Kirby is just one of those iconic Nintendo characters that consistently gets put in awesome games (especially in the 90’s)! My first game was Kirby on Gameboy, then Kirby’s Adventure on Nintendo, and during the 16-bit era I got to enjoy him in this gem of a game…but I never owned it until recently and played through it with my brother.

In terms of gameplay, this is a platform game where you run, jump, and fly your way through stages, but it is made unique by its game-within-a-game approach that diversifies the experiences that can be had. When the player first gets into the game, a selection screen is preseneted (seen above) where the player selects one of five games to play. As the introductory games such as Spring Breeze or Dinoblade are completed, more challenging games such as Revenge of Meta Knight and Milky Way Wishes are unlocked to the player. There are 8 games in all. I really enjoyed this progression because while the early games are easy and short, they prepare the player for the challenges ahead.

In terms of game mechanics, Kirby has more powers than ever to help him on his quest to save dreamland (or the entire galaxy)! You can get powers such as ice, fire, lighting, fighting, tire, stone, mirror, sword, and my all-time favourite Yo-Yo! This variety makes Kirby standout even among the other Kirby titles. The addition of a 2-player cooperative mode where Kirby can sacrifice his own power to create a helper that player 2 can control just adds a whole new layer of fun. The developers don’t stop there though – they also synergies the two-player mode with the available powers in the game to make some truly unique gameplay opportunities such as having Yo-Yo Kirby (controlled by player 1) riding a helper Tire like a motorcycle (controlled by player 2)!

The level design in the game is great as well with lots of variety ranging from classic nature levels to high-tech airships! The developers also sprinkled secret doors throughout which make exploring each level fun and rewarding. I was slightly disappointed with boss fights though which I found quite simple and did not require extensive strategy. In terms of graphics, this game is cute and colourful with great special effects. Sound is excellent and upbeat which is appropriate for this type of game.

Besides the main adventures such as Spring Breeze and Revenge of Meta Knight where Kirby aims to get to the end of the level, Kirby Super Star also offers a variety of other experiences such as The Great Cave Offensive where the goal is collecting treasures and exploring the mine. There are also some fun two-player mini-games like samurai quick-draw but they really only hold attention for a few minutes and have very little depth.

In summary, Kirby Super Star might just be the best Kirby game ever made because of its awesome selection of powers, variety of different game types, and fun 2-player cooperative mode. Compared to other platform games it’s simple, short, and has uninteresting bosses. Nevertheless, this is the type of game (like MegaMan 2 or Mario 3) where you can just replay it over and over because the goal really isn’t to beat the game – it’s to hang out and game with you family and friends! Final score of 9/10.

FINAL SCORE: 9/10