Kirby Planet Robobot on 3DS in Korean version. Kirby in a robot armour that copies enemy powers. Creative, varied and technically impressive. One of the best Kirbys with great replayability.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Description
Kirby commandeers a robotic armour to battle the machines mechanising his planet in this inventive series entry. Published by Nintendo, released in Japan in April 2016. Robobot armour with variable abilities based on absorbed enemies, standard copy abilities, imposing mechanical bosses, multiplayer modes. Japanese edition.
Hoshi no Kirby - Robobo Planet review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Tangy roundness and gleaming robotic armour coexist in a colourful world of perfect readability. The contrast between Kirby's softness and the inventive mechanical design gives a delightful cachet. This graphic perkiness, crisp and warm, showcases all of HAL's visual know-how.
Raging synths and rock surges charge Kirby's mechanised adventure, piling up frenzied remixes of cult themes. The music takes off during boss fights, elevating the action with a galvanising energy. This nervy, inventive soundtrack surprises with its power, where one expected only pink sweetness.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Swallowing an enemy to copy its power was no longer enough: here a robotic armour reshuffles the deck and multiplies the ways to tackle each stage. The handling stays exemplary in its gentleness, while the level design slips in a thousand ideas without ever punishing. Accessible yet never hollow, this platformer still delights children and veterans alike.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Inhaling an enemy to steal its power is already a joy, but climbing into a robot armour that copies abilities changes everything: smashing the scenery with a mechanical punch is wildly satisfying. The calm pace and constant inventiveness charm from the very first room. Colourful, clever and accessible, a peak of gentle platforming.
The Japanese edition of Kirby Planet Robobo keeps the original iconography, more expressive than the Western versions and aligned with HAL Laboratory's domestic communication. Its collector value comes from that distinct graphic presentation and from the specific coating used on Japanese Kirby cartridges. A large home print but steady international demand for several years.
Is Hoshi no Kirby - Robobo Planet still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2016 on 3DS and known in the West as Kirby - Planet Robobot, HAL Laboratory's project enriches the platforming formula by giving the pink ball a modular mechanical armour, the Robobot, which copies inhaled powers to amplify them. This inventive mechanic energises colourful levels packed with secrets, on an unexpected theme of industrial invasion. The bright art direction, the cheerful pace and the generous content make it a platformer as accessible as it is clever. The overall easiness remains for veterans. An excellent Kirby entry, recommended for fans of charming and inventive platforming for all ages.
