Kirby Squeak Squad

"So it's not as innovative as Kirby Canvas Curse. SO WHAT?"

Ah, Kirby. The pink puffball warrior of Dreamland, constant thwarter of evil, and one of the coolest video game characters in existence, if not THE coolest. For years, the Kirby series has stood out as being one of the highest-quality platforming franchises on the video gaming market, with outstanding gameplay, graphics, and sound to be found in virtually every entry of the series. Kirby's 2006 DS adventure, Kirby Squeak Squad, is certainly no exception. Although a bit shorter and easier than usual, it hammers the nail right on the head as being a great adventure game and yet another winner for HAL Laboratory's signature series.


-Story-
It all starts when an infamous gang of thieving mice (yes, mice) known as the Squeaks arrive in Dreamland, from the stars. The members of this motley gang are as follows: Daroach, the leader, skilled in magic; Spinni, ninja-like with his battle tactics and very fast on his feet; Storo, big, strong, and able to crash through breakable blocks without even slowing down; Doc, the gang's scientist and inventor of enemy-crushing machines. They come to Dreamland for one reason and one reason alone: to find treasure.

Meanwhile, Kirby is relaxed and happy because he is about to enjoy a nice slice of strawberry shortcake. But before he can eat it, it vanishes right off the plate! Thinking it must be the work of King DeDeDe, he sets off on his quest to get his tasty snack back.

Some people may find this story flimsy, but I like it, and you'll see that there is more to this story than meets the eye as the game progresses.

-8/10-


-Graphics-
As far as 2D graphics go, Kirby Squeak Squad's are total eye-candy; they're smooth, colorful, and detailed in every area. From the dozens of enemies to the beautiful backgrounds to Kirby himself - whose animations stand out as being among the most fluid in the game - to the many bosses and minibosses - including the Squeaks, who also look very impressive - there are virtually no weak spots to be found at all. However, as nice as the graphics are, they look more like high-def Game Boy Advance graphics than DS graphics. But really, who cares?

-9.5/10-


-Sound-
Kirby Squeak Squad rules in the sound category as well. The game has an excellent soundtrack comprised of new and old Kirby tunes alike, and there are hardly any flaws to be found with it. Heck, after playing through the whole game, I had only found one tune that I didn't like very much.

The sound effects are nice and are pretty much what you've come to expect from a Kirby game. Because of the higher capabilities of the DS, the sound is generally cleaner and higher-def than that of the GBA titles before it. For example, the high-pitched noise that accompanies Kirby's signature inhale attack is reminiscent of how it sounds in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the Nintendo GameCube, whereas on the GBA, it was more reminiscent of what you would hear in Kirby Super Star on the SNES. But none of the sound effects go too far with trying to be too realistic and/or too impressive, so none of them feel out of place.

Overall, the sound all comes together very well and never detracts from the game-playing experience. (even that one track I didn't like very much isn't bad enough to detract from the
game)

-9.5/10-


-Gameplay-
Unlike Canvas Curse and The Amazing Mirror before it, Kirby Squeak Squad stays very true to the traditional Kirby formula. Goodbye gigantic mazes and controlling Kirby with the touch screen alone; this is Kirby gone back to his roots for the first time since 2002's Nightmare in Dreamland(and that game was only a remake, but a dang good remake).

Unlike in Canvas Curse, Kirby is his traditional enemy-inhaling, ability-copying self again. There are a whole lot of copy abilities available; many favorite abilities are back, as well as a few new ones. (we'll get to those...) There are a few that are missing, like Stone, but most of the ones that are back have had new moves added. For instance, the Magic ability is no longer just a lottery, and the Laser ability can now be charged. There are also three new abilities; the first one is Animal, which gives Kirby claws for slicing through beds of soft ground and attacking enemies. The second is Metal, which kind of takes the place of Stone; it changes Kirby into a creature made of metal (obviously), allowing him to pound through solid blocks and run through a level without getting hurt by enemies. (however, he is very heavy and slow while using this power) The third and final new power is Bubble, which can turn enemies into Bubble Items, which brings us to...

...the new element of managing an inventory. (Yes, in a Kirby title.) The touch screen serves as one, and is conveniently located in Kirby's stomach; so, any useful items Kirby inhales and swallows, like treasure chests and Bubble Items, will naturally appear on the bottom screen. Bubble Items are items and Copy Essences trapped in bubbles; once swallowed, they can be used simply by poking the bubble with your stylus or finger, or they can be combined with other Bubble Items. For example, you can mix two normal food items to create a better one, or you can even mix different Copy Essences together. But don't expect it to be another Kirby 64: Crystal Shards; you can only mix certain copy abilities together, and then the resulting power is very predictable. (Fire + Sword = Fire Sword) But all the same, Kirby's inventory is a very good addition and adds a nice layer of fun strategy to the game overall.

