Kirby starts out.
Kirby’s Dream Land is the very first Kirby game, the one that introduced most of the recurring characters in the series and the most basic of Kirby’s abilities. Here he is limited to inhaling his enemies and flying. It does not include the ability to copy enemies’ attacks, or even run, slide, or use his water gun ability when swimming. Other than that, Kirby’s Dream Land plays almost exactly like any other Kirby title. It is a little more difficult than later Kirby games, possibly as a way to compensate for its relatively short length. On the other hand, it could be more difficult just because it’s no longer possible to swipe your enemies’ powers and mow them down by the dozens.
This is a much shorter title than the rest of the games in the Kirby series. It shouldn’t take an experienced player much longer than half an hour to finish the game’s first quest. A second, more difficult version of the game is available after you beat it the first time. The game’s levels are longer than most of the stages in later Kirby games. More detail is also present in their design. You’ll notice environments transitioning from places like ocean caves to sailing ships and from daytime to nighttime as you progress through each world.
The Kirby series hasn’t changed very much since the addition of Kirby’s power-copying abilities in the next game, Kirby’s Adventure. With this in mind, Dream Land should not feel at all different or outdated compared to the newer games in the series. Even though the game is a fairly short early Game Boy title, at 3DS download prices it’s still worth your time.