Kirby Super Star Ultra

"Kirby Super Amazing Deluxe Package of Awesome Ultra!"

12 years ago was the release of a little game called "Kirby Super Star", it was a very creative SNES game with 8 sub games, each of them being vastly different from the previous ones. Kirby Super Star had fun little mini games along with two player co-op so it was the defining moment in the history of the Kirby games, it truly is the best Kirby game even after all this time. Now, after more than a decade this game is being remade into a Nintendo DS game called, "Kirby Super Star Ultra", the remake is suppose to include not only the 8 original subgames but also improved graphics along with four to six new sub games. A lot of fans are pleased by this and this game was been highly anticipated for a while, does this game disappoint? Read on to find out.


Storyline: 7/10. I won't lie, the storyline in the Kirby games have never been the appeal of the games, I mean, this is meant to be a very simple game so it doesn't have an elaborate plot like a Half Life game would. Most of the time the characters don't even talk to one another and the motives for the characters are unknown. The plot is pretty generic with the basic premise being "Bad guy does bad things. Stop him now." But the way the story is presented is adorable and done in a comedic fashion at times so it makes up for any short comings. The plot is short, lackluster, and doesn't give out a lot of information but the way it's presented is sweet so I think people will get a kick out of the different stories.

Graphics: 9/10. When you compare the original SNES game with this DS game, the graphical differences are like night and day. Everything looks infinitely better from the CGI cutscenes to the ingame environment everything looks colorful and vibrant; it's a treat for the eyes. The one flaw is that the CGI cutscenes are in slightly low quality so they don't look as good as a next gen console game would but it still looks pretty darn good and it's a nice change from the sprite based cutscenes that you get from the original Kirby Super Star. When you go to the different worlds from Spring Breeze to Revenge of Meta Knight you'll see a huge change in scenery, everything looks so detailed from the background to even Kirby himself detailing facial expressions. The CGI cutscenes may be a tad blurry but they look amazing along with the different environments you play in; all being detailed as the next.

Sound: 10/10. One of the most exciting things when playing the game was hearing the original soundtrack remixed and in even higher quality. Don't get me wrong, the game's original soundtrack is well intact but they also added in new songs some of which are remixed; it truly is amazing. Original songs from Butter Building, to Revenge of Meta Knight, and King Dedede's theme are still back and in a higher quality from it's SNES counterpart. Well over 100 tracks are included all of which are entertaining and tingles your nostalgic senses so it's definitely worthy of a perfect 10 rating.

Gameplay: 10/10. Here we go with the bread and butter of the game the one aspect of the review that would make or break this. Well, in short, it's astonishing. Not only do you have 16 modes, some of which are classics being returned but you also can play two player co op with a friend for nearly all the modes in the game. Kirby games has always been simple side scrolling platformers that people of all ages could enjoy. My main complaint with the Kirby games has always been that it was too easy; everything could be done on the first try not a lot of challenge were presented and games could be beaten in a matter of hours. This complaint does not apply for this game as it has so many challenges that have the perfect blend of hard but doable. All the modes have different difficulties and the game slowly progresses to being insanely hard that you will probably scream a few times at the pink puff ball. But it's a good sense of challenge, it's not ridiculous or broken and can be achieved and you truly have a sense of accomplishment for beating this game and completing everything in it.

The 16 different modes all have different gameplay elements so you're not doing the same old boring things in each mode. Kirby Super Star Ultra has so much substance and could take you roughly 10 hours to complete the game 100%. This is a vast improvement from previous games where it could literally take you 3 hours to complete everything in a Kirby game e.g. Kirby Squeak Squad. The unlockable modes are a lot of fun, and without spoiling anything, they are more enjoyable than some of the original modes. Plus, with roughly 15 playable characters, you have a lot of substance and depth in this game. My only complaint with the gameplay, and I will remind you that it's a small one, is the lack of new abilities in the game. I know this game is suppose to be a remake but still, that's no excuse to not include some new abilities or ones from the previous game, I would've love to have used some classic abilities such as needle or tornado.

Replayability: 10/10. As I mentioned before this game has a lot of depth and it's definitely a title you will probably play months after purchasing it. Completing the game 100% takes a long time to do and can be quite challenging so you'll be playing every corner of the game to beat it. What's nice about Kirby Super Star Ultra is that it has a little bit of everything; it has great platforming, interesting powers, and even fascinating characters. If you feel like exploring you can play The Great Cave Offensive, if you want to speedrun through the game you can play Meta Knightmare Ultra mode, or if you want just a fast and simple game you can play Spring Breeze. Not to mention being able to play the mini games with a pal is amusing but it's not the main appeal. The mini games are just short add ons and can be entertaining if you want to kill some time but they're pretty short and simple to do. Plus, you and a buddy can play this game co-op even if your friend doesn't have this game; it has DS download play. Even though you can only play the first level it still is a lot of fun.

Overall: 9/10. This game truly is amazing, not only did this game meet my expectations but it shattered them and had so many features and cool add ons it made me feel good about my purchase. Kirby Super Star is an amazing game and its remake Kirby Super Star Ultra is miles better with it's new modes, improved graphics, and playable characters. The game does have its faults and can be a little too easy at times and could have needed some new abilities but even then the complaints are washed away when you look at all the awesome new features included. If you're a long time Kirby fan or if you just want to start playing a Kirby game, then this title is perfect for you. Do yourself a favor and purchase this game, I will go on record to say this is perhaps the best Kirby game to date. You won't regret buying this.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/02/08

Game Release: Kirby Super Star Ultra (US, 09/22/08)