Kirby Super Star

Kirby Super Star,[lower-alpha 1] released as Kirby's Fun Pak in PAL regions, is a 1996 platforming video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, part of the Kirby series of platforming video games by HAL Laboratory. The game was advertised as featuring eight games: seven short subsections with the same basic gameplay, and two minigames.

Kirby Super Star
Developer(s)HAL Laboratory
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Masahiro Sakurai
Producer(s)Satoru Iwata
Shigeru Miyamoto
Designer(s)Tsuyoshi Wakayama
Programmer(s)Shigenobu Kasai
Composer(s)Jun Ishikawa
SeriesKirby
Platform(s)Super NES
Release
  • JP: March 21, 1996
  • NA: September 20, 1996
  • PAL: January 23, 1997
Genre(s)Action, platforming
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The game was later released for the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles. An enhanced remake titled Kirby Super Star Ultra was released for the Nintendo DS in 2008 and 2009.[1] Nintendo re-released Kirby Super Star in Japan, the United States and Europe in September 2017 as part of the company's Super NES Classic Edition.[2] The game was released on the Nintendo Switch Online service on December 12, 2019.

Gameplay
See also: Overview of the Kirby series

Kirby Super Star is a side-scrolling platform game. Similar to previous entries in the Kirby series, the player controls Kirby to complete various levels while avoiding obstacles and enemies. Kirby can walk or run, jump, swim, crouch, slide, and inhale enemies or objects to spit them out as bullets. He can fly for a limited time by inflating himself; while flying, Kirby cannot attack or use his other abilities, though he can release a weak puff of air. By eating certain enemies, Kirby can gain copy abilities, power-ups allowing him to take on the properties the enemy possessed. In Kirby Super Star, Kirby gains the ability to guard so he can defend himself from weak attacks.

If Kirby uses a copy ability, he can produce a Helper, a character that can be controlled automatically or by another player. Like Kirby, Helpers can float continuously, but can only use the copy ability they were based on. The player can also grant the Helper a different form or revert them into a power-up in an emergency. The player characters lose health if they are hit by enemies or hazards. If the Helper loses all their health, there is a short time for Kirby to grant it a new power before it disappears. If Kirby loses all of his health, the player will lose a life. Health can be replenished by eating food scattered across levels. Losing all lives results in a game over.

Game modes
Cutter Kirby and Rocky, fighting Dyna Blade in the unlockable game The Arena.

Kirby Super Star is split into seven smaller games, six primary and one supplemental, in addition to two minigames. While most retain the same game mechanics, they have different stories and objectives. Some games must be unlocked by playing others, and all must be finished to complete the game.

  • Spring Breeze: a remake of the first Kirby game, Kirby's Dream Land (1992), with the gameplay enhancements of Kirby Super Star. Kirby must make his way to a castle to challenge King Dedede, who has stolen food from the citizens of Dream Land. Several levels from the original have been merged, while some boss fights were cut.
  • Dyna Blade: Kirby must stop Dyna Blade, a giant bird, from disturbing Dream Land's crops. The mode consists of four levels that the player must clear before facing off against Dyna Blade. There are also two secret areas and a mini-boss that moves across the world map.
  • Gourmet Race: a racing game in which Kirby races King Dedede while eating as much food as possible. It takes place across three levels of varying length; whoever earns the most points by the end of all levels wins, with bonus points awarded to the first to finish each race. Players can choose to race either King Dedede or a "ghost" (the player's best attempt at the race), or simply race alone for the fastest time.
  • The Great Cave Offensive: a Metroidvania adventure that sees Kirby explore a cave for treasure. 60 treasure chests are hidden across four areas. Some treasures reference other Nintendo franchises, such as the Triforce (The Legend of Zelda), Captain Falcon's helmet (F-Zero), and Mr. Saturn (EarthBound); others reference valuable items that appear in role-playing video games, such as Orichalcum.
  • Revenge of Meta Knight: a story-driven mode chronicling Kirby's efforts to stop Meta Knight, who attempts to take over Dream Land and end the inhabitants' lazy lifestyle by invading in his signature airship, the Battleship Halberd. Each level has a time limit, and Kirby will lose a life if the player does not finish in time. The Halberd takes damage after every level, and a meter at the bottom of the screen shows the ship's status. The player fights numerous bosses, and the mode culminates in a chase to escape the falling Halberd.
  • Milky Way Wishes: the largest mode in the game. Because the Sun and Moon around planet Popstar are fighting, a jester-like creature named Marx tells Kirby he must travel across nine planets and restore the giant wish-granting comet-clock Nova. Unlike the other modes, Kirby cannot use copy abilities; instead, he collects "Copy Essence Deluxes". Once in Kirby's possession, they allow the player to select a copy ability from a list and are kept permanently. The mode also features scrolling shooter levels. In the end, Marx—who masterminded the conflict—wishes to Nova to control Popstar, but Kirby stops him.
  • The Arena: a boss attack mode that challenges the player to fight every boss in the game with only one life and a free selection of power-up at the start of the game. The player can replenish their health up to five times total between rounds, and are granted two power-ups at random. Completing The Arena unlocks a sound test.
  • Sub-games: two minigames that can be played single-player or multiplayer. They include Samurai Kirby, a timing game reminiscent of a minigame from Kirby's Adventure (1993), and Megaton Punch, where players must punch a planet to make a bigger crack than their opponent.

