Rank Up! - Kirby (Hand-helds)

Kirby is an ever-versatile character full of cute cuddliness and ever-present charm. This past Tuesday I ranked his top mainline console entries, so today we're going to be checking out his best mainline portable installments. Rank Up! is where I take a series or set of games and rank them from worst (or not the greatest) to best. What games will I be ranking on this Thursday evening? Let's find out:

Kirby's Dream Land (GB)
Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GB)
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (GBA)
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA)
Kirby: Canvas Curse (DS)
Kirby: Squeak Squad (DS)
Kirby: Super Star Ultra (DS)
Kirby Mass Attack (DS)


We're celebrating twenty years of all things Kirby in style with this second edition of Rank Up! Kirby is more known for his hand-held roots than anything, and have the years been kind to Kirby! Every new adventure seems like it brings something new to the proverbial table from splitting Kirby into ten to using lines to guide the pink blob around. Here's to twenty more, Kirby!

8) Kirby's Dream Land (GB)


Kirby's very first game, Kirby's Dream Land was before the pink puffball actually became pink. Originally he was a white ghostly blob venturing in Dream Land to save the day as well as gobble up enemies in the process. The reason it is ranked so low on this list is because the game is incredibly short with little in the way of replay value. A second mode opens up once the game is completed which is most likely the hardest challenge a Kirby player will ever face. Still, you can't go wrong with downloading this game off of the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console.

7) Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GB)


Face off against the sinister Dark Matter and rebuild the broken Rainbow Bridges. But this time Kirby won't have to do it alone-- he has a trio of animal friends to assist him in his journey including Rick the Hamster, Coo the Owl, and Kine the Fish. These animals would return in the much better Super Nintendo sequel of Kirby's Dream Land 3. Regardless, the second installment isn't half bad by any stretch of the imagination, and it features seven worlds unlike the ultra-short original game.

6) Kirby: Squeak Squad (DS)


All Kirby wants is cake, and when the Squeak Squad gets in his way of his goal, Kirby gets pumped and primed to once again save the day-- and his cake! The main gameplay mechanic of Squeak Squad is the ability to use the touch screen to store five individual items such as new powers, treasures, and food for restoring health. While on the easy side and quite forgettable as a whole, Kirby: Squeak Squad is still worth tracking down if you're an avid collector of Kirby games or ecstatic fan of all things pink puffball.

5) Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA)


Metroid in design, but that is where the similarities end, Kirby & the Amazing Mirror for the Game Boy Advance takes players on an adventure across nine lands to restore the broken, titular mirror. Call in four friends (hope you have link cables!) or use the computer to assist you in getting past obstacles one lone Kirby couldn't dare get past. Search through labyrinthine levels for treasure, food, and bosses patrolling various shards of the mirror. Getting lost is commonplace in Amazing Mirror as is frustration as this is one difficult game.

4) Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (GBA)


Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, the other Game Boy Advance Kirby title, is a remake of the NES classic Kirby's Adventure. It follows the tale of King Dedede stealing the fabled Star Rod and using it for dastardly deeds. Like Amazing Mirror, you can link up with up to three other friends to play cooperatively together or go it alone against bleak odds. The updated visuals are incredibly gorgeous and eye-catching, showcasing that art not high polygon counts matters the most. For a remade masterpiece with bonus content, Nightmare in Dream Land is one dream you won't want to wake up from.

3) Kirby: Super Star Ultra (DS)


A port of Kirby Super Star from the Super Nintendo's heyday, Super Star Ultra on the Nintendo DS takes all of the beloved games of the original collection and adds bonus content to it. There's still all of a Kirby fan's favorite games including Spring Breeze, Dyna Blade, Revenge of Metaknight, Gourmet Race, and of course, the Great Cave Offensive, something that Kirby & the Amazing Mirror reminds me heavily of. In addition to the old, new touch-screen exclusive modes have been included as well. This is the ultimate version of Kirby Super Star without a doubt.

