Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition[a] is a 2012 video game compilation developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Wii system. It is an anthology disc celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Kirby series, which took place on April 27, 2012. The game was released in Japan on July 19, 2012, and in North America on September 16, 2012.[1] It was not released in PAL regions, and was the final first-party Wii game released in North America.
| Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition | |
|---|---|
 North American box art | |
| Developer(s) | HAL Laboratory |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Composer(s) |
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| Series | Kirby |
| Platform(s) | Wii |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Content
editKirby's Dream Collection includes six playable Kirby platform games: the Game Boy games Kirby's Dream Land (1992) and Kirby's Dream Land 2 (1995), the NES game Kirby's Adventure (1993), the SNES games Kirby Super Star (1996) and Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997), and the Nintendo 64 game Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000).[1] In addition to the GameCube Controller and Classic Controller, all six games have been calibrated for use with the Wii Remote turned horizontally.[2] The game supports up to four players depending on which game is chosen. Like the other four games in the collection, the Game Boy games (Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby's Dream Land 2) are emulated via the Wii's "Virtual Console" interface, complete with the "suspending play" and manual features, despite Game Boy titles never being released on the service via the Wii Shop Channel.[2] As a result, the console must be reset in order to switch games.[2] All six games had previously been released separately on the Virtual Console via the Wii Shop Channel and 3DS eShop.
Kirby's Dream Collection also features 13 new challenge stages based on those found in Kirby's Return to Dream Land (2011).[3] An additional museum section features box art and video spotlights for every game in the Kirby series released through 2012, along with three viewable episodes from the anime television series Kirby: Right Back at Ya! ("Kirby Comes to Cappy Town", "Crusade for the Blade", and "Waddle While You Work").[2] In addition to the game disc, the package includes a booklet that highlights Kirby's history and provides behind-the-scenes trivia about the series, as well as a soundtrack CD containing 42 music tracks from past Kirby games and three new arrangements by the HAL Laboratory sound team.[3]
Reception and sales
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 81.29%[4] |
| Metacritic | 82/100[5] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 8/10[3] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8/10[6] |
| Nintendo Life |   [2] |
| Nintendo Power | 8.5/10[7] |
| Nintendo World Report | 8/10[8] |
Kirby's Dream Collection sold over 100,000 copies in Japan during its first week of release.[9] The collection was positively received, holding an aggregate score of 81.29% on GameRankings[4] and 82/100 on Metacritic.[5] Critics praised the quality of the games and the amount of content included in the collection, though some criticized the awkward use of the Virtual Console interface when switching games.[2] Others lamented the absence of more obscure spinoff games like Kirby's Pinball Land and Kirby's Dream Course, which they felt would have added more variety and appeal.[3]
Notes
edit- ^ Known in Japan as Hoshi no Kirby 20-shūnen Special Collection (星のカービィ 20周年スペシャルコレクション, Hoshi no Kābi Ni-ju-shūnen Supesharu Korekushon, lit. Kirby of the Stars 20th Anniversary Special Collection)
References
edit- ^ a b Reilly, Jim (June 22, 2012). "Kirby's Dream Collection Release Date Announced". Game Informer. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Dillard, Corbie (September 22, 2012). "Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition 2012". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Sterling, James Stephanie (September 19, 2012). "Review: Kirby's Dream Collection". Destructoid. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "Kirby's Dream Collection for Wii". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "Kirby's Dream Collection for Wii Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 27, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
- ^ Carsillo, Ray (September 10, 2012). "EGM Review: Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ Cheng, Justin (September 2012). "Kirby's Dream Collection". Nintendo Power. No. 282. Future US. p. 88.
- ^ Ronaghan, Neal (September 10, 2012). "Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ Leo, Jon. "Big in Japan July 16-22: Kirby's Dream Collection". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.