Development
Development on Kirby Super Star lasted longer than usual for the era, and as a result it released late in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System's (pictured) life cycle.

Kirby Super Star was developed in Japan by HAL Laboratory[3] and directed by Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai. It was the third Kirby game he directed, following Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby's Adventure.[4] Although a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) title, the Kirby Super Star prototype was developed for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. According to Sakurai, although the prototype was for internal use only, it was almost complete and some of Kirby's animations were nearly identical in the final game. The prototype was used to test out ideas before implementing them in the final product; Sakurai said having the game operating on an internal build made it easier to develop ideas.[5] HAL president Satoru Iwata had little involvement with the game, and left development under Sakurai's supervision.[4]

For Kirby Super Star, Sakurai "had three pillars in mind. One was two-player cooperative gameplay and another was including actions similar to those in fighting games. The third was an omnibus format."[4] The addition of cooperative gameplay was something Shigeru Miyamoto requested. While Sakurai knew a SNES Kirby game would mean bigger, more detailed characters and graphics, he wanted to hear from Miyamoto before thinking about the foundation and other important aspects. Sakurai and Iwata traveled to Kyoto; there, Miyamoto told them he wanted cooperative gameplay, something uncommon in side-scrolling platform games. Miyamoto had dreamed of creating a cooperative game in his Super Mario franchise for many years, but was unable to until New Super Mario Bros. Wii in 2009 because of how fast the series' gameplay is. Kirby, on the other hand, is slower-paced, so Miyamoto figured it would be possible. Sakurai thought about it and came up with the idea to have a main player and an assisting one; this led to the conception of Helpers, which he thought opened the door for inexperienced players.[4]

As for including fighting game-like moves, Sakurai made enemies stronger. He did this because "[t]he main player would simply hurl blades and lay waste to opponents while the Helper just watched."[4] Additionally, he expanded copy abilities' possibilities so players could perform multiple actions by pressing the same button, similar to fighting games.[4] The game was also the first in the series in which Kirby's appearance changed depending on his copy ability. The omnibus format was chosen because Sakurai noted most SNES and some NES games were of considerable length, and prices were high. Kirby Super Star served as "the antithesis to that trend," with Sakurai hoping to create sections with different stories and gameplay that appealed to both experienced and inexperienced players.[4][6] Spring Breeze, a remake of Kirby's Dream Land, was designed for beginners and is thus Super Star's first mode. The title is a quote from the Dream Land manual that "describe[s] Kirby as a youth who came with the spring breeze," and was chosen to signify its simplicity.[4] Originally, Sakurai was going to remove copy abilities to remain faithful to the original game while teaching beginners how to play, but ultimately did not.[4]

Development lasted three years, longer than usual for the era. This was partially due to the influence Rare's Donkey Kong Country (1994), a game that incorporated CG graphics. Sakurai was certain using CG would be beneficial, so the team redid the artwork about halfway through development. HAL's development schedule also lengthened development. Sakurai planned to include an additional game mode, Kagero Mansion, which was discarded due to time constraints. Kagero Mansion was a horror game with an emphasis on action and puzzle elements; it saw Kirby stuck in a mansion and unable to inhale.[4] HAL also planned to add a move that allowed Kirby to create an explosion from guarding, but cut the idea.[6]

Kirby Super Star was one of the last SNES games, released just three months before the launch of the system's successor, the Nintendo 64.[4] Publisher Nintendo released the game in Japan on March 21, 1996,[7] in North America on September 20, 1996,[8] and in Europe on January 23, 1997.[9] In Japan, the title is Kirby of the Stars: Super Deluxe,[4] while in Europe, it is Kirby's Fun Pak.[9] Its working title was Kirby of the Stars: Active, which "suggest[ed] that the game was more proactive and had more active gameplay."[4] Mother series creator Shigesato Itoi came up with the final title, which Sakurai said "convey[s] how rich it is in content".[4] The Japanese packaging was designed to resemble a Paulownia box, an idea that originated from Itoi. This was because expensive sake and silverware is often sold in Paulownia boxes, and the team thought the game was special.[4][6]

Rereleases

Kirby Super Star was rereleased on the Wii and Wii U via Nintendo's Virtual Console, a digital distribution service. The Wii version was released in Japan in October 2009 and in the West in May 2010, and the Wii U version was released worldwide in May 2013.[3] The game was also included in Kirby's Dream Collection (2012), a 20th anniversary compilation of Kirby titles for the Wii.[10]

