Kirby Super Star

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Kirby Super Star (Kirby's Fun Pak in Europe, Hoshi no Kirby Super Deluxe in Japan) is a SNES game in the Kirby series. It was released in the US on September 20, 1996; in Japan on March 21, 1996; and in Europe long afterwards on January 23, 1997. The game is advertised as a Kirby collection with eight games in one cartridge. The first category of games is the platformers - the player starts out with Spring Breeze, Dyna Blade, Gourmet Race and The Great Cave Offensive. After beating either of the first two (not counting Gourmet Race), Revenge of Meta-Knight becomes available, and subsequently Milky Way Wishes is unlocked. After the player beats Milky Way Wishes, The Arena is revealed. The other type of game is the minigame, of which there are only two: Samurai Kirby and Megaton Punch.

This is the first Kirby game that allows Kirby to perform a fairly wide arsenal of attacks with a single copy ability, as opposed to previous games in the Kirby series such as Kirby's Adventure, which only allowed Kirby to do one thing at a time (with the exception of the UFO power). Oddly, Kirby's Dream Land 3 (the next Kirby platform game on the SNES) didn't carry on this aspect of the game; rather, it reverted back to the formula of combining animal friends and single purpose powers that was introduced in Kirby's Dream Land 2. The idea of multiple moves for a single power didn't resurface until Kirby and the Amazing Mirror, which still didn't have the range of moves per power that Kirby Super Star had.

One of the unique features of this Kirby game is the addition of a "helper". The helper is an enemy-turned-friend who follows Kirby around and helps fight other enemies. A second player can use an additional controller to control the helper, making a solo experience into a two-player adventure. The helper also sometimes had abilities that Kirby did not when taken control of by a second player. For instance, if Kirby got a Wheel power and turned it into a helper, Kirby could ride on the helper. Most of the mini-games have two-player modes as well.

This is also the first game in which Kirby wears different hats that represent the powers he acquires. (For instance, the Cutter hat is a pointed helmet, the Yoyo hat is a backwards baseball cap, and the Fighter hat is a red bandana.)

Kirby Super Star is one of the three international SNES games (outside Japan) that uses the SA-1 chip. The other two are and Kirby's Dream Land 3.

Games

The seven platform games are:

