“ | This game, the last that Nintendo published in the USA for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, introduced Kirby's friends ChuChu, Pitch, and Nago. Helped by these new allies, Kirby set out to battle an old foe. A second player could control Kirby's pal Gooey and join in the action.” |
— Summary • Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition |
Kirby's Dream Land 3 is a platformer Kirby game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released in North America on November 27, 1997 and in Japan on March 27, 1998; it was not released in Europe until 2009, in the form of the Wii Virtual Console version. It's the fifth main installment of the Kirby series, the third installment of the Kirby's Dream Land saga. Notably, it was the last first-party video game released for the SNES in North America, making it a symbol for the end of the console's era.
The game was also re-released on the Wii Virtual Console on January 5, 2009, and on the Wii U Virtual Console in mid-2013. It was also included in the initial lineup of SNES games for the Nintendo Switch Online service; a special version with all of the modes unlocked was added June 9, 2022.
Story[]
On a peaceful day on Planet Popstar, Kirby is enjoying fishing with his friend Gooey. Suddenly, a mysterious dark cloud begins to loom over the sky, breaking Popstar's rings in the process and reaching over the distant corners of the world. Coo quickly tells Kirby that Popstar is in trouble, and they soon set off to protect the world once again.
When Kirby confronts the possessed king and defeats him without having collected each stage's Heart Star, the player encounters the game's "bad ending"; an enemy roll-call is shown as Kirby and Gooey traverse back home. At the end of the roll-call, a mysterious silhouette of a figure is shown, labeled "?"
The game's "good ending" is obtained by collecting all Heart Stars. Once all bosses are defeated after collecting all Heart Stars in their respective levels, Hyper Zone becomes available. Upon entering Hyper Zone, the Heart Stars will combine above Kirby to form the Love-Love Stick, and Kirby will rise to face Dark Matter and then Zero. After the defeat of Zero, Hyper Zone collapses and then explodes. Kirby then floats in the sky before the ending credits; if Gooey is present when Zero is defeated, he will also be present in his Mock Matter form.
Gameplay[]
Kirby's Dream Land 3 is a traditional platformer Kirby game; the player controls Kirby, whose objective is to get to the end of each stage. Kirby is able to walk, swim, and fly throughout a variety of levels, using several of his Animal Friends and Copy Abilities to avoid and defeat obstacles and enemies that lie in his path. Kirby's moveset includes the inhale, Star Spit, Air Gun and floating.
Kirby must travel across five different worlds, each with six stages and a boss. Unlike other Kirby games, however, each stage has someone that requires Kirby's assistance. If Kirby completes his required task and completes the stage, he will receive a Heart Star. If all Heart Stars are collected by the end of the game, the player will be able to fight the final boss.
The most evident departure from other Kirby games is the graphic presentation. Kirby's Dream Land 3 has pastel-like aesthetics with crayon drawings as backgrounds. The game uses a rendering procedure for the SNES termed "pseudo high-resolution",[6] which is the use of dithering to blend adjacent colors of pixels together for a toned effect. It also uses the SA-1 chip which allows for greater performance of multiple special effects at a time and bitmap storage.[7]
Animal Friends[]
Main article: Animal Friends |
Kirby's Animal Friends Rick the Hamster, Coo the Owl, and Kine the Sunfish return from Kirby's Dream Land 2, with new members ChuChu the Octopus, Pitch the Bird, and Nago the Cat. While Gooey only serves to heal Kirby when found in a sack in the previous game, Kirby can now call on Gooey's assistance at any time, and he behaves much like helpers do in Kirby Super Star. The main drawback is that it costs Kirby one square out of five of his maximum vitality whenever Gooey is out.
