Kirby's Dream Course

About This Game

Gameplay

Kirby's Dream Course is a mini golf video game set at an isometric perspective, similar to games such as Marble Madness (1984). Its plot involves Kirby's nemesis King Dedede stealing all of the stars in the night sky. Kirby sets out to stop Dedede and return the stars to the sky. In single-player, players maneuver Kirby around a miniature golf course by deflecting him towards a specific area of the playfield within a limited number of strokes. Players must set the power, angle, and spin to connect with various enemies found throughout the levels, claiming a star for each enemy defeated. When only one enemy remains, that enemy transforms into the goal hole. Kirby can knock himself into certain enemies to acquire a Copy ability, which can be used to clear courses in a faster period of time. These Copy abilities include Kirby turning into a tornado, a sparking ball that can destroy certain obstacles, and a UFO that allows Kirby to float and move at will for a short time. The game has eight single-player courses, with eight holes in each. Completing courses awards the player with medals, which can be used to unlock extra features such as alternative versions of courses.

History

Kirby's Dream Course was developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). HAL originally designed the game as a standalone title called Special Tee Shot in 1992, which featured its own original characters and art assets. Though it received several previews from magazines and was displayed prominently on the packaging for the console, the company shelved the project following the success of its Kirby series on the Game Boy. HAL later reworked Special Tee Shot into a Kirby game by replacing many of the original characters with those from the Kirby series, and implementing several mechanics to make it fit into the Kirby universe, such as the power-up system.