dream Course are wackier than average. For one thing, the terrain is uneven and riddled with traps, chasms, and enemies. For another, if you exceed five strokes (counted off by depleting Maxim Tomatoes) or hit too many enemies (ditto), you lose a life. Yes, Kirby, this is serious. Golf or die, little dude.

Sinking the Kirby-ball in as few strokes as possible – while also avoiding bad guys – requires becoming well-versed in Kirby's abilities. You can putt him along the ground, or chip him into the air and let him bounce off enemies and over inclines. Even Kirby's power-ups come in handy on the course. The Parasol power-up lets the cream puff float slowly down from ledges, the Fireball lets him careen around the course without losing speed, the Stone lets him drop suddenly from the air (perfect for attempting a bold hole-in-one) and so on.

There are several courses to work through across several worlds, and most of them are imaginatively-designed. Simply getting through the game should eat up several hours. Getting the lowest score possible will eat up several more, should you decide to stick to Kirby's Dream Course for the long haul.

Is mastering Kirby's Dream Course worth the effort required, though? Well, yeah. Kind of. Again, this isn't the most exciting game on the SNES Classic by far, but it's probably the most unique. It takes time to get used to the courses' isometric perspective, and making minute adjustments for shots feels like trying to swallow a Gordo. But there's also a certain amount of forgiveness in Kirby's Dream Course. Its physics are slower and heavier than you'd expect from a putt-putt game, but that sluggishness is exactly what you need to analyze your shots and perfect the next one.

Of course, the trade-off is that Kirby's Dream Course is a slow game. Kirby takes his time rolling from point A to point B. Oftentimes, he lands on the lip of an incline only to slooooowly roll back away from the "green." It's funny and groan-inducing, but I don't foresee a lot of players sticking with Kirby's Dream Course after a round or two.

But the nice thing about Kirby's Dream Course is that it's a lot like its star; it doesn't needle you for attention or make demands. If you decide to hang out and you employ a little patience, you can expect a good time. In fact, Kirby's Dream Course may be exactly what you need to recharge yourself in between racing jet-cars down deadly highways and saving the world from the pale grip of a nihilist clown.