Modes[]
Main Games[]
- Story Mode
Sub-games[]
Kirby's Dream Land 3 introduces Heart Star sub-games, which are a departure from the tradition of existing as separate activities accessed from the game menu or from the overworld. In every level of the world, Kirby will be challenged to accomplish an objective by a friendly character bearing a Heart Star, which Kirby will be rewarded with if the goal is successfully completed. There are no limits to how many times Kirby can retry a level to acquire the Heart Star, but once he does, all the character gives him is a 1UP instead if he completes the Heart Star objective again. These sub-games can be accessed from the file select screen in a mode called Super NES MG5, and after finishing all five of them, the player is taken to a total score screen. Playing this sub-game is necessary for 100% completion.
Boss Endurance[]
Main article: Boss Endurance#Kirby's Dream Land 3 |
Boss Endurance in Kirby's Dream Land 3 is referred to not-so-subtly as Boss Butch. Kirby fights all of the bosses in the game in a set order, with no extra lives and without any healing items. Kirby cannot call on the assistance of Gooey in the fight, so it is a one-on-one fight. Playing this sub-game is necessary for 100% completion.
Goal Game[]
Main article: Goal game#Kirby's Dream Land 3 |
The goal game starts after finishing any regular level. Kirby (and Gooey if there are two players) are put in a small room where there are items including 1UPs and various Food under one layer of floor tiles. Jumping on top of the tile rewards Kirby with whatever item is underneath. After achieving a 99% completion rate, a variation of this game can be accessed from the main menu, in which it is referred to as "jumping". In this iteration, the player can choose to play as any of the animal friends as well as Kirby alone; the character must land on the tiles marked with smiley faces and avoid the ones with Ticks under them. Unlike the regular game, the track Gourmet Race plays during the minigame. Playing this sub-game is necessary for 100% completion.
Characters[]
Playable Characters[]
Animal Friends[]
Allies[]
The following section contains transcluded content from the Database. Source: (view • edit • help) |
Enemies[]
Acro Jr. | Apolo | Babut | Batamon | Blipper | Bobin | Bobo | Boten | Bouncy | Bronto Burt | Broom Hatter | Bukiset | Cappy | Chilly | Como | Co-Kracko | Corori | Dekabu | Dogon | Doka | Explosive Coconut | Gabon | Galbo | Gansan | Glunk | Gordo | Joe | Kabu | Kany | Kapar | Keke | Klinko | Loud | Madoo | Magoo | Mariel | Metroid | Mony | Mopoo | Mumbies | Nidoo | Nruff | Oro | Pacto | Pasara | Peloo | Peran | Polof | Pon Jr. & Con Jr. | Popon | Poppy Bros. Jr. | Propeller | Pteran | Rocky | Sasuke | Scarfy | Shotzo | Sir Kibble | Soot Bug | Sparky | Squishy | Tick | Tincell | Togezo | Waddle Dee | Wapod | Wappa | Yaban | Zebon
Mid-Bosses[]
Blocky | Boboo | Captain Stitch | Haboki | Jumper Shoot | Yuki
Bosses[]
Acro | Ado | Dark Matter | Ice Dragon | King Dedede | Kracko | Mr. Shine & Mr. Bright | Pon & Con | Sweet Stuff | Whispy Woods | Zero
Copy Abilities[]
There are 9 Copy Abilities in Kirby's Dream Land 3, of which Cleaning and the Love-Love Stick are new.
Burning |
Cleaning |
Cutter |
Ice |
Love-Love Stick |
Needle |
Parasol |
Spark |
Stone |
Items and Objects[]
The following section contains transcluded content from the Database. Source: (view • edit • help) |
Levels[]
Grass Land | Ripple Field | Sand Canyon |
Cloudy Park | Iceberg | Hyper Zone |
Music[]
Main article: Kirby's Dream Land 3/Music |
Glitches[]
Main article: Glitch#Kirby's Dream Land 3 |
Reception[]
Kirby's Dream Land 3 received mixed reviews, holding a score of 66.25% on Game Rankings based on 4 reviews.[8]
Released late in the SNES's lifespan, Kirby's Dream Land 3 excluded many of the new mechanics introduced in Kirby Super Star, resulting in mixed reviews at the time. Sales were also somewhat limited due to the Nintendo 64's launch a year prior to the game's release. However, the game has gained a cult following in recent years, revolving around its level design, hand drawn aesthetic, soundtrack, and final battle (which has been considered unusually graphic for Kirby standards, if not by Nintendo standards as a whole).
