Kirby: Planet Robobot

Gameplay

Planet Robobot follows a similar style of gameplay to the previous Nintendo 3DS title, Triple Deluxe, taking advantage of the system's 3D capabilities to allow Kirby to move between multiple planes in stages. Like most games in the series, Kirby is able to inhale enemies in order to absorb their powers, including three new Copy Abilities; Doctor, Poison, and ESP. Additionally, players can gain abilities and items by scanning in supported Amiibo figures. New to this game are mech suits known as Robobot Armor that Kirby can pilot, allowing him to destroy certain obstacles, lift heavy objects, and defeat large enemies. Like Kirby himself, the Robobot Armor can scan enemies to gain its own set of Copy Abilities that can be used to attack enemies and solve puzzles. Hidden throughout each level are Code Cubes, which are needed to progress and unlock bonus levels, and collectible stickers which can be used to customise Kirby's Robobot Armor.

Planet Robobot features two additional minigames: Team Kirby Clash and Kirby 3D Rumble. Team Kirby Clash in an action role-playing game in which up to four players choose a character class and work together to fight large bosses, earning experience along the way. Kirby 3D Rumble is a single-player game in which Kirby must travel along a 3D plane to inhale and shoot waves of enemies as quickly as possible. Clearing the main game unlocks two additional modes; Meta Knightmare Returns, in which players control Meta Knight through a harder version of the main campaign, and The Arena, where players fight multiple boss characters with limited healing items. The game also features support for StreetPass and Miiverse. There is also a harder variant of the Arena known as the True Arena, which has players fight bosses from Meta Knightmare Returns as Kirby, and a new secret boss.

Plot

A massive spacecraft called the Access Ark conquers and mechanizes Kirby's home planet, Popstar. King Dedede and Meta Knight try to fight back, but Castle Dedede and the Halberd are both destroyed by the ship's laser weapons. It is now up to Kirby, who slept through the entire attack, to set things right once again.

Kirby starts by destroying the five bases that serve as the Access Ark's landing legs. In the midst of doing so, he encounters an alien woman named Susie, who says she is gathering resources for President Haltmann, her boss. Kirby also acquires the Robobot Armor, a mysterious power suit that adapts to and enhances his powers. He also battles "Mecha Knight" (a mechanized version of Meta Knight), and imperfect clones of Dedede.

Kirby eventually encounters Haltmann, who turns out to be CEO of the Haltmann Works Corporation inside the Access Ark, which serves as the company's headquarters. Haltmann, who has been following the business plans of a supercomputer named Star Dream, duels Kirby in his personal robot but is defeated. Enraged, Haltmann attempts to use the Star Dream to destroy Kirby, but is betrayed by Susie, who intends on selling the machine to other companies. Unfortunately, the Star Dream becomes self-aware as result of Susie removing the helmet Haltmann used to control it. Star Dream then announces that all organic life-forms are obstacles in Haltmann Works' business plan, assimilates Haltmann, and embarks on a mission of intergalactic destruction. However, Meta Knight returns with his repaired Halberd, which fuses with Kirby's Robobot Armor, and Kirby defeats Star Dream in deep space.

Star Dream revives and takes control of the Access Ark, transforming into a sentient, mechanical planet to continue the fight. As Kirby destroys the armor covering the ship, the Access Ark's true identity is revealed - it turns out to be a Galactic Nova, one of the wish granting comets used by Marx in Kirby Super Star. With Haltmann's consciousness fading within its operating system, Star Dream goes a rampage but is finally destroyed by Kirby, who ejects from the Halberd to destroy it with a gigantic drill. Kirby's robot, now falling apart, uses its last remnants of energy to toss him back to Popstar, where the machines sent by Haltmann disappear, returning Dream Land to its natural state.

Though never directly shown in cutscenes, pause screen descriptions and comments from the game's director on Miiverse described how the story came to be.

President Max Profitt Haltmann was once a kind CEO who had discovered the Star Dream and the Access Ark and worked to get the machines working. Tragedy came, however, when President Haltmann's daughter, Susana Patrya Haltmann, was involved in an accident with the machine and sent to another dimension. Overcome with immense grief, Haltmann attempted to use the Star Dream to wish for his daughter back, but it seemingly did not work. Overuse of the machine resulted in Haltmann losing his memories, eventually causing him to forget that he had a daughter in the first place. Susie eventually escaped this other dimension and joined Haltmann Works Co., seeking revenge on her father.

Development

The game was unveiled at a Nintendo Direct on March 3, 2016. A set of Kirby themed amiibo (consisting of Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Waddle Dee) has been released with the game's release date, and offer unique gameplay changes. The game was released in Japan on April 28, 2016, and in June 2016 worldwide. A demo for the game was released through the Nintendo eShop on July 21, 2016.

Planet Robobot was conceived as more of a direct successor to Kirby: Triple Deluxe early in development. The game would have featured the Hypernova ability, though it was eventually replaced with the Robobot Armor in order to avoid retreading old ground.

Reception

Reviews for Kirby: Planet Robobot have been positive. Metacritic gave it a Metascore of 81 out of 100 based on 71 critics indicating "generally favorable reviews". GameSpot awarded the game an 8 out of 10, praising the gameplay, level design, characters, visuals, soundtrack, and extra modes, but criticized the "rarely challenging" difficulty. IGN's Brendan Graeber rated the game an 8.0, praising its clever use of 3D-based puzzles in vibrant worlds, boss fights, the Robobot mech, and additional modes, but criticized the difficulty and invulnerably easy blocking. He stated, "Kirby: Planet Robobot may not be the most challenging platformer around, but its clever use of robotic destruction combined with gorgeous environmental puzzles and unique bosses make for an entertaining ride. I only wish Kirby’s monstrous mech suit could make proper use of the huge amount of collectibles" Destructoid's Chris Carter gave it a 7 out of 10, stating, "While the robot motif comes in half-cocked, Planet Robobot is still a safe, serviceable Kirby game. After beating the story and reflecting on it, many elements felt like just going through the motions, but those motions haven't gotten stale yet after nearly 25 years."

As of June 2016, it has sold 300,479 copies in Japan.