Kirby Super Star
Kirby Super Star is a side-scrolling platform game released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It’s the first true Kirby game to make it to the 16-bit Super Nintendo, not including Kirby’s Dream Course, which was more like a Kirby themed golf game. The first three Kirby games made a zigzag motion between being released on the portable Game Boy and the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System, probably confusing anyone that followed the Kirby series up until this point. Kirby Super Star had the misfortune to be released really close to the Nintendo 64’s launch, so the game was mostly overshadowed by the impending launch of a 3D capable console. The Super Nintendo didn’t last very long after the N64’s release, either, and that added insult to injury to Kirby Super Star’s legacy. It’s a terrible shame, because Kirby Super Star is easily the best Kirby game. The bright side is that a lot of people today do acknowledge how good of a game Kirby Super Star is, and Nintendo also acknowledges it by trying to recreate similar experiences.
The box of Kirby Super Star advertises that there are eight games in one, but that’s not entirely accurate. Some of these “games” are mini-games, and some of them are too short to constitute a single game. Despite that, Kirby Super Star is indeed choke-full of content and will provide many hours of entertainment. You’re still getting one of the longest Kirby games ever made, even if it doesn’t quite live up to the advertisement on the box. Not all eight of these games are accessible right from the beginning; you have to unlock the future ones by completing the select few you start out with. There is no overall story to Kirby Super Star, because each individual game has its own miniature story going for it. What’s nice is that there’s a lot of variety here, as each one of the eight games has something different to offer. You can replay any game as many times as you like, and it’s possible to revisit a game right from where you left off. This is doable because every game has its own save files. There are also a number of competitive multiplayer games that are best played with two players, though it’s possible for a single player to enjoy these games against the AI. Kirby Super Star provides an incredible value with all the things you can do in it.
As always, the main thing about Kirby is his ability to copy abilities. If you eat certain enemies, Kirby will steal their power. Eating a knight gives Kirby a sword, swallowing a fiery foe gives Kirby fire powers, and so on. A nice touch new to this game is how each power gives Kirby a unique hat to wear, like how the sword power has him wear a cap similar to Link from the Zelda series. Kirby Super Star differs from past Kirby games in that Copy Abilities are no longer single button attacks; they now come with their own specific set of moves. In the previous Kirby games, something like the fire ability would have Kirby breathe fire when the attack button is pressed, and that’s it. In this one, Fire Kirby can breathe fire, blast off as a fireball, transform into a fiery wheel that rolls along the ground, etc. Sword Kirby can do a dashing stab attack, a regular sword swing, a jumping spin slash, a downward thrust, and some other cool stuff. The pause screen will give you detailed explanations on how to perform all the different moves for the given Copy Ability Kirby has equipped. There’s so much detail jam-packed into every single power that you can practically beat the entire game using only a single one. On top of that, Kirby Super Star adds many new powers not seen in previous Kirby games, culminating in one of the largest sets of abilities in the series.
A major addition to this game that changes everything is the Helper system. Whenever Kirby is equipped with a Copy Ability, he has the option to create a Helper to help him out. Kirby sacrifices whatever Copy Ability he currently has in order to create Helpers, so he must get a new one for himself after giving birth. Helpers will take the shape of the enemy that contains that particular Copy Ability, and they’re controlled by the horrible AI by default. Here’s the kicker: plugging in a second controller allows a real person to take control of whatever Helper is currently following Kirby. Yes, that’s right; this game has cooperative multiplayer. Helpers can do everything Kirby can, except eat other enemies to steal powers. A Helper can be created at any time during any mode, provided Kirby has a Copy Ability, which makes the co-op very flexible. If a Helper takes too much damage and dies, Kirby can simply create a new one. This does have the consequence of ruining the game’s balance a bit, but it’s so enjoyable that it doesn’t matter. Kirby Super Star provides some of the best co-op multiplayer action of any game ever.
