I'm an avid Kirby fan, and I've played most of the Kirby games, from the very beginning. So when I tell you that this is one of the best Kirby games in the franchise, you know I mean it. This game is a MUST-BUY for any Kirby fan, no matter what the skill level. I feel compelled to write this review because I feel that the game hasn't been given a fair treatment from critics. Because of the lukewarm reviews, I almost didn't buy the game. So now that I've played through it, here are my detailed thoughts.
PLUSES:
For me, the biggest pluses were the the design/graphics, mixed copy abilities, CPU allies traveling with you (hence the name), and the Dream Friends. It's like Nintendo and HAL really made an effort to analyze their old games, and they took all the best aspects of Crystal Shards and The Amazing Mirror (in my opinion, two of the best Kirby games) and rolled them together into one excellent package.
(1) Design/Graphics: I'm the kind of person who cares about gameplay WAY more than graphics. Most of my favorite games are from N64 because even though the graphics weren't great, the developers compensated by making rich gameplay and difficulty. With that said though, this game is GORGEOUS. The levels are stunning, Kirby and his friends are all beautifully rendered, the cinematic scenes are impeccably well done (and the story itself is fun too!), and the game is overall extremely charming.
(2) Mixed Copy Abilities: The hybrid abilities of Crystal Shards makes a comeback!...kinda. While in Crystal Shards, the abilities could be combined in myriad exciting, crazy ways, the hybrid abilities here are a little more mundane. Certain abilities can be charged, so to speak, with elemental copy abilities. For example, Sword can be powered up with Fire to create Fiery Sword. Battling with the mixed abilities is not quite as fun and exciting as Crystal Shards, but the mixed abilities are huge for the game's puzzles, and figuring out which mixed ability to use for the puzzles makes the game fun and makes the gimmick well-executed.
(3) Allies: I'm sure many people saw the trailers and were quick to write off the Star Allies as a gimmick. It probably is a gimmick, but it's a surprisingly fun gimmick. Many of the obstacles require you and your Star Allies working together using your various copy abilities, and sometimes it requires some thought and it can be pretty fun. Especially when you have a Dream Friend(s) join your team as a Star Ally...
(4) Dream Friends!: Easily the BEST aspect of the game. Certain prominent characters from the Kirby Universe can join your team as a CPU ally and fight alongside you. Of course there are obvious ones such as Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Bandana Dee -- but then there are more obscure ones such as Adeleine, Gooey, and Coo/Kline/Rick, and even former villains such as Dark Meta Knight, Daroach, and even Marx! Nintendo really made an effort to really dig through the Kirby history here. At first, I was a little bummed because I thought only the CPU (or a friend in co-op) could play as these cool characters. But you can play as them in Single Player Story...kinda! You always play as Kirby but during the levels you can jump on an ally's back and control them (i.e. jump on King Dedede's back and bash enemies with his hammer). Remember those small segments in Crystal Shards where you jumped on his back and played as Dedede? Now you can choose when you want to play as him and play the game as him. Or as Kirby on top of him, rather. Between all the Dream Friends and all the allies, there are so many different movesets, and they're all so varied and fun. My favorites were Bandana Dee, Adeleine, and Marx.
ADDRESSING CRITICISMS:
If you've read reviews, you've likely read the criticism that the game is "too short" and/or "too easy." These criticisms are not completely unfounded, but in my opinion they are overly harsh. Let me address them below:
(1) "Too Short": Kirby games in general are known for being pretty short. I remember I was left pretty disappointed by the amount of content in Kirby Triple Deluxe, but I was not disappointed by Star Allies. Every level in Star Allies has collectible puzzle pieces that you can find (including an extra important big puzzle piece) and about half of the levels have hidden switches that unlock bonus levels. I suppose if you wanted to, you could breeze through every single level, disregarding every puzzle piece and disregarding every bonus level -- and I imagine that's where the "too short" criticism comes from -- but doing so is just setting oneself up for disappointment. It's like deliberately avoiding half of the game. If you take the time to really explore and solve all the puzzles (which can get fun!), the main story mode has plenty of content.
(2) "Too Easy": A lot of Kirby games, especially the more recent ones, have been really easy, as Nintendo has been trying to appeal to a casual crowd with these games. Kirby Triple Deluxe also comes to mind as a game that was disappointingly easy. Star Allies on the other hand struck a very nice medium in its story mode. Of course, the first world is always going to be braindead easy. That's par for the course with Kirby games. But by the end of World 2, the games have a comfortable, manageable level of difficulty. It'll never be maddeningly hard (and expecting that out of a Kirby game is too much), but it is difficult enough to keep you engaged and entertained.
After you beat the main game, you unlock GUEST STAR ALLIES and THE ULTIMATE CHOICE, two new game modes that increase the difficulty. Guest Star Allies is somewhat akin to "MetaKnightmare Returns" from Nightmare in Dreamland in that you play through an abridged version of the story as a character other than Kirby, except you can pick any Dream Friend and not just Meta Knight. It's a lot of fun, and the fact that the movesets are all so varied makes it highly enjoyable and a good amount of replayability and difficulty.
The Ultimate Choice is a boss mode with adjustable difficulty, and at the highest echelons it can be extremely challenging (words I never thought I'd use to describe a Kirby game).
CONCLUSION:
This game is exceptional. It's highly charming, fun to play, and between all the game modes, there's more than enough content to justify the price tag. For me -- and maybe it's the nostalgia talking -- Kirby and the Crystal Shards will always be the magnum opus of the Kirby franchise, but Kirby Star Allies comes very very close. If you're a Kirby fan and you have a Switch, you need this game immediately.
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