Kirby Super Star Ultra

Kirby Super Star Ultra, known in Japan as Kirby of the Stars: Ultra Super Deluxe,[lower-alpha 2] is a remake of Kirby Super Star for the Nintendo DS, developed to commemorate the series' 15th anniversary.[11] Kirby Super Star Ultra retains all game modes found in the original,[12] but adds four new ones:[11] Revenge of the King, a more difficult version of Spring Breeze; Meta Knightmare Ultra, which allows the player to traverse levels as Meta Knight; Helper to Hero, in which the player controls Helpers and fights bosses; and True Arena, an updated version of The Arena.[13] It also includes three new minigames, integration of the DS touchscreen, wireless multiplayer for up to four players via DS Download Play, enhanced graphics and audio, and full-motion video cutscenes.[11][13]

HAL's Shinya Kumazaki directed Super Star Ultra. It was originally called Super Deluxe Plus, but was retitled after producer Masayoshi Tanimura requested that the team provide fan service that exceeded customer expectations. The team's goal was to retain all modes from the SNES original; despite the game's considerable size, Kumazaki believed he could not remove anything due to fans' hopes. Adjustments were made for new players, while HAL managed to retain multiplayer through the DS's wireless functionality.[12] Some developers thought the game changed so much it could be considered a new product.[11][12] The packaging was designed with a coat of glitter to retain the sense of luxury the Paulownia box design gave to the original, as project coordinator Mari Shirakawa felt Paulownia would not appeal to children.[12] Kirby Super Star Ultra was released in North America on September 29, 2008, in Japan on November 6, 2008, and in Europe on December 18, 2009.[14]

Reception
Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DSSNESWii
1Up.comA−[15]N/AN/A
Destructoid8.5/10[16]N/AN/A
EGMN/A8.625/10[17]N/A
Eurogamer6/10[18]N/AN/A
Famitsu32/40[19]N/AN/A
Game Informer7/10[20]7.25/10[21]N/A
GameRevolutionB−[22]N/AN/A
GameZone7.7/10[23]N/AN/A
IGN(AU) 8.3/10[24]
(US) 7.9/10[25]		N/A8.5/10[26]
Nintendo LifeN/AN/A9/10[27]
Nintendo Power9/10[28]N/AN/A
411Mania9/10[29]N/AN/A
Aggregate scores
GameRankings80%[30]86%[31]N/A
Metacritic76/100[32]N/AN/A

Kirby Super Star was both a critical and commercial success, selling over one million copies in Japan.[33] It received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings,[31] and is widely regarded as one of the best games of the franchise.[34] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly applauded the large amount of content, simultaneous two-player mode, graphics, and Kirby's power-absorbing ability.[17] Captain Cameron of GamePro gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 in sound, control, and FunFactor, and a 4.5 out of 5 in graphics. He commented that "The perfect execution of the varied controls leads to simple-but-charming fun."[35] Reviewing the Virtual Console release, Nintendo Life praised the "impressive" musical score and "colorful" visuals.[27]

Kirby Super Star Ultra received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[32] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 32 out of 40.[19] 1UP praised the game for its multiplayer and described it as "excellent", but noted that it was not very difficult and the level design was not as intricate as in the Mario series.[15] IGN's Craig Harris said that, while fun, the game is "a bit on the easy side".[25]

Electronic Gaming Monthly named Kirby Super Star a runner-up for Side-Scrolling Game of the Year (behind Guardian Heroes).[36]

On December 11, 2008, Super Star Ultra became a Famitsu Gold title.[37] As of January 11, 2009, Kirby Super Star Ultra has sold 1,021,000 copies in Japan.[38] It was also the ninth best-selling game of Japan in 2008.[39] As of December 2008, it was the fifth best-selling Nintendo DS game in the U.S.[40]

Legacy

Many of the music tracks in Kirby Super Star have been remixed in various games, such as the Super Smash Bros. series; the Nintendo 64 game, for instance, had a new version of the Gourmet Race theme as Kirby's theme song.

Kirby Super Star was made available on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on October 13, 2009, in North America on May 17, 2010 and in the PAL region on May 28, 2010. The Wii U Virtual Console version was released in Japan on May 1, 2013 and in North America and Europe on May 23, 2013. When released in Europe for the Wii U Virtual Console, the North American version was included instead of the European version. It was also one of the games included in Kirby's Dream Collection, which was released for the Wii in celebration of the series' 20th anniversary.

Meta Knight's battleship, the Halberd, would reappear in Kirby: Squeak Squad, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Kirby: Planet Robobot.

A stage based on The Great Cave Offensive appears in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. In reference to the scope of the mode of the same name, the arena is amongst the largest stages in the game's catalog, and thus supports up to eight players. It features a unique mechanic dubbed the "Danger Zones", stage hazards that instantly KO any fighter whose percentages exceed 100%. The stage was brought back in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The game is also included in the Super NES Classic Edition.

Notes
  1. Released in Japan as Hoshi no Kirby Super Deluxe (星のカービィスーパーデラックス, Hoshi no Kābī Sūpā Derakkusu, Kirby of the Stars Super Deluxe)
  2. Hoshi no Kirby Ultra Super Deluxe (星のカービィ ウルトラスーパーデラックス, Hoshi no Kābī Urutora Sūpā Derakkusu, lit. "Kirby of the Stars Ultra Super Deluxe")

References
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