There are characters like that who remind us of our childhood: Kirby is one of them. The famous little pink ball as naughty as it is greedy, always ready to rub shoulders with Meta Knight and the good old King Dedede for twenty years already. Today, Nintendo's mascot returns to conquered territory, to the delight of gamers who have since turned thirty. Because, even if Kirby au Fil de l'Aventure is primarily aimed at the little ones, it is difficult not to flinch in front of so much beauty, innovation and good ideas. Indeed, if the fashion is for the revival of the stars of yesteryear, the developers at Good-Feel were not satisfied with a remake or a simple port to the current console. Quite the contrary: Kirby au Fil de l'Aventure offers an innovative epic, tinged with poetry, which can be savored like a pretty tale, with a smile on your face and stars in your eyes. Because yes, Kirby's Adventure is a game for children. Because Kirby is invincible in his hellish Care Bear country, and no arrow, bomb, dragon, bee or other snowman will ever hurt him. We will just lose a few pearls and other stars gleaned from every street corner of this little corner of paradise. A development choice that facilitates access to players in shorts, but at the same time removes a lot of challenge from the title: even the bosses are (too) quickly disjointed. Especially if we play two in cooperation. Kirby's Thread of the Adventure indeed offers the possibility, at the launch of each world, to include another player in the form of the PonPon King. And to be honest, the two-player game is very well managed, everyone can progress at their own pace without risking losing their sidekick. Like in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it is also possible to carry your buddy on your head for the most delicate passages. Finally, as often with games stamped Kirby, the handling is simple and immediate, with the Wiimote positioned horizontally, and the use of only two buttons. Even the youngest won't lose track. But inevitably, with these development choices, the game's lifespan takes a hit: you cross eight worlds in just six hours - especially since Kirby has an addictive side that will only be fulfilled once the game ended.
Happiness is as easy as a phone call
This lack of challenge, and this side a little too little watered down, are probably the only slightly negative points of this Kirby over the course of the adventure. Because if the scenario has nothing very original, it has the merit of shaking up the regulars: Kirby finds himself indeed propelled into the country of the Quilt by the terrible wizard Maillalenvers. Our little guy being reduced to the state of woolen yarn, his legendary power is ineffective, but still gains the possibility of transforming into whatever he wants: car, flying saucer, dolphin, tank, fish, parachute, worm of earth, fire truck, anvil and even in musical note. Metamorphoses that will be very useful for stitching together the quilt country patchwork, scattered by the wizard in seven distinct universes. We thus move from the world of Nature, to that of Fire and Ice, without forgetting the toy box or even the space shuttle. And each time, Kirby's Journey goes beyond traditional 2D platforming to deliver a true, full-fledged gaming experience. We cling to a button to swing, we pull on a zipper to discover a hidden world, we slip behind the decor to find secret passages, we peel off the labels to find treasures, the game mechanics are really well thought out and quite original. The environment is absolutely magical, and the interactions often easy to find but still beautiful to look at, which gives the game a unique and simply adorable atmosphere. Even the musical atmosphere is chic and completely appropriate to the chosen place. Each world is thus divided into six sub-chapters including the final boss, who is always defeated in three winning moves. The big bad will then drop his lot of pearls, jewels and other stars, which, if they are easy to collect, will still have their importance: completing the levels with a gold medal will then allow access to worlds bonuses. Bonuses also intended for customization enthusiasts; you can indeed customize Kirby's house, with a good number of objects found in the courses, but also purchased at the Beaufil brothers' shop. This will also open access to small additional challenges, such as hide-and-seek games or other timed bead races. As said in the preview, these little extras do not transcend the main adventure and are completely concealable, in the sense that nothing is obligatory in the land of Kirby. But the youngest should enjoy the mix of genres, even if the game suffers from a few bugs here and there. But nothing too bad, luckily.