Staff[]
Main article: List of Kirby's Dream Land 3 Staff |
Related Quotes[]
“ | Kirby's Dreamland 3 [sic] is an involving action game in the tradition of the previous Kirby's Dreamland hits, complete with super-charming, detailed graphics and challenging bosses. This game is WAY too cute, but it's a lot of fun. As always, Kirby must battle his way through several difficult levels, using his dreaded "Vacuu-Breath" to inhale or defeat the wild array of enemies seeking to hinder Kirby in his quest. Kirby acquires all kinds of special attacks and makes new friends who enhance his abilities. Fans of the Kirby series won't want to miss this one!” |
— Description • Kirby's Dream Land 3 sneak peek website[9] |
“ | Everyone's favorite planet-saving pink puff is back for five stages and 30 levels of non-stop fun! A threatening cloud of Dark Matter is luring the inhabitants of PopStar to evil, but not if Kirby & Co. have anything to say about it!
Kirby's tried-and-true tactic is to inhale enemies, which he can then spit out at other enemies. If Kirby swallows Flying Kirby an opponent, he may absorb the opponent's special powers. The Kirbster can become a roaring fireball, scorching lightning bolt and indestructible rock. Other special powers allow Kirby to freeze enemies with his breath, toss a razor-sharp boomerang, clear his path with a powerful broom and puncture the opposition with needle-sharp spines. Kirby's principle partner is gumdrop-shaped Gooey, who has the same powers and special powers as Kirby. In two-player simultaneous mode, one player controls Kirby while the other guides Gooey. Kirby and Gooey gain additional abilities by teaming up with friends. For example, Coo the bird helps Kirby or Gooey fly farther. Other friends include Kine the fish, Rick the hamster, Pitch the falcon, Nago the cat and ChuChu, who looks like Kirby but has the unique ability of clinging to ceilings. Even the enemies get high marks for cuteness. Gooey with friends A fruit-tossing tree, a bothersome badger and a pesky painter are as rough as they come! Charming pastel graphics, simple play control and an endearing cast of heroes make Kirby's Dream Land 3 a great choice for the younger player.” |
— Description • Kirby's Dream Land 3 website[10] |
“ | While Kirby swallows enemies in order to copy their powers, Gooey wraps them up in his tongue to steal their abilities. In Kirby's Dream Land 2, he occasionally appeared inside of a bag, but by Kirby's Dream Land 3, he was a full-fledged partner. He could be controlled by setting him up as Player Two.” |
— Gooey trophy description • Super Smash Bros. Melee |
Trivia[]
- This was the final first-party SNES game in North America, being released in 1997, a year after the launch of the Nintendo 64.
- Kirby's Dream Land 3 is the last of various things.
- It's the last Kirby game in North America to be released in the 1990s.
- It's the last entry in the Kirby's Dream Land trilogy.
- It's the last Kirby game to depict Kirby with "whiskers" as all later installments depicted him with cheek blushes.
- It's the last Kirby game to be released for the SNES.
- This is the first Kirby game to not be originally released in Japan, but instead in North America.
- Characters from the Yūyūki, Shin Onigashima, Gyromite, and Metroid games make cameo appearances.
- Kirby's Dream Land 3 and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards are the only games where Chilly does not wear a necklace with a gold bell on it.
- The back of the game's North American box misspells "latest" as "lates," omitting the "t", and mislabels "King Dedede" as "Kind Dedede."
- In the Japanese version of Kirby's Dream Land 3, Boss Butch's title screen has the phrase "NINTENDO 16" written across the top. This is a Nintendo 64 reference applied to the Super Famicom, as the Super Famicom is a 16-bit console.
