Kirby's Dream Land is the first game in the Kirby series, setting a lot of the series' staples (while there are notable improvements in later games, you'll be surprised at how at its core, the first game has many of the same gameplay elements). Released for the Game Boy, the game is in monochrome. The game's premise is only explained in the physical manual since the game starts up with Kirby thrown straight into the first level. Basically, King Dedede has stolen all the food in Dream Land and as the residents are at a loss on what to do, Kirby volunteers to go and get it all back.
The game is a platformer. Since the Game Boy only had a d-pad and two buttons (in addition to the Start and Select button which aren't used), the controls are simple. Kirby can suck in enemies and spit them back out again. The other button is used for jumping and while Kirby can float, you have to use the Up button in order to do it. This can lend to some awkward moments when you're trying to avoid the flying enemies but is a tad bit too slow. Kirby's significant ability of swallowing the enemy and copying their abilities isn't implemented in this game. While Kirby can still swallow the enemy, this doesn't do anything except allow Kirby to float again. The closest thing we get are power ups which temporarily give Kirby some additional abilities like spitting fire. Interestingly, a lot of the game's enemies become staples in the series, with only minimal design changes.
As a 2D sidescrolling adventure, the aim of each stage is to reach the end while avoiding or defeating all of the enemies. While most enemies can be defeated, some are invincible and it's all you can do to dodge them. Kirby has a health bar and once it is all gone, then you start again from the beginning of that segment. Kirby has a finite amount of lives and to offset the fact that you don't have to redo the whole level if you die, you actually can't save anywhere at all within the game. There aren't any collectibles to find but you are able to find health packs and extra lives. There are various doorways in each segment which lead to different areas and even shortcuts.
Not being able to save isn't a huge problem when the game is so easy. Furthermore, it is extremely short. Comprised of five stages, you can get to the credits in around 45 minutes on a first playthrough blind. You can speed through the stages much quicker the second time around. There is a high score counter but the game doesn't save any of your previous scores so it feels kind of moot. The game mechanic of sucking and spitting out enemies is refreshing and different compared to other platformers at the time. As well as the ability to float and interesting (if predictable) boss battles makes this game enjoyable. The music is simple but charming. Considering that this is a Game Boy game, it looks fantastic.
Don't think you can pack the game away after one playthrough because you then get a button input sequence to unlock Extra Mode. This mode drastically increases the difficulty while using the same level layouts. There are new enemy types, they move faster and are more frequent. It's quite a challenge as the bosses have new attacks too. You have to work through the levels slower and more methodically. This makes the first playthrough feel like a tutorial and that this is the real game. Overall, despite the replayability, Kirby's Dream Land is still a really short game. The gameplay is simple at its core but fun enough to keep it going. It's worthwhile just to see how Kirby started as a series.
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