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Being a recently re-acquired staple I lost back in 2003 when my *lovely* roommates robbed me blind, Kirby's Dream Land was the first game featuring everyone's favorite pink puffball. While my experiences with Kirby titles beyond this one are extremely limited (the only other one being Kirby's Adventure/Nightmare in Dream Land) and the fact I could probably go on and on why this, along with Metroid II, deserves a place in any serious Game Boy collection, I'll dive right into the game's two main problems:
Problem One: It's too short.
At five levels, Kirby's Dream Land is simply too short. The levels are fantastic (and beat the tar out of those in Kirby's Adventure) but the game is over before it begins. Add to this the fact the final level is basically a Mega Man-esque recap of all the bosses you've fought up to that point and it's easy to see how it's entirely possible to blow through the game in one sitting within an hour.
Problem Two: It's too easy.
Kirby's Dream Land is a cakewalk. Sure, it may be a delicious cakewalk, but it's still a cakewalk. When one can go seven to eight years without playing a game and come back to it and beat it with a single life there's nothing challenging about it. This isn't saying anything however, as some games, like Mega Man Legends, lack in this department and still manage to deliver the goods. In similar fashion to Mega Man Legends, it's possible to increase the difficulty level (press up, select and A on the title screen) to give King Dedede's minions one hell of a booster shot. Seriously, once you get to the previously pathetic Whispy Woods you'll realize the spike in difficulty is no joke - they're out for blood now - and unfortunately leave you no middle ground to traverse.
Beyond the above, Kirby's Dream Land is astounding in just about every other category. I mean really, who doesn't remember the music from Green Greens? Who doesn't remember crushing King Dedede? Sure, a lot of what's here and what I'm saying is tinged (ok, littered) with nostalgia, but after playing through Kirby's Adventure last year, Dream Land's simplicity is hardly a vice. More (in terms of Kirby's abilities) did not equal out to a better game in my opinion, nor did more levels. There's a charm here that's missing from some of the game's immediate successors; an intangible x-factor you can't put a price on.
Kirby's Dream Land may have some significant flaws, but it's one of the best (original) GameBoy titles out there. If you haven't experienced it you owe it to yourself to try it.
