If you are a Nintendo fan, then you will know who Kirby is, even if (like me) you have never played one of the many Kirby games. He is a cute little pink puff ball who looks a little like the Pokemon Jigglypuff. Kirby can suck up air in inflate himself, allowing him to float, and can even inhale his enemies. Once inhaled, enemies can be spat back out (causing damage to other enemies), or depending on the enemy Kirby can use his signature copy “ability”, which allows him to take on the characteristic ability of that enemy. Through copying, Kirby can throw bombs, use lasers, and do many more things that he was not born to do.
Kirby Super Star Ultra is a remake of the SNES Kirby Super Star. Like the original, the adventure is a collection of different games, each with their own storyline and connected only by later games which pit Kirby against all previously encountered bosses. The original had seven distinct “games”, while the DS version adds further four games.
Each of the games are platformers, and Kirby’s ability to “double-jump” limitlessly means that one of the required skills of platforming – staying on the platforms – is almost too easy to accomplish. Kirby has a generous life bar too, with food never too far away to replenish energy. Once Kirby has copied an ability, remaining enemies are easily defeated.
Unique to Kirby Super Star and Ultra is the ability for Kirby to relinquish his copied ability and create a “helper” with that ability. The helper follows Kirby onscreen and uses their assigned ability to help Kirby by fighting off his enemies. A quirk to this ability allows players to have almost limitless health because when a helper dies through losing all health (falling into pits doesn’t “hurt” helpers), a new one can be generated with full health regardless of Kirby’s health level at the time. So as long as Kirby can keep finding enemies to copy, he can generate unlimited helpers to do his fighting for him.
As with the original game, a human friend can control the helper instead of the CPU – but this time each player will need their own DS. The first game, Spring Breeze, can be played with only 1 copy of the game, but in order to play the other levels co-operatively, each player will require their own copy of the game. This is understandable, so it is a nice touch that the developers allowed one game to be played with a single card.
Each of the games can be finished in a setting, and there is little incentive to go back to them except to increase high-scores or set faster times in timed games. The whole collection of games isn’t very long either, largely due to the fact that you won’t find yourself dying a lot, and when you do you’ll restart at a convenient checkpoint or be offered unlimited continues if you’ve lost all your lives.
Later games vary the rules up a little. In one game, for example, Kirby keeps any ability he learns, and can change freely between them instead of having to find and inhale the appropriate enemy. Another game is simply a “race to the finish” through an obstacle course. Finally there are the “boss” games where Kirby is pitched against all the bosses met previously in the game collection.
Thrown into the game card are a few touchscreen mini-games which seem to be almost obligatory for any DS game. While uninspiring, at least Kirby fans will be able to play these with other DS owners using a single game card.
Kirby Super Star Ultra is a refined remake of a SNES classic, with enhanced graphics and all new levels for the DS. Thankfully the developers haven’t felt obliged to botch up a classic game by enforcing touchscreen controls as has happened in the past. It is not particularly challenging, but those with a soft spot for Kirby will find it an enjoyable experience, especially if a willing friend also has the game.
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