2) Kirby Mass Attack (DS)


One Kirby is great, but ten Kirbys? Yes, please. Control an armada of pink puffballs in Kirby Mass Attack. The game is controlled solely with the stylus, having you flick Kirbys at enemies, on switches, and poking the screen to have them move to that location. The main adventure mode of five worlds is only the beginning, There's medals to obtain, challenges to complete, and mini-games to play. These are so astonishing that they could fit into their own game, and no one would be any the wiser! Runner-up for DS GotY for 2011, Kirby Mass Attack is gaming gold.

1) Kirby: Canvas Curse (DS)


The most nontraditional Kirby game on the list, like Kirby Mass Attack, Kirby: Canvas Curse is also controlled by stylus only. You draw lines to guide the Kirby ball through treacherous obstacle courses, stealing enemy powers, collection three medals in each level, and doing everything in your ability to become a whole Kirby (see: not a circular blob with no hands or feet) once again. The art style is impressive as it usual is for a Kirby game while the difficulty is just right. This was one of the first games on the Nintendo DS to start the bumper crop of excellent DS games that we saw in the system's first year on the market.

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With this edition of Rank Up! over, I ask you what would your order of mainline portable Kirby game be? Feel free to go into as much or as little detail as you desire. I appreciate any and all comments. Tomorrow we will have our first review of 2012. Hope you will look forward to that.

Top Ten Hand-held Games of 2011

The year 2011 is all but a memory now as we look forward to the great games coming down the pipeline for 2012. However, before we completely turn out back to the year that was, let us take a quick look at the best portable titles for such platforms as the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo DS, and darn it, if it isn't trying, the Sony PlayStation Portable. These are the ultimate retail games when it comes to portable platform gaming in the year that was 2011.

10) Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy (PSP)


Duke it out with the heroes and villains of the Final Fantasy series such as Cloud (FFVII), Squall (FFVIII), Terra (FFVI), Cecil (FFIV), Tidus (FFX), Kefka (FFVI), Sephiroth (FFVII), Ultamecia (FFVIII), Kuja (FFIX), Jecht (FFX), Golbez (FFIV), and newcomers like Lightning (FFXIII), Tifa (FFVII), Kain (FFIV), and Laguna (FFVIII). Battle in fully three-dimensional arenas, participate in the many characters' chapters in story mode, customize your equipment, level up your strengths and abilities, and listen to one of many remixed and remastered tracks from Final Fantasy past in Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy.

9) Dead or Alive: Dimensions (3DS)


Celebrating fifteen years, the Dead or Alive franchise appears on a Nintendo system for the first time with this compilation of the greatest in Dead of Alive history. With a huge cast of characters, battle arenas, downloadable costumes (they're free, by the way), and many modes to plow through, Dead or Alive: Dimensions is the ultimate fighting game on the 3DS. The online play showcases the hardware's strengths with trifle amounts of lag or slow-down, the photo mode allows you to take 3D shots of your favorite fighters, and collecting and trading figurines via StreetPass seldom gets old.

8) Star Fox 64 3D (3DS)


Take flight with Fox McCloud and the gang in Star Fox 64 3D, a remake of the 1997 Nintendo 64 original. The game sports updated graphics that look incredible on the 3DS screen, optional gyro controls, three difficulties (Easy, N64, and Expert), remastered voice acting that sounds better than ever before, and an all-new multiplayer mode that can be played with or without bots across four maps. Gearing for high scores, earning medals, and taking down Andross' many enemy fighters is all in a day's work for Team Star Fox.

7) Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS)


This start to a new trilogy in the Professor Layton franchise is actually a prequel to Curious Village. It shows the beginnings of the relationship between Layton and Luke and how the two became teacher and apprentice. There are more puzzles to solve than ever before ranging from block sliding quandaries to arithmetic problems. The story contains some truly touching moments, insane production values with stellar voice acting to boot, and characters that you can't help but love. After you've solved the mystery of the Last Specter, download new and free puzzles as well as take a journey to Little London in the cute, quaint, and charming London Life bonus mode-- exclusive to North American copies.

