Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe 3DS review: Kirby's antagonist has good rhythm - but not enough songs

3DS; Nintendo eShop; £6.29

King Dedede is one of the lesser known stars in Nintendo’s roster of enigmatic characters. Fans might recognise him as one of the antagonists from his native series, Kirby, though perhaps more will be familiar with his outings in the ever popular Smash Bros games. Either way this is one of the few chances the mischievous penguin has had to be the star of the show, and it takes the form of a rhythm action game with platformer elements.

The gameplay will be immediately familiar to anyone that delved into Kirby: Triple Deluxe on the 3DS, where the same foot tapping rhythm action was available within a sub-game. Now getting a fully fledged eShop expansion, the title sees you bouncing your way through a dozen or so tracks. Controlling Dedede, you bounce him across a field of drums, controlling your jump height and timing your landings to fit in with the music, all while avoiding enemies and collecting coins. After each level you get to jam with your replay, adding further musical notes to your efforts, a feature that would have worked better had it allowed you to share or save your best results.

The graphics are typically bright and colourful, the classic Nintendo polish is clear to see. The music as a whole is a cheery affair, tracks will be most familiar to those dedicated Kirby fans, although I’d argue there’s perhaps not quite enough of them. Blasting through the levels, you can be seeing the end credits within half an hour, then unlocking a further few reworked tracks, it doesn’t take long to see all the game has to offer.

Nintendo relies on players wanting to master their top scores and obtain gold medal rankings on every track to provide longevity to the title. Still, despite Kirby not being as famous as his moustachioed Italian colleague, the series has a rich musical history perfect to use in a game like this and so it’s a little disappointing Nintendo didn’t rummage a little deeper to pull out some more tracks from the archive.

It’s a slight title then, but an enjoyable one nonetheless - and the price point and availability make it a nice accompaniment to the main Kirby 3DS outing. Those that love prising every last drop of gameplay out of a title will no doubt get their money’s worth, though I’m sure a few will come away feeling a little short-changed.