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Pleasant Dreams: The Welcoming Play of Kirby's Dream Land
Games are ruthless things, designed to be overcome. They are mountains to be scaled. Opponents to be fought. Foes to be stomped.
But do they have to be?
Kirby's Dream Land seems like an easy, unassuming game, but is a title that upended what the medium was about. It was an experience built so that all players would feel welcome in gaming, designed to teach people how to play and how to enjoy their time within the world of games regardless of skill level. It turned up its nose at the perception that games had to be hard to be valuable, instead showing the power to be found in allowing all to feel the joy of playing games.
Pleasant Dreams: The Welcoming Play of Kirby's Dream Land offers an unofficial in-depth analysis of the elements of Kirby's Dream Land's design that opened it up to players who might not be traditionally "skilled" at games, as well as the writer's own story of finally feeling like games were something he could enjoy. Peppered with discussions and fond memories from developers and game journalists who grew up with Kirby, it looks to examine the attitudes around difficulty in games, the elements that made Kirby's Dream Land more than just an "easy" game, and how accepting yourself (with help from a cheerful puffball) can help you finally find the ability to grow.
But do they have to be?
Kirby's Dream Land seems like an easy, unassuming game, but is a title that upended what the medium was about. It was an experience built so that all players would feel welcome in gaming, designed to teach people how to play and how to enjoy their time within the world of games regardless of skill level. It turned up its nose at the perception that games had to be hard to be valuable, instead showing the power to be found in allowing all to feel the joy of playing games.
Pleasant Dreams: The Welcoming Play of Kirby's Dream Land offers an unofficial in-depth analysis of the elements of Kirby's Dream Land's design that opened it up to players who might not be traditionally "skilled" at games, as well as the writer's own story of finally feeling like games were something he could enjoy. Peppered with discussions and fond memories from developers and game journalists who grew up with Kirby, it looks to examine the attitudes around difficulty in games, the elements that made Kirby's Dream Land more than just an "easy" game, and how accepting yourself (with help from a cheerful puffball) can help you finally find the ability to grow.
- GenresVideo Games
94 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2019
1 person is currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 14, 2024
I came into this book really wanting to like it. Kirby's Dream Land was the first game I owned, and I've always had a fondness for it. I also really enjoy game analysis through a personal lens. So, I really wish I liked this book more.
There are some good ideas here about the myriad ways that Kirby's Dream Land works to ease players in and build their confidence and competency in the mechanics. Unfortunately, the book is weighed down by its repetitive, unfocused writing. It needed an editor with a much heavier hand.
Throughout the book there are many whole paragraphs that could be excised without losing anything, and it would be stronger and more focused as a result. Nowhere is this more true than chapter 7, on the appearance of Kirby. It could be cut down to a quarter of its length and be better for it.
Some of the book's larger conclusions about the size of Kirby's Dream Land's impact on the games industry, and the uniqueness of its game design and presentation at its release, really overstate the strength of its arguments. The book is at its best when it is working at the personal level and not projecting it out quite as far as it tries to.
If Goodreads had half/quarter stars like Storygraph this would be a 2.5. Before I started writing this I was planning to say 2.5 and rounded up to 3 for Goodreads, but after laying it out in writing I think it is more honest for me to round down to 2.
If it was severely edited down, or if much less of its current length was spent restating and re-restating things in slightly different ways, this could have been a pretty cool little examination of Kirby's Dream Land with an interesting personal lens. As-is, it is unable to escape the gravity of its excess.
There are some good ideas here about the myriad ways that Kirby's Dream Land works to ease players in and build their confidence and competency in the mechanics. Unfortunately, the book is weighed down by its repetitive, unfocused writing. It needed an editor with a much heavier hand.
Throughout the book there are many whole paragraphs that could be excised without losing anything, and it would be stronger and more focused as a result. Nowhere is this more true than chapter 7, on the appearance of Kirby. It could be cut down to a quarter of its length and be better for it.
