Kirby Super Star

Kirby bounced on to the Super NES in 1996's Kirby Super Star (aka Kirby Super Deluxe in Japan and Kirby's Fun Pak in Europe) developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratories. This game actually consists of nine smaller games each of a different difficulty. The objectives are different for each game; some merely require completing a level while others demand item collection and some even test reaction time. The game was a minor hit and is still remembered as one of Kirby's best adventures.

As mentioned earlier, there are nine games in this cartridge. They are:

• "Spring Breeze" - a 16-bit remake of the Game Boy classic Kirby's Dream Land.
• "Dyna Blade" - Kirby must put an end to the Dynablade's reign of terror.
• "The Great Cave Offensive" - Kirby must collect all the treasures hidden in the secret caves. Some of the treasures are items from other Nintendo games, such as Samus Aran's Screw Attack from Super Metroid or the Triforce from The Legend of Zelda.
• "Gourmet Race" - It's a race to the finish line as Kirby races King Dedede. Bonus points go to the competitor to eat the most food during the race.
• "Revenge of the Meta Knight" - The Meta Knight is back for more punishment as Kirby attacks his skyship before it can blow up Dream Land. Features several bosses, including one who attacks as a menu-driven RPG!
• "Milky Way Wishes" - The largest game in the pak. Kirby travels across the galaxy absorbing powers in an attempt to make a wish. This mode allows Kirby to switch powers at will once he absorbs them once.
• "Megaton Punch" - Who packs the most powerful punch? This is a test of reaction speed and concentration.
• "Samurai Kirby" - Another reaction test. Kirby faces foes in a dojo. Whoever presses the button first when told wins.
• "The Arena" - Foes come one after another and Kirby must beat them all in one life. Fortunately he has a limited supply of tomatoes to boost his energy.
• Sound Test - Not a game, but upon completing the other games a sound test option opens up.

The characters and animations are animated in classes Super NES style and not in the pastel style that is featured in Kirby's Dream Land 3. Also watch for more hidden in-jokes from the Nintendo world. In addition to the familiar treasures in "The Great Cave Offensive" watch as Kirby turns into a rock. Sometimes he'll become a Mario statue.

Speaking of powers, let's take a look at the run down of included abilities for Kirby to absorb:

• Beam - shoots a spray of sparks
• Bomb - tosses bombs
• Cook - Kirby bangs on a giant cooking kettle and all enemies on screen jump inside. Kirby stirs the pot and food flies out.
• Copy - copies any abilties on screen
• Crash - all enemies on screen explode
• Cutter - tosses a boomerang cutter
• Fire - turns Kirby into a fireball
• Fighter - street fighting moves
• Hammer - a giant hammer to bash baddies
• Ice - freezes enemies and some water
• Jet - horrizontal flight
• Microphone - Kirby screams and all enemies on screen burst
• Mirror - Kirby splits in two
• Ninja - ninja moves
• Paint - paint takes out the enemies
• Parasol - a umbrella for floating or protection from falling objects
• Plasma - powerful electric shock
• Sleep - puts Kirby to sleep
• Stone - turns Kirby into a rock
• Suplex - powerful fighting moves
• Sword - a sword for slashing
• Trolley - Kirby rides in a minecart to the next area
• Wheel - runs over the baddies
• Wing - allows bird-like flight and the power to toss feathers
• Yo-yo - yo-yo tricks

Note that not all powers are available in all games, and some games must be completed before others become available. Luckily a battery-backed save allows you to save up to three different sessions (with one session being the status of all games on the pak).

Overall this is a standard Kirby game pumped up on steroids. All the classic Kirby goodness is here to keep beginners entertained, plus there are several secret levels and hidden goodies to keep advanced players happy. The game should still be available in the usual places (eBay, used game shop). Don't miss out on this entertaining chunk of Kirbydom.

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References:
Playing the game
http://www.classicgaming.com/kirby/
GameFAQs.com