6) Kirby Mass Attack (DS)


What's better than one Kirby? How about an army of ten Kirbys? That is exactly what you get in Kirby Mass Attack. The game is controlled solely with the stylus, tapping the screen to command your Kirbys, flicking them at switches and enemies, battling bosses, finding gold medals, and furiously touching the screen to lift huge objects. The bonus content in the form of mini-games like a Whack-a-mole mini-game, a shmup, an RPG, and a pinball game all add to the value of this amazing adventure. Suck up a copy today-- you won't regret it.

5) Mario Kart 7 (3DS)


Mario Kart roars onto the Nintendo 3DS with sixteen all-new tracks, sixteen retro tracks like Luigi's Mansion, Coconut Mall, Dino Dino Jungle, and Koopa Beach from past Mario Kart games, the usual ragtag team of racers plus new ones such as Metal Mario (in his second spin-off game), Lakitu, Honey Queen, and Wiggler, and a robust online mode that is decidedly quite unlike Nintendo. The addition of Communities means those with the same play styles can race one another without the need to exchange friend codes. It just goes to show that Nintendo might not be entirely clueless when it comes to online after all. This might not be the ultimate Mario Kart experience, but it is certainly pretty close.

4) Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PSP)


A remake of the 1998 cult classic, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together brings forth a story of power, war, and attrition in this excellent tactical RPG. Put your brain through the wringer with dozens upon dozens of unique maps and battles that demand your total and unequivocal concentration. The new Wheel of Fortune option adds even more to consider when entering battle as if the battles weren't already exciting enough! With a story from the great mind of Mr. Matsuno (Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story), there is no shortage of tremendous plot twists and epic moments in this modern take on a classic.

3) Pokemon Black and White


A new generation of Pokemon has been unleashed onto the masses, and it introduces over 150 individual Pokemon, new evolutions, a new region to explore, new towns, new rivals, new triple battles, and so much more. Moreover, trading and battling Pokemon online has never been simpler. There is a lot to like about the newest pair of Pokemon games, and it wouldn't be surprising to me if young and old trainers were still playing these games long after they've caught them all.

2) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)


The legend returns with a vengeance with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. More of a remake than a port, Ocarina of Time 3D showcases the brilliance of the 3DS hardware with impressive stereoscopic 3D visuals that have been enhanced from the Nintendo 64 original, a much more difficult Master Quest that unlocks after the main game has been completed, and a Boss Rush mode to pit Link against his toughest foes. Indeed, one of the greatest games of all time just got a little bit better.

1) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)


If only because it is an original title unlike Ocarina of Time 3D, everyone's favorite overall-ed hero returns to a hand-held and earns top honors. Mario hops and skips his way onto the Nintendo 3DS with a brand-new platforming adventure. Run and jump through eight worlds with levels that take the portly plumber through grasslands, deserts, frozen fjords, sunset skies, airships, and Bowser's many castles. The 3D effect is the best the 3DS has seen yet with either the choice for pop-out or pop-in 3D. Even after the first eight worlds have been beaten, you aren't finished yet. There's a whole lot more to trek though if you want to get those highly lusted for five golden stars next to your profile! Giving Mario to the masses has always been Nintendo's mantra, and they definitely succeeded with Super Mario 3D Land!

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Those were but a sampling of the terrific titles that first and third-parties dished out for portables this past year. We saw the arrival of the 3DS in all territories which started out slow at the gate but ended strong while in Japan the PlayStation Vita launched with huge fanfare and one of best launch lineups in recent memory. Meanwhile, the DS had its last full year of support from its parent developer and third-parties as they all move onto its successor, the 3DS. All-in-all, it was a bang up year for dedicated portables in 2011.