Kirby: Squeak Squad

Kirby: Squeak Squad got a lotta charm, even if it doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel. You play as our beloved pink puffball who gets his strawberry shortcake stolen by a gang of mouse thieves called the Squeaks and that's all the motivation he needs to beat the crap out of 'em, I mean, I'd do the same if someone took my cake. He spends the whole game chasing these little rodents across Dream Land, accidentally stumbling into a bigger plot involving an ancient chest and a dark star. It's low stakes and it works perfectly for a handheld game you'd play when you're bored.

Gameplay-wise, this is classic Kirby through and through, y'know the deal, you inhale enemies, steal their powers and float your way through colorful levels. The new additions here are the bubble system and the touch screen inventory where Kirby can now store up to five items like ability bubbles, food or even treasure chests, which you manage on the bottom screen. It's neat for holding onto a power you want to save for later but it gets a little clunky when you're juggling chests and accidentally eat something you didn't mean to. Mixing two abilities just spins a roulette wheel for a random power instead of creating combo moves like in Kirby 64 which kinda feels like a missed opportunity. Still, the core platforming is tight and Kirby controls like you'd expect.

Visually, the game looks gorgeous, the sprites are colorful, expressive and full of personality, the music tho is a mixed bag, some tracks are catchy bangers, others are just reused from the GBA games. Now, let's talk difficulty, or the lack thereof. This game is really easy, I mean, Kirby's known for not being a hard series but even this is way too easy. Most levels are super short and the Squeak Squad members you fight at the end of each stage are pushovers. The real bosses like Dedede or Kracko are slightly tougher but still not punishing and the final boss is a joke. If you're looking for a challenge you won't find it here, but if you want a chill, this is perfect for you. The real difficulty comes from collecting all treasure chests, some of which are hidden in annoying spots or require backtracking because the game doesn't let you reenter a level halfway through, which is annoying 'cuz if you miss a chest, you've gotta restart the whole stage.

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