Spring Breeze is the name of the first game available to you in Kirby Super Star. The story behind this one is that King Dedede, long-time antagonist of the Kirby series, has stolen all the food in Dream Land. It’s up to Kirby to trounce the gluttonous king and return all of the food to its rightful eaters. For the most part, Spring Breeze is like a remake of the first Kirby game, Kirby’s Dream Land. The levels in Spring Breeze are more or less faithful recreations of the ones from Kirby’s Dream Land, except with the amazing graphics and sound only possible on the Super Nintendo. Another major difference from the original is that Kirby has access to his Copy Abilities, which greatly improves the experience. Like Kirby’s Dream Land, Spring Breeze is rather short. It’s obvious that this first game is meant to ease you into the mechanics of Kirby Super Star with something that is neither long nor challenging. Within Spring Breeze, you’re given a small taste of the Copy Abilities available in Kirby Super Star. That’s cool, because it sets you up for surprises later in the game when you get access to the more sophisticated Copy Abilities.
After finishing the appetizer that is the Spring Breeze, you should get started on the meatier Dyna Blade. This is where the game truly begins. The story now revolves around a giant bird named Dyna Blade that is wreaking havoc on the citizens of Dream Land. As usual, it’s up to Kirby to put a stop to this new menace. The gimmick with Dyna Blade’s story mode is that you have a world map screen similar to Super Mario World. Don’t get too excited, though, because this map screen is nowhere near as big or complex. Like Super Mario World, there are some alternate paths that unlock secret areas on the map. It’s nothing major, but a nifty feature nonetheless. When it comes right down to it, this mode isn’t that much different from Spring Breeze, except it’s longer and more challenging. You also get to see more of Kirby’s Copy Abilities in this one. The climax is the battle with Dyna Blade, which is pretty darn cool. Dyna Blade is huge and very graphically impressive, though unfortunately the fight won’t last long. I do like the ending to the story in this one. It’s cute. The Dyna Blade mode does a good job of showing you more of what the game is capable of, but the best is yet to come in Kirby Super Star.
Gourmet Race is a race. I bet you weren’t expecting that. This one isn’t a full game and is more along the lines of a mini-game. In Gourmet Race, Kirby must race against King Dedede while attempting to eat as much food as possible. There’s no plot to this one; it’s just a friendly race born out of the rivalry between Kirby and King Dedede. The race takes place across three levels, with a score recording how much food each player has eaten. Extra points are awarded for whenever a player gets first place in a race, but simply being first doesn’t guarantee victory. It does provide a huge point advantage, though. You can try to eat enough food to offset any losses, but the best method is to maintain a balance between eating food and winning races; don’t go back to get food, but also try not to miss food. Gourmet Race is fun, but unfortunately, it lacks multiplayer functionality. Oh well, you can’t have everything, I suppose. Gourmet Race provides a nice break in between the action of the other modes, so it’s a welcome addition to Kirby Super Star.
The Great Cave Offensive is the second largest game in Kirby Super Star. It’s also the second greatest. The concept is simple: you explore a giant cave in search of treasure. While the treasures are technically optional, you’re intended to get as many as possible before reaching the end. Treasures are inside treasure chests, and they range from being out in the open to deviously hidden. A treasure chest will often require a puzzle to be solved before you access its juicy contents. As important as the treasures are, they don’t actually do anything. You see the total monetary value of all the treasures you’ve collected in the pause screen, but that’s about it. The true reward lies in the neat descriptions. Almost every treasure is a reference to some other Nintendo game, like the Triforce from Zelda, a barrel from Donkey Kong Country, and a Mr. Saturn from EarthBound. Catching all the little references is pretty fun. Besides, the actual act of collecting the treasures is also fun, and isn’t that what truly counts? As for the title, don’t worry; even though it’s referred to as The Great Cave Offensive, you do explore a lot more than caves in this mode.
