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The game was announced as a [[Nintendo GameCube]] title to be released in late 2005,<ref name="autogenerated2005">{{cite web|url=http://uk.cube.ign.com/articles/581/581995p3.html|publisher=IGN|date=2005-01-31|title=GameCube Games of 2005|accessdate=2007-07-13|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014222236/http://uk.cube.ign.com/articles/581/581995p3.html|archivedate=2007-10-14}}</ref> but development was later shifted to its successor console, the Wii. The game was presumed to be canceled until it was re-announced in 2011. The game was made available for the [[Nintendo eShop]] in 2015.<ref name="WiiU-eShop-NJ">{{cite web|title=Wiiディスクソフト（ダウンロード版について）|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/software/wii/index.html|website=Nintendo|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=15 January 2015|language=Japanese}}</ref><ref name="NLcitesFeb19-2015eShopEU">{{cite web|first=Thomas |last=Whitehead |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/02/nintendo_download_19th_february_europe |title=Nintendo Download: 19th February (Europe) |publisher=Nintendo Life |date=2015-02-16 |accessdate=2015-02-16}}</ref><ref name="Wii U aus">{{cite web|last1=Wassenaar|first1=Troy|title=AUSTRALIAN NINTENDO DOWNLOAD UPDATES (19/2) – DISCOUNT WAREHOUSE|url=http://www.vooks.net/nintendo-download-update-192-discount-warehouse/|website=Vooks|accessdate=11 April 2015|date=February 19, 2015}}</ref>
Some elements from the cancelled ''Kirby'' title of 2005 were carried over to ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'',<ref name="iwata asks"/> such as the ability for players to stack up in a totem carried by the player on the bottom of the stack. Other elements from the ''Kirby'' title of 2005, such as Kirby's ability to befriend up to three "Helpers" (a gameplay mechanic from ''[[Kirby Super Star]]''), were modified and carried over to another ''Kirby'' game, released in 2018 on the [[Nintendo Switch]], called ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''.
==Gameplay==
{{Overly detailed|section|date=April 2018}}
{{see also|Kirby (series)#Gameplay|l1=Gameplay in the Kirby series}}
''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' is a [[2.5D]] [[side-scrolling]] [[platform game]], controlled by holding the [[Wii Remote]] sideways. Differing from other games in the ''Kirby'' series, this game features a completely 2.5-dimensional style of gameplay, and uses 3D models for player characters, enemies, mid-bosses and bosses, rather than [[sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]]s, as had been used since ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''.
The main objective of the game is to assist the extraterrestrial Magolor, whose starship, the ''Lor Starcutter,'' has crash-landed onto Pop Star. The player is tasked with collecting the scattered pieces of the spaceship, which are hidden within the game's [[Game level|level]]s.<ref name="np preview">{{cite journal |author=Slate, Chris |date= September 2011 |title=Fearsome Foursome |journal=[[Nintendo Power]] |volume=271 |pages=42–47 |publisher= Nintendo}}</ref>
[[File:Kirby rtdl wii.jpg|thumb|left|''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' supports cooperative multiplayer for up to four players.]]
Kirby, the main protagonist, retains his signature ability to inhale objects and enemies. The inhaled objects can either be swallowed, or propelled back out as a projectile. A new feature is the "Super Inhale", where shaking the Wii Remote or inhaling for a long time makes Kirby's inhale stronger. A Super Inhale has extended range and can suck up "Heave-ho Blocks", which Kirby previously was not able to inhale; the Super Inhale also allows Kirby to inhale other players and most large enemies.
Certain enemies, when swallowed, give Kirby access to a wide variety of "Copy Abilities", which are used to defeat enemies and clear certain environmental obstacles, though Kirby can only possess one copy ability at a time. Other players playing as another "Kirby", or those playing as King Dedede, Meta Knight, or Waddle Dee, can hold onto a Copy Ability's essence and throw them back to Kirby to be inhaled again when needed once more, unless he wishes to discard the ability, in which case it will vanish shortly afterwards if left alone.
