This little pink peril has had quite a lot of adventures over the years. Not only is he a regular go-to fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series, but he’s also an iconic and instantly recognisable Nintendo character.
And yes, he is the C.E.O of Dyson vacuums; no wonder they suck up so much dust!
Kirby is such an easy to grasp character. He’s not angular, offensive, or complicated to understand. It’s a pink ball with arms and legs, and he looks pretty damn cute.
Don’t let his looks fool you, however. This floating fluff ball has a mean side and loves to knock enemies into the dust!
Whether playing pinball or piloting Pacific Rim-style robots, Kirby is one tough cookie, and he’s one of my favourite characters of all time.
Table of Contents
1. Kirby’s Return To Dream Land
Donning his Link hat one more time, Kirby’s Return To Dream Land takes the top spot in this list of the greatest and best Kirby games of all time!
Some gamers may know this title as Kirby’s Adventure Wii, but it’s the same game. Why do I love it so much? Well, it’s the first proper home console Kirby adventure without any other gimmicks since The Crystal Shard dropped 11 years before.
Yes, I loved Epic Yarn a heck of a lot, but that was a little like the Wind Waker for me in the sense that it wasn’t like a proper Kirby/Zelda game should be.
Anyway, instead of shipping on the GameCube, it came to to the Wii and it looks so good! Kirby inhales enemies once more and wields the sword made famous in the Amazing Mirror for the GBA. He can breathe fire too!
The multiplayer is one of the best bits about this game, however. Waddle Dee, Meta Knight, and King Dedede can all join Kirby on his adventure as he retrieves pieces of a broken Alien spaceship!
Like the Goomba tower in Super Mario Odyssey, players can stack on top of each other for certain moves etc. Plus, with four people fighting, surely Whispy Woods can finally be defeated for good, right?
Like Crystal Shards, it takes on a 2.5D appearance, though the level backgrounds seem to stretch back for miles and are richly textured. It all adds to the dreamy Dream Land vibe.
Honestly, this is one game you need in your Wii collection.
2. Kirby & The Forgotten Land
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the newest game in the Kirby franchise, and boy is it a winner! Releasing in Q1 2022, it’s shot straight to the 2nd spot in our best Kirby games list – that’s how good it is!
Finally, a game featuring the Pink Peril that feels like Crystal Shard and the Number 1 spot in our list.
It’s basically Super Mario Odyssey with Kirby taking the reins… which can only ever be a good thing!
One of the best bits about this game is the fact that Kirby can breath in real objects and transform into them. It’s like Mario sending cappy onto objects but using Kirby’s trademark inhale move!
Breath in a car to get some wheels so you can ram through objects, or swallow a tank to get maximum firepower.
And, you can play with a mate in co-op mode, with one player using Bandana Waddle Dee!
Speaking of which, you have to save the Waddle Dees from certain death (maybe not that brutal, it is a Kirby game after all!).
3. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards takes the Number 3 spot on this list of the best Kirby games of all time. It’s also one of the best N64 games of all time and a real favourite of mine!
This was the first ever 3D Kirby game, making it a big deal for fans of the pink peril. It should have come out for the 64DD, but we all know how that turned out.
Still, Kirby’s the master of picking up new features by inhaling them, and he managed to get the handle of the N64 pretty easily without any trouble!
Fans of the previous titles in this vibrant list should DEFINITELY go back and check out Kirby’s N64 adventure. It’s deserved of your love, and the storyline is a real classic
Like Planet Robobot, The Crystal Shards has a pretty unique gameplay style. For starters, gamers use the D-pad to move Kirbster around and not the Joystick. It’s more reminiscent of a SNES control style, which meant we never had an aching hand while playing!
This game is 3D, but it follows a primarily side-scrolling 2.5D style of play. Camera angles move in front of Kirby at times, and it feels a little like a cross between Super Mario 64 and Bomberman 64 in terms of gameplay style.
Inhale enemies like me inhaling pizza at an all-you-can-eat buffet, float through incredible worlds, and even get the chance to play as King Dedede with his mighty hammer.
Move over Thor!
4. Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Up next in this list of the best Kirby games is Kirby & The Amazing Mirror!
Yes, if you’re wondering what happened to Link after Ocarina of Time, it looks like Kirby swallowed him, stole his hat and sword, and set out on an adventure…
… right after buying the latest Dream World smartphone model!
