A new spin on crazy golf

Kirby much like our friend Mario has never been afraid to offer his own take on another genre. In this case the world renowned sport of mini golf. Unlike other pitch and putt games like EA’s Zany Golf on the Mega Drive / Genesis, Kirby has a few tricks up his sleeve. To destroy enemies in your path you roll into them rather than sucking them up. Predictably you can steal their special abilities like umbrella, spike-ball, rock, etc. Yes folks, this is the Kirby we know and love.

The isometric view works really well and still looks great even today. The different levels all have their own look and there is lots of variety. The gameplay isn’t shallow either. Factors like what spot you hit Kirby, force, angle, obstacles and the enemies all have to be taken into consideration. There is a handy zoom function to help you plan your stroke but this game is no pushover. Like most things with a bit of practice you can progress through the many courses.

Every shot you attempt eats up one of Kirby's four hit points, and if Kirby runs out of hit points or flies out of bounds, you'll lose one of your three lives. You recover one hit point by knocking away certain enemies and by sinking Kirby into the hole, so there's quite a lot of incentive to eliminate the bad guys, as well as finish the hole in as few shots as possible. But doing so is no small accomplishment because the size and layout of each hole make it easy to quickly run out of hit points

The 2 player mode is a fun addition to the game. It’s a race to get the bonus stars and sink Kirby into the cup. The added element of strategy is that you can attack your opponent with the stolen powers to snag the victory. Priceless!