Similar to ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'', each copy ability has multiple attacks that are utilized depending on the combination of button-inputs pressed by the player. New Abilities introduced in this game are the Whip Ability, which lets Kirby grab out-of-reach items, the Water Ability, which allows Kirby to extinguish fires, and the Leaf Ability, which lets Kirby use leaves as a form of attack, and conjure a pile of leaves to hide in and become invulnerable to nearly all attacks.
The game introduces more powerful, temporary Copy Abilities called "Super Abilities,"<ref name="AU"/> which are able to destroy parts of the environment and inflict tremendous damage across a wide range. Unlike regular Copy Abilities, ejecting a Super Ability will cause the Super Ability's ability essence to disintegrate instantly. Five Super Abilities exist: Ultra Sword, Monster Flame, Flare Beam, Grand Hammer, and Snow Bowl, which are enhanced versions of five respective Copy Abilities, with different move-sets.
Throughout the game, Kirby can collect food items which recover health and earn extra lives by the collection of 1UP items, or by collecting 100 stars, which immediately grants him an extra life. There are also various items Kirby can use, such as keys used to unlock barred areas, a cannon which automatically fires, a bomb that steadily enlarges over time, a [[french horn]]-like item that produces a protective barrier overhead, and a large boot that lets Kirby hop across enemies and spiked areas (similar to the Kuribo's Shoe of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'').
At the end of each stage, a bonus game is played in which players time a button press to jump as high as possible to earn additional items.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/117/1173967p1.html |title= E3 2011: Kirby Wii -- Same Ol' Kirby |date= 7 June 2011 |accessdate=22 August 2011 |author=Claibron, Samuel}}</ref>
The game features drop-in [[Cooperative gameplay|cooperative]] [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] for up to three additional players. These players can either play as a differently-colored-from-Player-One's Kirby, or as one of three unique characters: [[Meta Knight]], [[King Dedede]], and [[List of Kirby characters#Waddle Dee|Waddle Dee]]. Each of these characters possess traits from corresponding Copy Abilities based on the way each character moves and attacks, though only Kirbys are able to inhale enemies and use Copy Abilities. Players are able to ride on top of each other as a "totem", which, with perfect timing, allows the use of a charged attack, called the "Team Attack", from the "base" player. Players can also share recently ingested health-restoring items through a move called "Face-to-Face" (which is highly similar to [[Regurgitation (digestion)|regurgitation]]).
Unlike most multiplayer games, all players share from a pool of lives, with each player requiring one life to enter the game. If one of the three additional players loses a life, they can spend an extra life to rejoin the game. However, if Player One dies, all players stop play and gameplay restarts from the last checkpoint.<ref name="np preview"/> Players who leave with full health give back one life to the pool of lives, while extra players start with half of their maximum health if they spawn when the life counter reaches zero.
Throughout the game, players can seek out Energy Spheres used to power up the Lor Starcutter, the game's hubworld. Finding these spheres often requires keen exploration, wits, skill, or a specific Ability or item. There are also challenging "Dimensional Rift" areas that are found while using Super Abilities, requiring players to escape a black void before facing off against a miniboss to earn additional Energy Spheres.
Collecting enough of these spheres unlock Challenge Rooms, which test Kirby's mastery of a specific Ability, Copy Ability Rooms, which lets Kirby choose a Copy Ability to take with him on his adventure; and two minigames: Ninja Dojo and Scope Shot. Ninja Dojo tasks players with shaking the Wii Remote to fire [[shuriken|ninja stars]] at targets whilst Scope Shot tasks players with defeating a large robot within a time limit.
Clearing the game unlocks Extra Mode, a more challenging rendition of the main game, and The Arena, which sees players fighting all the bosses of the game in a random order. Clearing the Extra Mode unlocks The True Arena, where players fight harder, stronger versions of bosses, along with three extra boss characters.