Controversially, Dream World and King Dedede don’t appear in this game. After Dark Meta Knight turns Kirby into four versions of himself (people are always splitting this poor dude up!), he goes on to smash the Amazing Mirror into pieces!
Not only that, but the mirror world is now a place of evil, a little like the Sacred Ream in Ocarina.
And Meta Knight has been defeated, so it’s all gone pear shaped!
Puzzle solving plays a huge part in this game, and the Kirbys pull off some amazing moves along the way. Collect items, float around a lot, and beat some bad-ass bosses to progress.
And you just know there’s going to be a boat load of Warp Stars to fly around on!
The game itself is set out like a maze, giving The Amazing Mirror an open-world feel. You can choose which way to move and attack the levels as you please.
Plus, you could ask Kirby to call your parents using his cellphone to ask what time your dinner is ready… probably… if you asked nicely!
5. Kirby: Planet Robobot
In a world where mechanised doom looms large, one pink puffball must save the day. Yes, Kirby’s back and controlling some massive robots in the next title on our list of the best Kirby games of all time!
This is undoubtedly one of the best Nintendo 3DS games for the handheld and a surefire hit for players of all ages (over 7, of course).
So, what’s Kirby doing this time? He’s fighting metal warriors from outer space, stealing abilities, and beating back enemies with his trademark moves.
Business as usual then!
Planet Robobot also brings new moves to the table. Scientist, Poison, and a super cool ESP move like Ness’s power ball all make an appearance. It’s Kirby evolved into Mega Kirby or something!
Look, Kirby’s pretty tough as it is. But sometimes, everyone needs a humongous robot to get the job done.
Kirby controls a massive mech-warrior to bash his way through… well, everything in sight! At least he can’t destroy the backgrounds though, they’re far too stunning to be wiped out!
This game looks fantastic and, while still a young game in the console’s lifetime, it received amazing feedback from critics and gamers alike. The graphics and soundtrack are brilliant, and it’s one title you’re going to find super tough to put down.
Honestly, it should come with an addictive substance warning!
6. Kirby’s Dream Land
Kirby’s Dream Land was one of the first Game Boy games I got back in the day. He looks a lot different now compared to that image on the game case, but he’s still the same floating fighter that we know and love.
Can you believe this game is almost 30 years old as I write this? It was designed as a pick up and play title for gamers to get to grips with the DMG, but also had unlockable features like harder levels to keep gamers coming back.
Seeing Kirby floating around after gobbling a mouthful of air still feels exciting when I play this game, as do the warp stars and the simple Super Mario Land-style levels.
Plus, I can never see a tree without thinking it’s going to attack me after meeting Whispy Woods for the first time!
Ok, it’s undeniably a cutesy game, but it’s tough to beat and even harder to fully complete. If you’re looking for an alternative to Mario’s many outings, then this is one of the best GameBoy games in its field and a real cracker to have in your collection.
7. Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Kirby’s Epic Yarn takes the 7th spot in this list of the best Kirby games of all time. It’s the first Nintendo title to go all-out arts and crafts and provided the inspiration for Yoshi’s Wooly World on the Wii U!
Back to Kirby though. This textured world looks amazing on the Wii and the crafty game mechanic allows for Kirby to do so many more things than would normally be possible in his normal guise.
It might look like a cute platformer, but this is one tough game to crack and a real exciting adventure for all ages.
If you know someone who you want to get into gaming and away from the haberdashery, then this is a great first stepping stone. Kirby has to aid Prince Fluff by gathering mystical yarn, repairing Patch Land along the way.
There’s a huge bombshell in this game though; Kirby doesn’t inhale enemies in this title.
I know, but don’t scroll past just yet. It’s still worth purchasing.
Instead of his trademark inhale and steal move, Kirby can become a submarine or a robot while moving through the different levels. He can even turn himself into a tank!
8. Kirby’s Adventure
Kirby’s Adventure is the second proper Kirby adventure title after the Game Boy title ‘Kirby’s Dream World’. I say proper as the spin off Kirby’s Pinball Land is sometimes classed as taking the official second spot.
Still with me? Good, let’s move on!
