A fun platformer nearly killed by a design choice that can put off some players.
In Amazing Mirror, Kirby has been split into 4, and has been transported to the Mirror World. The mirror that will transport Kirby back home has been broken into pieces, and to recover the pieces, Kirby must embark on a quest to defeat the guardians holding the pieces to the broken mirror. The 4 Kirby angle is a way to try to allow multiplayer support, however it's likely you won't be able to find a friend with a GBA and a link cable to play with. Fear not, because while they have limited use in this form, they can still be summoned via a cell phone in the single player mode. They may pop up with power-ups for the Kirby you control to take advantage of, even. The cell phone mechanic is a neat way to, without hassal, get some help in the middle of a tricky level.
The levels of Kirby and the Amazing Mirror sadly are where the downfall of this game occurs, although it doesn't hold the game back from being a fairly enjoyably one. Instead of your usual straight-line level design as is the custom of 2D platformers, Amazing Mirror says "No!" and all levels are a maze-like design. To fight a boss, you must find the boss' room. Otherwise, you might just stumble on a Goal room instead, which simply lets you play a minigame for extra lives, which while it can come in handy, it's almost the game's way of telling you you failed to find the proper exit. Other ends of a level include a warp to a different level, which could be beneficial or harmfal depending on where you wind up. The sole issue with this otherwise intriguing mechanic is you are almost required to find the map to that area if you'd like to know where you're going. Otherwise, the game's 9 different areas are occasionally tiring to trek through when you don't know where to go next.
When you come to a boss room, you fight a boss for a piece of the mirror that's in the middle of the hub world you will go to whenever you "beat" a level. The bosses are typical Kirby fair, and are as a result usually a blast to fight. A few bosses even have a few surprises that make their encounters interesting and enjoyable, for instance one boss most of the fight you don't actually hit the boss to damage them, but rather try to "push" them into a side of the battlefield in order for them to be shocked by an electric field, thus dealing damage. After retrieving all of the mirror pieces and repairing it, you can fight the final boss, which is a great wrap-up to the game.
In Amazing Mirror, Kirby can use a standard array of powerups from various games in the series, such as Hammer, UFO, Spark, Laser, and even one powerup that grants Kirby his attacks from the Super Smash Bros. series! The vast arsenal of powerups Kirby can use allow for a lot of wiggle room, and you can feel free to use whatever you like, as the game is generally quite generous and liberal with these powerups.
Other aspects of Amazing Mirror are almost exactly like Nightmare in Dream Land, so for better or worse, players of Nightmare in Dream Land will probably find themselves right at home. There's not much Amazing Mirror does that Nightmare in Dream Land didn't do.
The visual design of Amazing Mirror is probably the strongest selling point of the game. While some Kirby games get by with their colorful levels, Amazing Mirror simply blows away most other games with detailed backgrounds and foregrounds, and visual themes that simply pull you in and help make the experience better. Even the grassy Rainbow Path can boast lush detail that would make Green Greens, well, green with envy. Candy Constellation's mystical space backdrop gives the pitch-perfect feeling of nearing that epic engame. Other levels all have artistic themes that few other games in the series can hold a candle to.
Musically, Amazing Mirror has a few lessons it needs to take. While some of the tunes are really catchy, I personally can't even remember most of the music I listened to while playing the game, and it's a bad sign if the music of a game isn't memorable at all. Overall, it's a bit hit or miss, but Kirby fans shouldn't be disappointed by the soundtrack, although it is a little lacking. One stage might have an addicting beat but the next you might yourself yawning through because the music is a "been there, done that" affair.
Sound effects thankfully are perfectly Kirby, to the end. All the sound effects have great pop and flair. Standard beeps and boops such as when Kirby spits out something, uses the Beam or Laser attack, etc. all form a delightful harmony of destruction in your quest for the mirror's shards. It's simply too bad they're outright recycle from Nightmare in Dream Land without any sort of upgrade in quality, as the sound effects indeed sound like something from an older GBA game.
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror has a few faults, namely in the frustrating level design and the lack of a more solid soundtrack, but Amazing Mirror is still an enjoyable game, and if you've played other Kirby games and enjoyed them, Amazing Mirror is still worth a shot. But if you're not fond of games that require you to find where you need to go next, especially in the form of a 2D platformer, you might want to take a pass on this.
Score Breakdown:
Gameplay - 7/10
Presentation - 8/10
Graphics - 9/10
Sound - 7/10
Tilt - 8/10
Pros and Cons:
+Vibrant visuals and familiar, memorable sound effects that make Kirby the series it is
+Using the cell phone is a neat way to get some in-level assistance on an otherwise frustrating area
+Fun and varied power-ups and areas that help the world of Amazing Mirror come to life
-Although decent, soundtrack is forgettable
-Maze-like level design can turn off players, and is sometimes frustrating to navigate
-Many aspects of gameplay outright recycled from Nightmare in Dream Land
Amazing Mirror is worth looking at if you played Nightmare in Dream Land and enjoyed it. If you either didn't play it or you didn't enjoy it, chances are you might not love Amazing Mirror as much as the next person. Amazing Mirror tries to be a lengthier game through maze-like level design, so it's bound to capture some players and just outright frustrate others. In the end, though, Amazing Mirror is a solid game that provides a light, fun experience.