==Plot==
The story begins with Kirby carrying a cake, while King Dedede and Bandanna Waddle Dee chase him, as they run past Meta Knight, who is reading a book. Kirby and the gang suddenly see a starship fly out of a wormhole and crash, prompting them to investigate. They enter the ship and encounter an extraterrestrial named Magolor, a frantic creature who discovers that the five vital pieces of his ship, the ''Lor Starcutter'', along with the 120 crucial Energy Spheres, have been scattered across the planet. With the Magalor offering them a trip to his homeworld of Halcandra should they help fix his ship, Kirby and his friends set off to recover the lost pieces of his ship across the five corners of the planet.<ref name="UK"/>
After retrieving the main pieces, the four travel to Halcandra as promised by Magolor, where they are attacked and struck down (though this time the ship's pieces stay intact) by a four-headed dragon named Landia, who rests atop the planet's highest volcano. Magolor claims Landia is an evil beast that has taken over Halcandra and sends Kirby to defeat it. However, after Landia is defeated, Magolor reveals his true motive was to steal the Master Crown, constructed by a legendary race called the Ancients, as a source of immense power, in order to become all powerful, with intent of making the entire universe bow before him, beginning with Popstar. Teaming up with Landia, who is split into four dragons, Kirby and his friends chase Magolor through an interdimensional tunnel to confront him. They destroy the Master Crown and take Magolor's soul with it (though the Kirby's 20th anniversary collection reveals that he survived and has reformed). With peace restored to the universe, Kirby and friends flee through the shrinking wormhole back to their home planet, whilst Landia takes the ''Lor Starcutter'' and returns home as Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Bandanna Waddle Dee wave goodbye.
==Development==
Development on a new ''Kirby'' title began after the release of the 2000 game ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'' as a title for the [[Nintendo 64]]. The game underwent an 11-year development period in which three different proposed versions of the game were developed and scrapped.<ref name="iwata asks"/> The first build was similar to the graphical and gameplay style of ''Kirby 64'', rendered in 3D but using traditional 2D [[side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] gameplay. The game would also support multiplayer with up to four players.<ref name="autogenerated2005"/> This build was demonstrated at [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]] in 2005, and was set for release later that year. However, difficulty with programming four-player led to this version being scrapped, though its concept would later resurface as ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' for the [[Nintendo Switch]]. The second build placed Kirby in a 3D environment with [[open world]]-style gameplay, and the third build returned to side-scrolling gameplay but had the graphical style of a [[pop-up book]]. The development team realized that the failure of the first three attempts were caused by too much focus on multiplayer, so focus was shifted to the single-player experience.<ref name="iwata asks"/> Development of the final version accelerated in October 2010, when the game began to take form.<ref name="iwata asks">{{cite web |title=Iwata Asks: Kirby's Return to Dream Land |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]] |accessdate=25 October 2011 |url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/kirby-dream-land/0/0}}</ref>
''Kirby''{{'}}s long development caused the game to frequently appear and then disappear from upcoming game lists. On September 14, 2006, the ''Kirby'' game appeared on a list of upcoming [[List of Wii games|Wii games]], named {{Nihongo|''Hoshi no Kābī''|星のカービィ|lit. "Kirby of the Stars"}}, set for release in Japan. The December 2006 issue of ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' removed ''Kirby'' from its list of GameCube releases, but did not place it on its list of Wii releases. [[Matt Casamassina]] of ''IGN'', posting on his blog, furthered the idea of a Wii release by stating that it would indeed be released for the Wii in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=Having a Blast on Wii |date=February 2, 2007 |url=http://blogs.ign.com/Matt-IGN/2007/02/02/45604/ |accessdate=2007-07-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715133451/http://blogs.ign.com/Matt-IGN/2007/02/02/45604/ |archivedate=July 15, 2007 }}</ref> He compared it to ''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]'', another game that was originally announced as a GameCube title, but eventually released on Wii. While the game did not appear at [[E3 2007]], Beth Llewelyn of Nintendo of America confirmed the game "had not been abandoned."