Kirbys Adventure and Dream Land were always on a pretty level pegging back in the day as far as I was concerned. They were both classic games, and finally getting to take Kirby on an adventure in vibrant 8-bit colour made me feel like the king of the world…
… the Dream World… that is. Move over King Dedede!
So, what happens in Kirby’s Adventure? Well, this game is a superb platform adventure and one of the best NES games ever made. It’s also the first title to showcase the copy move where Kirby can steal other moves by sucking up villains!
Kirby floats and inhales his way across Dream Land in order to repair the Star Rod. That’s the unsuspecting item that manages to knock me off the screen every time in Smash Bros!
ANYWAY, King Dedede has smashed the Star Rod into pieces, and Kirby has to sort it out and save the day.
The levels are vibrant, the worlds are super fun to play through, and Kirby is kick ass as usual!
9. Kirby Mass Attack
Kirby has appeared in many titles over the years, but he’s never appeared in a game as crazy as this one! For the first time ever, a whole gang of Kirbys appear on the screen at the same time.
It’s pure chaos, but that’s why we love it.
Mass Attack is very reminiscent of Lemmings and everyone’s favourite plant-pulling game, Pikmin. The only difference is that these little pink devils are much more animated and way more fun to control.
This Kirby title uses a control style that works perfectly with the DS. Like The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, players control on screen characters using the stylus rather than the D-Pad.
Working the touchscreen like a professional fencer, players move up to 10 miniature Kirbys. They used to be a whole Kirby, but an evil villain shattered him.
Grow your team, tackle obstacles, and watch their colour as their health drains away!
10. Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble
Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble is a puzzle-basesd title with a difference. As the name suggest, tilting and tumbling are the keys to success in this game, but you don’t do them by moving the D-pad.
Oh no; this cartridge came with an accelerometer built into it! That’s right; you move Kirby by tilting your GBC around.
How cool is that!
Even though this game came out years before the Wii and the 3DS, it’s a sign of what was to come at Nintendo HQ, Don’t get too caught up in the cool cartridge though. It’s not just a quirky gimmick; the game is awesome too!
Kirby features in pretty much every one of our best Nintendo lists. As one of the best Gameboy Color games, he cemented himself as a handheld wonder early on in his career. It feels a lot like Iggy’s Reckin’ Balls meets Super Monkey Ball… meets a chaotic pink snooker ball.
Players guide Kirby through levels by tilting and turning their GBC. Get Kirby to the goal at the end of each level and progress to the next round, though watch out for enemies that need thwarting along the way.
This game might look cute, but it’s pant-wettingly terrifying thanks to the timer that continually counts down your remaining seconds. Do you have the mettle to save Dream Land by collecting all of the stars?
You know you do!
11. Kirby’s Pinball Land
Kirby’s Pinball Land, a game that hardly left my Game Boy back in the day!
Kirby is one tough cookie, so much so that he can take a beating on and off the pinball table. Instead of sucking up enemies and floating through the air, the pink peril takes the position of a pinball in this spin off game from the main series.
This was the second Kirby game for the DMG and only Nintendo’s second-ever pinball game. Kirby must tackle three themed pinball tables and take on a boss from the series; Kracko, Poppy Bros. Sr, or the iconic Whispy Woods.
This is pinball 2.0. Bash enemies, earn multipliers, and send Kirby flying through different obstacles collecting points and items along the way.
This is a pinball title through and through. Thats all there is to it, but it’s on heck of an addictive game and all the better for being such a simple concept.
There’s no insane plot line to follow, it’s just good old fashioned fun and the perfect game to kick back and relax with.
12. Kirby Triple Deluxe
Kirby Triple Deluxe launched on the Nintendo 3DS in 2014 and was welcomed with a lot of praise, respectfully because it introduced new abilities, delightful soundtracks and updated graphics that used the 3D mechanics well.
The “2.5D” perspective is great, making the gameplay, attacks and puzzles that extra bit immersive, which is a great reason I recommend picking this game up, it’s a new way to play Kirby games using 3D elements.
There’s a wide range of new abilities too including Beetle which basically lets Kirby use a Rhinoceros Beetle to attack his enemies, how cool right?
If you manage to get through the fun storyline you caan then unlock a extra mode called Dededetour!, which allows you play as King Dedede, this also replaces the many bossed with the “DX” forms which are more powerful, and harder to beat.
It’s a worthy pickup for all Kirby fans.