Revenge of Meta Knight is all about the enigmatic knight known as Meta Knight. In this one, Meta Knight attempts to conquer Dream Land aboard his giant airship, the Halberd. This mode is longer than Spring Breeze and Dyna Blade, but not as long as The Great Cave Offensive. The thing about Revenge of Meta Knight is that there’s a time limit in every area, giving this one a greater sense of urgency. Meta Knight is on his way to conquer Dream Land, after all, so Kirby needs to stop him in time. The other interesting thing about Revenge of Meta Knight is that it’s a lot more focused on the plot than any of the other games in Kirby Super Star. You’ll frequently get snippets of dialogue from Meta Knight and his crew as you’re playing the game. While the dialogue is never particularly poignant, I do like how it sets up the atmosphere. As Kirby makes his way onto the ship and starts foiling their plans, Meta Knight’s crew will change their dialogue to reflect what’s going on. Also, the sword dual at the end between Meta Knight and Kirby is one of the most awesome things ever. The very end consists of an incredible segment where you ride a motorcycle off the Halberd before it crashes into the sea and explodes. Some of the game’s best music is in here, too.
Milky Way Wishes is the largest and best game you unlock in Kirby Super Star. The story to this mode is that the sun and moon are locked in battle above the planet of Popstar, and Kirby must get them to make peace. A strange fellow named Marx (not Karl Marx) informs Kirby that he should travel the galaxy visiting planets to revive a giant clock entity known as NOVA, which is said to grant any wish. This is easily the most unique mode out of all of them. In this mode, Kirby actually can’t obtain Copy Abilities from his enemies. Instead, Kirby has to locate items hidden throughout the environment that will permanently add a Copy Ability to his arsenal. Yes, you read that right; you get to keep these abilities permanently. You can access a menu at any time to select any of the abilities you currently have in your possession, which is sort of every Kirby player’s dream come true. Admittedly, this completely destroys any semblance of balance the game has, but it’s so much fun that it doesn’t matter. This mode combined with co-op multiplayer is a nirvana of entertainment.
The Arena is where you’ll go for a true challenge, provided you’ve conquered all the other challenges Kirby Super Star has to offer. It’s no secret that Kirby games tend to be easy, and Kirby Super Star is no different, for the most part. That changes with this particular mode. Inside this mode, you are pitted against every major boss of the entire game in an intense endurance match. If you die at any point during this mode, it’s all the way back to the beginning for you. The mode starts off by letting you select any power you want in the game, but after that, you’re on your own. To make things a little fairer, you get to enter a small rest area in between bosses where you may refill on health and change your Copy Abilities. The catch is that you only have a limited amount of life restores and the available Copy Abilities are randomized. Speaking of randomized, the bosses you face are shuffled into a random order. This mode will catch you off guard if you’re expecting it to be as easy as the rest of the game. No individual boss in Kirby Super Star is too tough, but fighting all the bosses with limited health is a very tough challenge. If you’re still itching for more after clearing everything else Kirby Super Star has to offer, then the Arena is for you.
Samurai Kirby and Megaton Punch are competitive mini-games that can be played against the computer or with two players. Samurai Kirby is all about timing; you have to wait for a timer to slowly count down before you press the button. The player that presses the button first wins, but pressing the button before the timer counts all the way down is a penalty. It’s like the Quick Draw mini-game from Kirby’s Adventure. This mini-game isn’t terribly fun against the computer, but it’s enjoyable with a friend. As for Megaton Punch, that one is my personal favorite. The concept here is that there are two opponents that must chop concrete blocks with their bare hands. Each player is rated by how much damage they do, and the one with the biggest damage attains victory. In order to actually smash the blocks, you’ll have to match up a series of meters and such by pressing buttons with the proper timing. Again, this mode is absolutely no fun when up against the computer, but has the potential for being big fun when facing a real human opponent. In all honesty, these short mini-games are a lot more entertaining than they ought to be.
Kirby Super Star brings many new things to the table while refining all of the old things to perfection. The graphics and music are absolutely amazing and both of them have aged incredibly well, Kirby has a ton of Copy Abilities with added depth, the multiple game modes add a huge amount of variety to the experience, and this is one of the best co-op games ever made. Without a shadow of a doubt, Kirby Super Star is the best Kirby game ever released, and it’s one of the best games on the Super Nintendo. No matter how many times you play through this game, it just never gets old. That’s a sign of a timeless classic.