<ref name="E3 2007">{{cite web|url=http://gonintendo.com/?p=21195 |work=GoNintendo |date=July 12, 2007 |title=Disaster coming along, Project H.A.M.M.E.R. on hold, Smash online not confirmed, and Kirby! |accessdate=July 13, 2007}}</ref> The December 2007 issue of ''[[Official Nintendo Magazine]]'' claimed that a ''Kirby'' game for Wii was not in development.<ref name="Ask Nintendo">{{cite web|url=http://gonintendo.com/?p=31762 |work=GoNintendo |date=December 17, 2007 |title=Say it ain't so - No Kirby game in development for Wii |accessdate=December 17, 2007}}</ref> On May 7, 2010, Nintendo confirmed that a ''Kirby'' Wii title was still in the making.<ref name="July31">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2009/090731e.pdf |work=NCL |date=July 31, 2009 |title=Financial Results Briefing for the Three-Month Period ended June 2009 |format=PDF |accessdate=August 4, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179188 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716150244/http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179188 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-16 |title=Kirby Wii Still in Development, But Release Still TBA |publisher=1up.com |date=2010-05-07 |accessdate=2010-06-28 }}</ref>
Nintendo announced the game ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'' at [[E3 2010]], a separate title that was in development by [[Good-Feel]]. The 2005 ''Kirby'' game was presumed to have been canceled until a Financial Results Briefing on January 28, 2011 re-announced the game with a release date set within the same year.<ref name = "briefing2011">{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/110128/07.html |title=Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ending March 2011 |date=28 January 2011 |publisher= Nintendo Co., Ltd.|accessdate = 20 August 2011}}</ref> At [[E3 2011]], the game was demonstrated in playable form under the tentative title ''Kirby Wii''.<ref name="gamespot">{{cite web|url=http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6318130/e3-2011-kirby-wii-preview-hands-on |title=E3 2011: Kirby Wii Preview Hands-On |author=Tom Mc Shea |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615065456/http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6318130/e3-2011-kirby-wii-preview-hands-on |archivedate=2011-06-15 }}</ref> The game was later renamed ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' in North America<ref name="na title">{{cite web|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2011/07/21/kirby-wiis-actual-name-is|title=Kirby Wii's actual name is...|author=Spencer |date = 21 July 2011 |publisher=Siliconera}}</ref> and ''Kirby's Adventure Wii'' in Europe,<ref name="eu title">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/2011/nintendo_announces_packed_2011_line-up_of_upcoming_games_44323.html|title=Nintendo announces packed 2011 line-up of upcoming games|publisher=[[Nintendo]] |date=17 August 2011}}</ref> and ''Hoshi no Kirby Wii'' in Japan. The music is composed by Jun Ishikawa and Hirokazu Ando with a soundtrack called ''Kirby Wii Music Selection'' featuring 45 musical pieces from the game.
==Reception==
''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' has received mostly positive reviews, with many praising the game's cooperative gameplay, graphics, and sounds but criticizing its lack of difficulty. [[Destructoid]] awarded the game a perfect score of 10/10, claiming, "Videogames simply do not get any more pure than ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land''."<ref name="Destruct"/> ''[[Game Informer]]'' gave it an 8.5 out of 10, noting that, "While it doesn't have the challenge of ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' or the charming art style of ''[[Kirby Epic Yarn]]'', Kirby's Return To Dream Land is another formidable entry in a line of great side-scrolling Wii platformers."<ref name="GI"/> ''[[IGN]]'' was a bit less positive, giving it a score of 7.5 out of 10, criticizing the game's lack of difficulty while stating it fits perfectly for a younger audience.<ref name="IGN"/>
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==Notes==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Portal|Video games}}
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140517170501/http://kirby.nintendo.com/returntodreamland/ Official website]
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{{Kirby series}}
[[Category:2011 video games]]
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