There's only so much to say about a pink sphere that inhales enemies, yet Nintendo manages to find new ways to make Kirby suck -- without actually making bad games. In this case, the popular SNES title Kirby Super Star, which many consider the best in the series, has been given a facelift, and it shines on the Nintendo handheld with new graphics and some great-looking cut-scenes. Kirby Super Star Ultra isn't a long linear adventure, but a collection of eight short chapters and three mini-games that support multiplayer via DS Download Play.
At E3 we had a chance to play the first chapter of the game, "Spring Breeze," a collection of short levels that feature all the moves from classic Kirby titles. Our pink hero had to go after King Dedede, who had stolen all the food in Dream Land. There were several other enemies to fight before the final showdown with the king, including some of the best-known creatures from the series. At the end of the first stage we had to beat the giant apple tree by inhaling apples and spitting them at the right time, an activity that felt absolutely familiar. Smaller creatures can be inhaled and spit immediately afterward as stars, but fans know that the best strategy is to copy the enemies' abilities and use them against other opponents.
Most of the action happens on the top screen, while the bottom is left for information such as stats, points and health. In addition to his classic moves, Kirby can also use his copy ability to create Helpers. These creatures have the features of defeated enemies and will fight on Kirby's side until their health bar is empty. Helpers are AI-controlled, but a second player can take over and fight alongside the main hero. Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to try this feature at the time we played the game.
"Spring Breeze" was labeled as an easy chapter, and in fact it wasn't hard to complete, but some of the later sections of the game should feature a higher level of challenge and completely different gameplay. Classic enemies such as Meta Knight will make their appearance and other modes will be available. In addition to classics such as "The Great Cave Offensive" and "Milky Way Wishes," the new "Samurai Kirby" and "Meta Knight Ultra" modes should feel more like quick and enjoyable mini-games that will in turn ask players to race, copy special enemies or take part in punching contests.
We checked out two of the three mini-games that will be included in the final version of Kirby Super Star Ultra. Unlike the main modes, which rely on traditional button controls, the mini-games are completely touch-based. In "Kirby on the Draw" we had to shoot at colored cardboard targets by quickly tapping them before they disappeared. In "Kirby Card Swipe" we had to tap the right card as showed on the upper screen before our AI-controlled opponents did it. The mini-games were slightly disappointing, as the tutorials were not very clear and the AI kept beating us for no apparent reason, but players will be able to challenge three friends via DS Download Play in the final version of the game. Kirby Super Star Ultra will be released in September.