This time, unlike in The Amazing Mirror, you simply move from one level to the next via a world map. There are eight areas in total, each with its own unique theme and level designs. None of them are very long, with an average of about five levels in each, but each one is very fun to play through in its own way.

Nearly every level in the game has at least one treasure chest to collect. The treasures aren't as hard to get as they are on other Kirby treasure hunts, so finding all 100+ of them isn't too daunting of a task, but provides a nice, fun, solid challenge nonetheless. The treasure chests various contain items, from Sound Test sounds to different colors for Kirby to Ability Upgrades, which make Kirby's many copy abilities even more powerful. The Ability Upgrades definitely add some fun and value to the title, but what's too bad is that these upgrades aren't part of a bigger game; by the time you've unlocked all the ability upgrades, you'll be almost finished with it, which kind of detracts from their purpose, unfortunately.

One element that sets Kirby Squeak Squad apart from other Kirby titles, and is one of the best parts of the game, is how the Squeaks fit in with the rest of the adventure. How you encounter the Squeaks throughout the game ties in with the treasure-collecting side of the game; after all, why did the Squeaks ever come to Dreamland in the first place? Treasure, that's why, and Dreamland has plenty of it. Most of the levels have a special blue treasure chest (like the one on the cover) in them somewhere that, when touched, will automatically trigger a miniboss encounter with one of the Squeaks: Spinni, Storo, or Doc. (Daroach prefers not to get his paws dirty with miniboss work.) Spinni's battles are laid out over fairly long stretches of terrain, and sometimes involve a "footrace" strategy to see who can get to the treasure chest first. Storo's battles are usually about brute force alone and simply involve fighting tooth and nail (so to speak) until one or the other succumbs. Doc, being the one with the personal spacecraft, has battles that are generally larger on scale and that spread further outward than those of his coworkers. There may not be a lot of variation, (they never change their battle tactics, and you'll be fighting them over and over again throughout the entire game) but all of these battles are very fun; each one is unique in its own small way, thanks to changes in the terrain in every level. For some people, this may become stale after a while, but for me, it's able to stay fun all they way through.

Staying true to traditional Kirby platforming, after clearing an area's levels, looting them of their secrets, and beating their minibosses, the area concludes with a boss battle. Don't be fooled by the game's pretty easy outlook; many, if not most, of the game's bosses are tough to beat. Each one presents a unique challenge and is very fun to take on in its own way; it just goes to show, yet again, that the Kirby games always have excellent boss design.

As a whole, the gameplay is solid, old-school fun. Not only is it more of the superb Kirby goodness we fans of his have come to know and love, but it is able to add its own fun twists to the gameplay that set it apart from Kirby's other adventures in a good way. My only real complaint is that it is a bit too short of a game overall.

-9.5/10-


-Difficulty-
Kirby Squeak Squad is easier than many other Kirby titles; most gamers could breeze through the entire adventure with little trouble, I'm sure. But developer Flagship was clever with giving almost every level a "right" way and "wrong" way to beat it. The "right" way usually means staying behind to fight the Squeaks for your treasure(who like to appear near the end of a stage), while the "wrong" way usually means running straight to the stage's exit. Those who try to beat every level the "right" way, like yours truly, will get much more satisfaction and a greater challenge from the game while it lasts.

-7.5/10-


-Value-
Even when you do beat every level the "right" way, which adds a lot to the game's value, KSS is still a game that you could easily beat 100% in a single day. But on the other hand, it is one of those games that you can return to over and over again simply because it is so fun and so old-school. Don't let the $30 price tag scare you off; you'll get more of a run for your money than you may think.

-8.1/10-


In conclusion, Kirby Squeak Squad may be shorter and easier than what we Kirby fans have come to expect, but it is certainly no less fun. The solid gameplay, great level design, and superb boss battles all combined with the silky presentation all make for an excellent sidescroller that is very worthy of the Kirby name. The only real downside is the game's short length; if you're the sort of person who only likes to play through your games once, than maybe you'd be better off borrowing it or renting it, instead of buying it. If not, than it'd be worth your time and money to pick up a copy. Kirby is awesome, and so is this game.

FINAL SCORE: 9.3/10
(rounded to 9/10 for GameFAQs)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/09/09

Game Release: Kirby Squeak Squad (US, 12/06/06)