Parents' Guide to

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Platformer provides cooperative fun for up to four players.

Game Nintendo Wii 2011
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

age 8+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 10+

This title has:

Great messages
Easy to play/use
Too much violence
age 3+

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland is a colorful, family-friendly game with content and a level of difficulty suitable for nearly the whole family. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board has stamped the game with an E10+ rating and cites mild cartoon violence, but this may be a little high. Kirby and his pals spend a lot of time fighting their enemies with swords, fire, mallets, explosions, and other kinds of attacks, but enemies are fantastical creatures with no human qualities that simply spin and vanish when defeated. Recommended for ages 3-8 years

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (21):

Last year’s Kirby’s Epic Yarn was an innovative and beautiful experience that diverged significantly from the traditional Kirby formula. By contrast, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland is a return to basics, a conventional platformer that will be instantly familiar to people who’ve played previous Kirby games. And it’s just as fun as its predecessors. Kirby’s abilities are diverse and you get to put them to use in fun and original ways. Plus there are secret areas that are hidden just well enough to make finding them not too tricky but still satisfying.

Cooperative play, meanwhile, makes this game a great social gaming experience. And while things never get particularly hard, playing with multiple players makes boss fights that much easier. Dedicated players will be able to make it through the main stages in a few nights, but collecting all of the spheres hidden within them -- which are required to unlock bonus modes and features -- will take a lot longer. It’s not groundbreaking, but it is well crafted and a lot of fun.

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo Wii
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Release date: October 24, 2011
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: E10+ for Mild Cartoon Violence
  • Last updated: August 29, 2016

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