• Game 1: Spring Breeze - A beginner's game heavily based on the original Kirby's Dream Land, using Kirby Super Star's gameplay and enhanced graphics. Kirby must make his way to a castle to challenge King Dedede and recapture the food that was stolen from the citizens of Dream Land. Castle Lololo's entire level was removed, resulting in Spring Breeze having one level less than the original Game Boy game. The cameo of Lolo and Lala still exists, however, as a Warp Star makes it to the heart of Castle Lololo. Kaboola, the original boss of Float Islands, is now a much smaller regular enemy who looks like a walking bomb. It appears at several points throughout all the games and grants Kirby the "Crash" ability when swallowed.
• Game 2: Dyna Blade - This game, along with Milky Way Wishes, are the only games in Kirby Super Star to use an overworld map. A giant bird, Dyna Blade, is causing a ruckus and ruining Dream Land's crops, and Kirby must travel to the mountain where it lives to stop it. The game contains two secret levels, which allow Kirby to choose from most of the game's powers. These levels are accessed by finding hidden switches, like in Kirby's Adventure.
• Game 3: Gourmet Race - A race against King Dedede incorporating platform elements. The player has to beat King Dedede to the finish line using any means necessary, including special abilities, while also consuming more food than Dedede along the way.
• Game 4: The Great Cave Offensive - A large game in which the player must collect many treasure chests strewn throughout a mysterious cave. There are many different rooms containing hidden treasure chests with prizes that raise the player's score and completion rate.
• Game 5: Revenge of Meta-Knight - In this game, Kirby attempts to destroy Meta Knight's ship, the 'Halberd', before Meta Knight can take over Dream Land. Throughout the game, the crew comments on Kirby's ongoing destruction of their ship with rising alarm. To complement the hectic pace of this game, each area has a time limit, which will cost Kirby a life if it hits zero.
• Game 6: Milky Way Wishes - This is the last major game (as the "Beginner's Show" tutorial considers so). In this game, the Sun and Moon around planet Popstar are fighting, and Kirby must travel to different planets and defeat the boss at the end of each one in order to reach the giant machine NOVA, who Kirby hopes will help stop the unfortunate quarrel. Unlike the other platform games, Kirby can't copy the abilities of enemies he inhales; instead, he collects "Deluxe Ability Pedestals". These are platforms with abilities on them that, once in Kirby's possession, can be recalled at will. In this way, the player can adapt to most situations by switching to a useful ability, hence it is important to gather as many Deluxe Ability Pedestals as possible. However, it is possible to gain the abilities of other enemies without collecting their respective pedestals by obtaining the "copy" pedestal from a small planet not required to complete the game.
• Game EX: The Arena - An endurance challenge. At the game's beginning, the player starts in a room where any ability may be accessed. From then on, the player must go through nineteen battles with only one life, a couple of random abilities that are offered between battles, and five Maxim Tomatoes which can restore Kirby's health. These battles include sixteen boss battles, two battles against teams of minibosses, and one ridiculously easy, no-resistance battle against a single Waddle Dee, most likely a form of comic relief. The Arena is scored by how long it took the player to win all nineteen battles, making it something of a time attack. Strangely, the miniboss version of Kracko is missing in this game. The first eighteen battles are in random order, but the last is always against Marx, the final boss of Milky Way Wishes. Beating The Arena unlocks a sound test option in the main menu, which can be used to listen to sound effects and music from the game.

Minigames

• Samurai Kirby - A timing minigame, very similar to the Western shootout game in Kirby's Adventure. In the single player mode, there are five progressively harder opponents. Human players are required to quickly react to a symbol that appears on the screen, and the opponent with the lowest response time wins the round. Computer players always respond with set intervals based on the game difficulty chosen and the character the AI represents. Samurai Kirby was brought back as a subgame in .

• Megaton Punch - Another timing minigame. In this game, the player must attempt to perfectly match the peak of an oscillating meter, the superimposition of two floating crosshairs, and the downstroke of a pendulum to the press of a button on the controller. Points are awarded based on the accuracy of the timing. Megaton Punch was later brought back as a subgame in Kirby and the Amazing Mirror.

Trivia

• The Great Cave Offensive includes several items from the Mario universe that can be retrieved. This includes the Turtle Shell (from Super Mario Kart), Kong's Barrel (from Donkey Kong), and the Bucket (from Mario and Wario). It also includes the Triforce (The Legend of Zelda), a Mr. Saturn from EarthBound, Falcon's Helmet from the F-Zero series, the Screw Attack ability from Metroid, the sword Falchion (from Fire Emblem), and many other various "cameo" items.

• Mario characters Mario, Luigi, Toad, Birdo, and some 1-up Mushrooms can be seen in the background of the Megaton Punch mini-game. The final fight with King Dedede in the Spring Breeze also features Princess Peach next to Mario in a similar manner.

• Mario also appears in the ending credits of the Milky Way Wishes mode, decorating the title of Executive Producer Hiroshi Yamauchi.

• When turning to stone with the stone power, there is a small chance of becoming a statue of Samus Aran from the Metroid series, a gold statue of Mario doing the V sign, a statue of Link from the Legend of Zelda series, or a muscular man posing.

• The music played in Save Rooms was remixed for Super Smash Bros. Melee's All-Star Mode, which is similar to The Arena. Also, one of the Gourmet Race songs is used for Kirby's levels in the Smash Bros. series, either in original and orchestated versions.

External links

• [StrategyWiki's Kirby Super Star wiki guide] (formerly hosted by Wikibooks)
• [Kirby Super Star] at MobyGames