- The Heart Star goals in each world actually follow a pattern: The first level has Kirby assisting flowers (a mushroom in Sand Canyon); the second level requires that Kirby using a certain ability, sometimes with the aid of an Animal Friend; the third level has Kirby play a sub-game; the fourth level tasks Kirby with fetching something or someone to collect; the fifth level needs Kirby to take an Animal Friend to the end of the stage; the sixth level has Kirby collecting multiple objects in the odd-numbered worlds and carving Star Block structures in the even-numbered worlds.
- Oddly enough, there are two versions of the good ending:
- The first one, as shown in the following video, shows Ado's portraits being sketched out and cartoonish. The last two pictures (before a sketch of Popstar) are of the allies' comrades, and the other Heart Star characters. Ado's mouth is closed in the first frame, her eyes are closed in the second, and in the same frame, she's drawing a circle. Gooey's portrait is similar to his in-game render, and is of his standard form. Kirby's portrait is exactly like his gameplay sprite. Also, Ado's self-portrait is drawn in a stylized form typical of manga & anime.
- The other one, which plays at the end of Boss Butch, shows the portraits being more realistic, with blends of sketches and watercolor. The third to last drawing is of Dark Matter, and the next is of Zero. Ado's mouth is open in the first frame, her eyes are open in the second, and in the same frame, she's drawing an X. Gooey's portrait is less like himself, and has a brighter coloration scheme (the portrait is of his flying form. In the drawing, he is given a snake-like appearance). Kirby's portrait is merely an outline. Also, Ado's self-portrait is drawn in a more simplistic, sketchier style.
- The game's description on the the Wii Shop Channel erroneously states that King Dedede is suspected to be the main antagonist. However, the game's instruction manual and prologue imply that Kirby and co. recognize that a larger force is at work since the beginning.
- Once Kirby uses the Heart Stars to pacify a boss (that is, using the Heart Stars to cleanse the area of Dark Matter's influence), the boss cannot be fought again; instead, a Warp Star will appear in the room waiting to take the player out of the level while the boss peacefully toys around.
- The information page for this game's eShop release has a glitch. Below the trailer video are three images: Kirby floating through the air, Pitch, and a hole from Kirby's Dream Course. When the viewer clicks the hole image to enlarge it, a screenshot of Kirby and Nago pops up instead.
- In the Music Room in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Kirby's Dream Land 3 is represented by an image of the number three; this is the same three used in Kirby's Dream Land 3's logo.
- When playing amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits, if the player taps an amiibo product to the Wii U GamePad, there is a chance that he/she will unlock a demo of Kirby's Dream Land 3.
- This would be the first Kirby game in which the characters and environment are designed to look like a specific crafts material (crayons and pastels in this case), the others would be Kirby: Canvas Curse (paint), Kirby's Epic Yarn (yarn), and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (clay).
- Kirby's Dream Land 3 marks the longest period in which a Kirby game developed in Japan was withheld from Japanese audiences compared to other regions. The game released in Japan exactly five months after it debuted in North America.
- The fact that this was the last SNES title to be released in North America (and with Nintendo focusing on the Nintendo 64 by that time), Kirby's Dream Land 3 never had any commercials made to advertise the game.
- Kirby Star Allies contains a reference to the Japanese box art of Kirby's Dream Land 3: Gooey's title screen in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! has a similar style to it, especially in the border.
- This is the second entry in the Dark Matter trilogy, following up from Kirby's Dream Land 2.
Artwork[]
Box Art[]
Media[]
Logo[]
Gallery[]
Videos[]
External links[]
References[]
- ↑ IGN
- ↑ Official Nintendo Japan site
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Gamespot.com
- ↑ Nintendo.co.jp
- ↑ List of Release Dates for Kirby's Dream Land 3 - Gamewise
- ↑ wikipedia:Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Wikipedia, uncited secondary reference)
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/snes/562646-kirbys-dream-land-3/index.html
- ↑ Nintendo website (1997)
- ↑ Kirby's Dream Land 3 website