Some of the book's larger conclusions about the size of Kirby's Dream Land's impact on the games industry, and the uniqueness of its game design and presentation at its release, really overstate the strength of its arguments. The book is at its best when it is working at the personal level and not projecting it out quite as far as it tries to.
If Goodreads had half/quarter stars like Storygraph this would be a 2.5. Before I started writing this I was planning to say 2.5 and rounded up to 3 for Goodreads, but after laying it out in writing I think it is more honest for me to round down to 2.
If it was severely edited down, or if much less of its current length was spent restating and re-restating things in slightly different ways, this could have been a pretty cool little examination of Kirby's Dream Land with an interesting personal lens. As-is, it is unable to escape the gravity of its excess.
January 9, 2021
This was an interesting read and the author makes compelling arguments for Kirby's Dreamland being a great introductory game for learning the ropes of video game mechanics. Unfortunately a third or more of this book is incredibly repetitive, essentially making the same arguments/suggestions using slight variations of a handful of examples. Its not a bad read but could be half the length without losing anything.
May 11, 2021
The book is excellent at outline the struggles of being self-aware enough that you are bad at something, but not confident enough to improve. Or maybe you just lack the skills in general and things aren't approachable for you.
As a kid, I had sub-par reading comprehension skills. Not learning disability level, just underperforming. This affected my performance and I've never really been the biggest fan of reading unless pictures (i.e. comics) were included. This book captures that feeling, but also with video games and anecdotes about team sports. As a five year old in my brother's shadow, I was terrible at everything compared to him, and shared almost identical feelings to Joel.
However, Joel makes the same points several times and it become repetitive. Fortunately, the book is fairly short, I just wish it had been edited down a bit more or included more about the actual development of the game.
Would I recommend this book to people who loved Kirby for the GameBoy? Yes.
Would I recommend it to a gamer who didn't grow up on it? Probably not.
Did I enjoy it? Definitely, but it may have been less about the game and more about acknowledging that I probably bullied myself more than others bullied me.
As a kid, I had sub-par reading comprehension skills. Not learning disability level, just underperforming. This affected my performance and I've never really been the biggest fan of reading unless pictures (i.e. comics) were included. This book captures that feeling, but also with video games and anecdotes about team sports. As a five year old in my brother's shadow, I was terrible at everything compared to him, and shared almost identical feelings to Joel.
However, Joel makes the same points several times and it become repetitive. Fortunately, the book is fairly short, I just wish it had been edited down a bit more or included more about the actual development of the game.
Would I recommend this book to people who loved Kirby for the GameBoy? Yes.
Would I recommend it to a gamer who didn't grow up on it? Probably not.
Did I enjoy it? Definitely, but it may have been less about the game and more about acknowledging that I probably bullied myself more than others bullied me.
April 13, 2022
An analysis of Kirby's Dream Land that explores how it welcomes newcomers to action-platformer games, teaching them the skills of the genre in a safe and inviting environment. This got me to go back and play Dream Land, which I skipped when I played the Kirby back catalog after falling in love with the series as an adult--I assumed Gameboy B&W wouldn't have the right Kirby vibe but I was totally wrong, and Couture nails the reasons it's a great game: the atmosphere, the controls, the difficulty curve, even the short and sweet length.
There's a lot to love in this game, and a lot of love in this book; I share the author's opinions on the value of "wholesome" games, both as entry points and for the ethos they bring to medium. But the writing is … rough. It's casual, which is fine, this is a personal book; but it's also ridiculously redundant. This should have been a 40 page chapbook. Recommended in spirit! … but in practice: skim it.
There's a lot to love in this game, and a lot of love in this book; I share the author's opinions on the value of "wholesome" games, both as entry points and for the ethos they bring to medium. But the writing is … rough. It's casual, which is fine, this is a personal book; but it's also ridiculously redundant. This should have been a 40 page chapbook. Recommended in spirit! … but in practice: skim it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews