Kirby Super Star

Kirby Super Star
Developer	HAL Laboratory
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Super NES, Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console
Release Date	Super NES JP March 21, 1996 US September 20, 1996 EU January 23, 1997 Wii Virtual Console JP October 13, 2009 US May 17, 2010 EU May 28, 2010 Wii U Virtual Console JP May 1, 2013 US/EU May 23, 2013
Gallery	GH Gallery
Rating	ESRB: E

Kirby Super Star (known in Japan as Hoshi no Kābī Sūpā Derakkusu (Kirby of the Stars: Super Deluxe) and in Europe as Kirby's Fun Pak) is a collection of original Kirby games released for the Super NES. The game has nine games in total which are a mix of platformers and smaller mini games.

Gameplay

Most of the games in the collection are platformers. As in most platformers, Kirby must avoid hazards and defeat enemies. Unlike past Kirby games, Kirby uses a bar rather than capsules to represent health. Kirby's powers were also more versatile, with each power giving Kirby a variety of moves rather than just one.

Perhaps the best feature of the game was the helper. The helper was an enemy turned ally. A second player could control the helper or the computer could control it.

Games

• Spring Breeze
  Spring Breeze is a remake of Kirby's Dream Land using the enhanced gameplay and graphics of Kirby Super Star. Castle Lololo was removed from the game, with Lololo and Lalala becoming the boss of the Float Islands level. Kaboola, the original boss of the Float Islands was removed from the game. Also, the player was not forced to battle all of the bosses again at Mt. Dedede.
• Dyna Blade
  A giant bird is terrorizing the country side and it's up to Kirby to stop it. Dyna Blade in one of two Kirby games that use an overworld map. Hidden in this game are two levels that give Kirby access to also any power.
• Gourmet Race
  Part racing game, part paltformer, Kirby is competing with King Dedede. In Gourmet Race, Kirby must reach the end of each level before King Dedede while eating more food than him. Along the way, there are powers to help Kirby.
• Great Cave Offensive
  In this game, Kirby must try to reach the end of the game while collecting as much treasure as he can. Unlike most Kirby games, there are no "levels"; everything is interconnected. There are 60 treasures in this game. Some of them are nods to other Nintendo franchises including Mario, Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, F-Zero, Fire Emblem, and Earthbound.
• Revenge of Meta Knight
  In Revenge of Meta Knight, Kirby attempts to destroy The Halberd before Meta Knight can take over Dream Land. Unlike most Kirby games, each level of Revenge of Meta Knight has a time limit. Going over the limit will cost a life.
• Milky Way Wishes
  The Sun and Moon are fighting. In order to stop their fighting, Kirby defeats the bosses of various planets in order to reach NOVA, a machine that Kirby believes can solve his problem. Unlike most Kirby games, Kirby can't inhale abilities. Instead, he must collect Deluxe Ability Pedestals. However, once he has an ability, he can recall it at will.
• Samurai Kirby
  Samurai Kirby is a test of reflexes. Like in Kirby's Adventure mini game Quick Draw, the player must hit a button as soon as a symbol appears on screen to defeat their opponent.
• Megaton Punch
  A game of timing, the player must try to hit the A button when an oscillating meter reaches its peak, when two cross hairs cross, and on the downstroke of a pendulum. The closer the player gets, the higher their score. A perfect score will send a crack across Popstar.
• Kirby Card Swipe
  The player has four cards on the bottom screen; one card on the top screen is revealed. The first player to tap the matching card wins the round. The first player to win three rounds wins.
• Kirby on the Draw
  This game is a shoot out. Two players compete with each other by shooting cardboard cut outs in a western setting. The players also have to manage their ammo, reloading when their gun is empty.
• Snack Tracks
  Snack Tracks is the last of the new games added. Nothing has been revealed about it yet.
• The Arena
  The Arena is an endurance test. At the beginning, the player is allowed to choose their weapon, being given the choice of every ability in the game. The player must then fight a series of 21 battles with one life, five Maxim Tomatoes, and a few random abilities. The battles include 16 boss battles, 2 battles against teams of mini bosses, and 1 battle against a single Waddle Dee.

Legacy

This game, specifically The Great Cave Offensive is thought to have been the inspiration for Kirby and the Amazing Mirror. Samurai Kirby was reused in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land; Megaton Punch was reused in Kirby and the Amazing Mirror.

Sequels

Though there was never a Kirby Super Star 2, the next Kirby platformer was Kirby's Dream Land 3.

Ports and Remakes

• An expanded remake of the game was released on the Nintendo DS as Kirby Super Star Ultra.
• Kirby Super Star was released on the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console in 2009 and 2010.
• In 2012, Kirby Super Star was one of the games to be featured in Kirby's Dream Collection, an anniversary compilation of classic Kirby platformers for the Wii.
• In May 2013, it was released for download on the Nintendo Wii U as part of the Wii U Virtual Console.
• In 2017, it was among the games that were included in the Super NES Classic Edition.