27. Kirby's Block Ball (GB)

A first playthrough of Kirby’s Block Ball lasts about three hours — it’ll take most players longer to surmount each world’s benchmark high score and unlock the final world — and there’s replay value to be found in score-making. The classic gameplay of Breakout and the delightful Kirby presentation, music and unique power-ups come together well, even if there can be a tad too much waiting and hoping in later worlds. Still, Block Ball is a decent chunk of entertainment.

26. Kirby Fighters 2 (Switch eShop)

Given that it arrived with practically zero fanfare, Kirby Fighters 2 is a surprisingly brilliant Smash Bros.-style platform fighter spin-off that simplifies its big brother's control system but still offers a healthy amount of depth with its twenty-two-character roster. Its Story mode, in particular, is a clever and compelling way to make each battle feel important, and that mode alone lasts long enough to make it worthwhile for solo and co-op gamers looking for a meaty Kirby experience. Scrappy, but in a good way.

25. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U)

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon: a pleasant roll through a gorgeous world, with some novel concepts, and one of the most beautiful games on the Wii U. However charming the game may be, though, Rainbow Curse is a few strokes from greatness: overly repetitive mechanics, underused ideas, and a failure to integrate its clay theme into gameplay in any meaningful way keep it from reaching the lofty heights its art style promises. Well-crafted, then, but not a masterpiece.

24. Kirby's Dream Course (SNES)

Kirby's Dream Course is an isometric crazy golf-style game starring everyone's favourite marshmallow with feet. The control mechanics are surprisingly deep, and battling through some of the courses can be a real test in skill. It's a cheerful, challenging game — certainly more of a test of skill than many of Kirby's platformers — and with a fun two-player mode it's definitely worth checking out.

23. Kirby Star Allies (Switch)

Kirby Star Allies is a fun, relaxing game that does a good job of showing off what makes the main Kirby series so great. The slow pace, diverse powers, beautiful environments, adorable enemy designs, and light difficulty ensure that this is an enjoyable ride from start to finish. But with that being said, there’s a lingering sense that HAL was a little too keen to play this one safe, and the lack of new ideas may come as a disappointment to series veterans. It's not the Mario Odyssey or Breath Of The Wild of the Kirby series, then, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad game. If you’ve never played a Kirby game before, this is a fantastic place to jump in, but long-time fans will find little to get their pulses racing.

22. Kirby's Pinball Land (GB)

Kirby's Pinball Land isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but it serves up a solid game of digital pinball starring everyone’s favourite pink amorphous ball. It's an experiment that didn't quite come together properly, but it's not without merit and its engine would be used again in Pokémon Pinball for the Game Boy Color. Kirby and pinball seem like a match made in heaven; this isn't quite that, but it’s a fun little mashup that showcased the potential for future Nintendo X pinball crossovers involving Pocket Monsters and intergalactic bounty hunters.

21. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES)

Kirby’s Dream Land 3 is a 16-bit sequel to the two previous Game Boy Dream Land entries, and a game which uses the SNES' extra horsepower to up the ante in every way. The improvement in visuals is a given, but the presentation here gives the sublime Yoshi's Island a run for its money, and there's also multiplayer support. The gameplay might not be the deepest, but Kirby's always got charm to spare and you won't regret giving this one a try.

20. Kirby Squeak Squad (DS)

Arriving just a year after the much-loved Kirby: Canvas Curse, the next DS entry, Kirby Squeak Squad (known as Kirby: Mouse Attack in Europe), suffers from doing little to build upon the tried and tested Kirby formula, and was always destined to be overshadowed by its predecessor. While it may lack originality or a truly captivating new mechanic, Kirby Squeak Squad remains a solid, enjoyable platformer and a worthy — if unremarkable — addition to your Kirby collection.

19. Kirby Mass Attack (DS)

Kirby Mass Attack offers a unique take on the Kirby series with the ability to command up to ten pink puff balls at a time. If you're interested in a downsized and linear title that takes inspiration from the likes of Pikmin, Mass Attack is one to consider. In terms of Kirby's DS adventures, this probably isn't his grandest outing, but it certainly evolved with the times and showed that the developers understood that it took more than gimmicky touch controls to provide an appealing game experience on the portable system. More traditional Kirby outings still reign supreme, but it's definitely an experimental standout in the Kirby canon that has aged surprisingly well.

18. Kirby: Canvas Curse (DS)

Showcasing the touchscreen of its host hardware, Kirby: Canvas Curse was a delight back in 2005 and once again showed how Kirby is one of the most versatile characters in Nintendo's catalogue. Using the stylus to draw lines, create paths and guide our rolling hero around stages to a goal, it was a merry experiment which helped sell then-unique concept to the Nintendo DS.

Going back to Canvas Curse (or Kirby: Power Paintbrush as it was known in PAL regions) all these years later, it arguably doesn't hold up quite as well as you remember. Those touchscreen elements — which once felt so fresh — can feel frustrating, especially when things get frantic. It's still fun, but affection and nostalgia might be helpful in propping up your expectations these days.