Kirby's Adventure

When Kirby's Adventure came out in 1993, the NES should have long since been in retirement — and yet this game showed just how much could still be squeezed out of ancient hardware. Color gradients, smooth animations and visual effects that early NES titles never knew still take the breath away of anyone who knows what limited iron it runs on.

HAL Laboratory, under the leadership of Masahiro Sakurai, made a crucial step here in the development of its pink puffball. Whereas in the previous Kirby's Dream Land on the Game Boy, Kirby could only swallow enemies and spit them out, here the mechanic that would forever define the series is born: ability copying. Swallow an enemy with fire power and you'll start spewing flames yourself; devour one with a sword and you gain a blade; another gives you the ability to float or hurl sparks. Suddenly you hold dozens of play styles hidden within a single character.

This turns an otherwise gentle platformer into a playground full of experiments. The game is kind and accessible — Kirby can fly, so chasms aren't a death sentence as in tougher titles — but hidden nooks, minigames and secrets reward the curious. It is a platformer that a beginner and a veteran seeking pleasant relaxation alike will happily finish.

Here Sakurai built the foundation on which he later constructed not only the entire Kirby series but also his sense for playability and character, which he later cashed in on in the Super Smash Bros. phenomenon. Kirby's Adventure is thus not only the swan song of the NES but also an important milestone in the career of one of the most influential Japanese designers.

If you want to see the NES at the peak of its abilities and at the same time witness the birth of one of the most beloved gaming icons, this is a mandatory stop.

Why play: A technically stunning swan song of the NES and the birthplace of Kirby's ability copying — kind, inventive and timelessly playable.