Just completed Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy via the 3DS's eShop and like I suspected for all these years, it is an awesome game and a strong start to a long-lived series.

Back in the day I didn't own a Game Boy and felt abandoned by Nintendo Power when all of its coverage began to shift to the Game Boy and later the Super Nintendo. By that time it felt like Nintendo had all but surrendered interest in the console that made the company. Thankfully before it sent the NES out to sea Nintendo deemed it worthy of receiving Kirby's Adventure and I saw what made the GB game special... but of course in color and with Meta Knight and a save feature.

Like many of the Game Boy's early titles, this game is a quick game to finish and features only a small level set and no level select. However the five levels here are quite fun, fluid, and large by standards of the day, and each has many sections connected by doorways. Every one features a memorable boss fight at the end, whether you are fighting a giant tree, an eye in a lightning storm, Lolo and Lala's doppelgängers, a blimp with a cannon, or King Dedede himself. And if you want more of what's here, an Extra Game mode is available that remixes the original stages with more difficult enemies.

Unlike the later games, Kirby doesn't have his famous copy ability on display here. Instead he must utilize the rest of his abilities to stop the enemies. He can jump, he can fly, he can swim, he dive-bombs, he inhales blocks and enemies, and he spits them back at others as dangerous stars.

About the only other thing really missing is his pink color! And why you may ask? Because Nintendo of America didn't think Westerners would want to play as a pink puff ball. So NoA nixed the pink coloring on the game's cover art. But Kirby proved that though he's a little guy, he packs a mighty wallop, and we've seen his games released one after another ever since.