Kirby is making his way to 3DS in North America with Kirby: Triple Deluxe, an all-new game that mixes some fun new game mechanics with the classic Kirby feel. It’s been well received in Japan (especially in our Japanese review from January), and after playing a little bit of it recently at a Nintendo event in New York, I can see why.

Three modes are available to play in Kirby Triple Deluxe. The first is Story Mode, the traditional Kirby adventure where players will spend most of their time. The second, King Dedede’s Drum Dash is a fun mini-game that is just as hard as it is addictive. The third mode is Kirby Fighters, a four-player mode vaguely reminiscent of Smash Bros. that is really satisfying.

Story Mode will keep fans of the franchise happy while still being accessible to newcomers. The story starts off pretty simply, Kirby has a full day of running, fishing and sleeping but the next morning he finds his house has been raised into the clouds by a beanstalk. As he tries to find his friends, King Dedede is kidnapped. With that, Kirby sets off on his adventure.

Once Kirby starts making his way through the levels, the story feels secondary. All of the focus falls on to the fun level design and awesome power ups. The levels have a Kirby 64 feel, though the pace is much quicker. Each stage is on the longer side and hides tons of collectables. It looks like the game will have some solid replay value. With intuitive controls, it is easy to pick up and play.

Most of Kirby’s power-ups are the same as previous installments, but there are a few new ones, two of which I got to toy with. The Archer ability gives Kirby a bow, some arrows, and an archer’s cap. The Archer has several new abilities, including a camouflage move that is flat-out adorable. The other ability - the Hypernova ability - takes center stage in the game. This ability allows a rainbow-colored Kirby to suck up whole pieces of stages revealing new paths, collectables, and Easter eggs.

Collectables are a huge part of Triple Deluxe. The big one are the keychains, which feature sprites of characters and enemies from previous games. From the first sprite of a sleepy Kirby to the final bosses in recent years, there is a fair amount to collect. Players can also give and receive keychains with Street Pass. You also collect Sun Stones to progress through the game, which vary from easy to find for basic progression and hard to find and holding back secrets.

King Dedede’s Drum Beat is a fantastic rhythm-based mini-game. Dedede jumps from platform to platform, collecting coins. It is the player’s job to get Dedede to the end of the stage as fast as possible, while still collecting rings, clapping hands, and staying with the beat. It only has three levels, but they are strangely addictive.

Kirby Fighters feels a lot like Super Smash Bros. in the best way possible. Up to four players choose a single ability (out of 10) and must bring their opponent’s life bar to zero in order to win. But if a player is knocked out, they return as a ghost and can re-enter the game if they land a hit on another player. The mode is a fantastic addition to what looks to be a promising game.

From what little I played, I can honestly say I enjoyed myself. I wasn’t really considering buying Kirby: Triple Deluxe until I played the demo. Kirby: Triple Deluxe looks and feel likes a fantastic game for our favorite pink puffball.