Kirby Super Star

"Kirby's personal best"

I've lost count of the number of times I've played Kirby Super Star. It's just one of those games that I keep coming back to for fun, with or without a second player. I actually bought another SNES controller specifically for 2-player KSS games (my old one wore out).

Variety: 8.5/10
For those of you who aren't sure about the premise, here you go -- KSS is eight games in one. You have to play through a few to unlock the tougher, more unique levels, but there's still plenty of fun to be had.
The games themselves range from one-shot mini games like Samurai Kirby and Megaton Punch to platformers like Dyna Blade and Revenge of MetaKnight. There is also a three-part race against King Dedede to eat as much food as you can before crossing the finish line, and an involved underground treasure hunt that takes hours to beat and features items from other games (Donkey Kong's barrel, Legend of Zelda's Triforce, Earthbound's Mr. Saturn, etc). There are save points, so you're not forced to do it all at once or leave your system on.
Although the eight games are all too weak to carry KSS, the combination of them make for a wonderful experience and a great challenge. None are exactly identical to the ones around it, and a few of them (Milky Way Wishes comes to mind here) have rules of their own. The only thing that would've made this game better would have been the inclusion of a Tetris-style puzzle game.

Gameplay: 9/10
Kirby is smooth, fast, and seamlessly incorporates his many, many learnable skills into the gameplay. Very responsive to controls and all that good stuff. Even without abilities, Kirby has a couple of attack moves that keep him from being completely defenseless.
I had to knock off a point for challenge, because Kirby can fly for as long as he likes without tiring. Long jumps become an exercise in repetition after a few times. However, the game remedies this in most places with obstacles -- spikes in the ceiling, strong winds, flying enemies, etc.
And, of course, there are many, many abilities. On top of the old favorites like Rock, Fire, and Cutter, there are some new ones like Plasma, Yoyo, and Suplex. There are also one-shot abilities like Microphone or Cook that are as amusing as they are useful.

Stories: 5/10
If you were planning on getting this game for the gripping storylines (ha!), keep on looking. Kirby stories were never strong to begin with, and dividing the plot power by eight didn't help things. The first game is Kirby getting his food back after Dedede steals it. The race happens because Dedede reached a new place first and threatens to eat everything before Kirby even gets a taste. The underground treasure hunt happens because Kirby evidently forgot he can fly and fell down a hole, which then mysteriously blocked up.
But still, who cares? The main reason I gave this a 5 was so people didn't get distracted from the fact that this game is one of the best on the SNES.

Graphics: 9/10
Excellent for a SNES game. Even better for a Kirby game. Everything is bright, cute, well-rendered, and makes you want more.

Sound: 9/10
Playing all the way through the game, including the tournament, opens up a sound test. The game includes over 60 melodies and almost 250 different sound effects. That should give you some idea of how much work has gone into KSS to keep it from being the same thing several times over.

Happy Smile Points: 10/10
Anyone who's beaten Computer Virus knows what I'm talking about. ^_^ This is a great game, whether you're alone or with a friend, and works just as well either way. If you find it, buy it. You won't be sorry unless you hate Kirby and everything his games stand for.
But if you do, why did you read this to the end?

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/01/03, Updated 01/01/03