KIRBY'S DREAM COURSE (SNES)
Kirby, Nintendo’s resident blancmange-in-chief, remains something of an unsung hero. Whilst the Mario and Zelda games continue to draw adoration and appreciation the world over, it’s often Kirby who’s out there taking the risks, blazing the trail, with none of the fanfare. HAL Laboratory, the developers behind Mario’s 1984 sporting debut Golf, would return a decade later with the far more outlandish Kirby’s Dream Course. The result was a fantastically creative party-golf hybrid entirely unlike anything else on the Super Nintendo. Sadly, amidst the frenzied clamour towards emergent 3D console gaming, it would swiftly find itself swept under the rug.
I discovered this marvellous curio entirely by chance. A friend asked if I knew of any golf games that weren’t conventional representations of the sport and didn’t focus on technical or environmental details such as club choices or wind directions. He also wasn’t after standard, fairground golf. Aside from the pleasantly diverting Worms Crazy Golf, I was at a loss for suggestions. Undeterred, he returned soon afterwards with Kirby’s Dream Course, a game that managed to fulfil his highly specific request, to a tee.
Kirby's Dream Course is never better than when you're playing it with a friend
KDC can best be described as a heavily stylised form of fantasy golf. Eschewing fairways, greens and clubs, the game utilises isometric chequerboards to host obstacle-laden courses that bear a passing resemblance to Marble Madness. Unlike the frenetic scramble of the eighties arcade classic, it’s an altogether more cerebral, considered affair. Like in real golf, you can putt or chip Kirby, with a simple but effective range of speed and spin options. The effects of side-spin are unusual: deft use can help him curve around obstacles, but heavy spin will see Kirby barrelling around in circles. Committed players will find it a useful skill to perfect, particularly for the later courses, though it’s very tricky to master.
Long a hallmark of Nintendo’s first-party software, Dream Course is enjoyable from the off, yet harbours tonnes of depth. Its two-player mode is absolutely wonderful and a perfect testing ground for its catalogue of neat features, seeing players alternating turns as they try to claim and reclaim stars from one another. There are rewards in abundance for experimenting and in this mode, it never feels as though you’re punished excessively for trying expansive or creative shots. Adding to the intrigue is a smart scoring system that rewards points for stars claimed at the end of a hole. Holing out grants two stars but also moves the game on to the next course and it is therefore possible to claim the hole and still be outscored by your opponent. Additionally, some power-ups reverse the possession of stars and players who are careless with traps may be hit with a ‘miss a turn’ penalty. This leads to a beautiful ebb and flow in the scoring; there’s never a dull moment.
Long a hallmark of Nintendo’s first-party software, Dream Course is enjoyable from the off, yet harbours tonnes of depth. Its two-player mode is absolutely wonderful and a perfect testing ground for its catalogue of neat features, seeing players alternating turns as they try to claim and reclaim stars from one another. There are rewards in abundance for experimenting and in this mode, it never feels as though you’re punished excessively for trying expansive or creative shots. Adding to the intrigue is a smart scoring system that rewards points for stars claimed at the end of a hole. Holing out grants two stars but also moves the game on to the next course and it is therefore possible to claim the hole and still be outscored by your opponent. Additionally, some power-ups reverse the possession of stars and players who are careless with traps may be hit with a ‘miss a turn’ penalty. This leads to a beautiful ebb and flow in the scoring; there’s never a dull moment.
The one-player adventure is a lovely surprise, too. It’s a different animal to the multiplayer, encouraging the development of a new set of tactics and shot-making skills. HAL Laboratory took a different approach here, with no opponent to worry about and instead placing the onus on forward-planning and getting the most out of each shot. Many of the courses allow for the possibility of holes-in-one and it’s loads of fun trying to work out the most effective ways to beat each one. On the surface, it may not look a serious sporting endeavour, but there’s miles more play here than there is to be found from any of its contemporary golf sim competitors.
KDC further stretches its creative legs through cleverly devised power-ups. The UFO is by far the handiest, allowing Kirby to motor around a stage for ten seconds mopping up stars or foes. A few require good timing, such as a mega-jump for reaching higher spots, the ability to turn Kirby to stone (ideal for halting momentum and dropping him straight into a hole) and a move that freezes water, allowing the hero to slide across. Of all of the power-ups, only the chaotic whirlwind hits a bit of a bum note.
Kirby’s Dream Course looks sweet and colourful, if a little unadventurous. It doesn’t push the SNES especially hard and there’s no question, the game looks a little old-fashioned, something especially evident in a release window that saw it sharing shelves with exciting, shiny-new 3D bombast. The predominantly two-tone isometric chequerboards bring to mind a slew of eighties home computer games, but levels appear welcoming and cleanly drawn, which is important. Sound effects are par for the course whilst the music is a little vapid in places, though there are a couple of supremely catchy tunes you’ll find it singularly impossible not to hum along to.
Kirby’s Dream Course looks sweet and colourful, if a little unadventurous. It doesn’t push the SNES especially hard and there’s no question, the game looks a little old-fashioned, something especially evident in a release window that saw it sharing shelves with exciting, shiny-new 3D bombast. The predominantly two-tone isometric chequerboards bring to mind a slew of eighties home computer games, but levels appear welcoming and cleanly drawn, which is important. Sound effects are par for the course whilst the music is a little vapid in places, though there are a couple of supremely catchy tunes you’ll find it singularly impossible not to hum along to.
Dream Course doesn't push its hardware, but in the gameplay stakes, it barely puts a foot wrong
There are eight excellent courses (each consisting of eight holes) to beat and ample replay value to be found in trying to earn medals on each: earning golds requires a heck of a lot of practice! In addition to this, the multiplayer has four of its own, distinct courses. There’s weeks of fun to be had and its so engrossing and satisfying, I can even overlook the ill-fitting inclusion of the series’ antagonist Dedede for an incongruous final boss fight.
It would be fair to say that, though highly popular at the time, few players would nowadays return to the mid-nineties instalments of PGA Tour or Actua Golf. For all their snazzy tech and licenses, the simple truth is ageing control schemes and presentation have seen them fall far behind their modern equivalents. Meanwhile, Kirby’s Dream Course remains in the same kind of quaint, timeless stasis as when it launched, with nothing quite like it on the market. Hopefully, with the benefit of hindsight, it will eventually find a new audience – and the recognition it deserves.
It would be fair to say that, though highly popular at the time, few players would nowadays return to the mid-nineties instalments of PGA Tour or Actua Golf. For all their snazzy tech and licenses, the simple truth is ageing control schemes and presentation have seen them fall far behind their modern equivalents. Meanwhile, Kirby’s Dream Course remains in the same kind of quaint, timeless stasis as when it launched, with nothing quite like it on the market. Hopefully, with the benefit of hindsight, it will eventually find a new audience – and the recognition it deserves.