User:TheJoebro64/drafts/SuperStar

Kirby Super Star, known in Japan as Kirby of the Stars: Super Deluxe and in Europe as Kirby's Fun Pak, is a 1996 side-scrolling platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It is part of the Kirby franchise and was directed by series creator Masahiro Sakurai. The game is split into seven smaller games—six primary and one supplemental—in which the player controls Kirby. While most retain the same mechanics, they have different stories and objectives. The games include an abridged remake of Kirby's Dream Land (1992) and a Metroidvania adventure, in addition to two competitive minigames. Some must be unlocked, and all must be finished to complete the game.

Development lasted three years, longer than usual for the era. With Kirby Super Star, Sakurai sought to bring together cooperative gameplay (something requested by Shigeru Miyamoto), elements from fighting games, and an omnibus format. The game was designed to appeal to both experienced and inexperienced players, while Donkey Kong Country (1994) incorporation of CG graphics influenced the developers. An additional game, which was horror-themed, was scrapped due to time constraints. Kirby Super Star was one of the last SNES games; it was released in Japan in March 1996, just three months before the launch of the Nintendo 64. A North American release followed in September, and a European in January 1997.

Kirby Super Star received positive reviews. It was praised for its exceptional size and gameplay variety. The presentation, controls, and replay value were also commended, although some critics disliked the low difficulty level. A remake for the Nintendo DS, Kirby Super Star Ultra, was released in 2008 to commemorate the series' 15th anniversary. The original SNES game was rereleased on the Wii (2009) and Wii U (2013) via Nintendo's Virtual Console service, through the compilation Kirby's Dream Collection (2012), and on the Super NES Classic Edition (2017). Retrospectively, Kirby Super Star is considered one of, if not the best Kirby game, and laid the foundation for most future entries in the series.

Gameplay
Kirby Super Star is a side-scrolling platform game. Similar to previous entries in the Kirby series, the player controls Kirby to complete various levels while avoiding obstacles and enemies. Kirby can walk or run, jump, swim, crouch, slide, and inhale enemies or objects to spit them out as bullets. He can fly for a limited time by inflating himself; while flying, Kirby cannot attack or use his other abilities, though he can release a weak puff of air. By eating certain enemies, Kirby can gain copy abilities, power-ups allowing him to take on the properties the enemy possessed. In Kirby Super Star, Kirby gains the ability to guard so he can defend himself from weak attacks.

If Kirby uses a copy ability, he can produce a Helper, a character that can be controlled automatically or by another player. Like Kirby, Helpers can float continuously, but can only use the copy ability they were based on. The player can also grant the Helper a different form or revert them into a power-up in an emergency. The player characters lose health if they are hit by enemies or hazards. If the Helper takes too much damage, there is a short time for Kirby to grant it a new power before it disappears. If Kirby takes too much damage, the player will lose a life. Health can be replenished by eating food scattered across levels. Losing all lives results in a game over.

Game modes
Kirby Super Star is split into seven smaller games, six primary and one supplemental, in addition to two minigames. While most retain the same game mechanics, they have different stories and objectives. Some games must be unlocked by playing others, and all must be finished to complete the game.


 * Spring Breeze: a remake of the first Kirby game, Kirby's Dream Land (1992), with the gameplay enhancements of Kirby Super Star. Kirby must make his way to a castle to challenge King Dedede, who has stolen food from the citizens of Dream Land. Several levels from the original have been merged, while some boss fights were cut.
 * Dyna Blade: Kirby must stop Dyna Blade, a giant bird, from disturbing Dream Land's crops. The mode consists of four levels that the player must clear before facing off against Dyna Blade. There are also two secret areas and a mini-boss that moves across the world map.
 * Gormet Race: a racing game in which Kirby races King Dedede while eating as much food as possible. It takes place across three levels of varying length; whoever earns the most points by the end of all levels wins, with bonus points awarded to the first to finish each race. Players can choose to race either King Dedede or a "ghost" (the player's best attempt at the race), or simply race alone for the fastest time.
 * The Great Cave Offensive: a Metroidvania adventure that sees Kirby explore a cave for treasure. 60 treasure chests are hidden across four areas. Some treasures reference other Nintendo franchises, such as the Triforce (The Legend of Zelda), Captain Falcon's helmet (F-Zero), and Mr. Saturn (EarthBound); others reference valuable items that appear in role-playing video games, such as Orichalcum.
 * Revenge of Meta Knight: a story-driven mode chronicling Kirby's efforts to stop Meta Knight, who attempts to take over Dream Land and end the inhabitants' lazy lifestyle by invading in his signature airship, the Battleship Halberd. Each level has a time limit, and Kirby will lose a life if the player does not finish in time. The Halberd takes damage after every level, and a meter at the bottom of the screen shows the ship's status. The player fights numerous bosses, and the mode culminates in a chase to escape the falling Halberd.
 * Milky Way Wishes: the largest mode in the game. Because the Sun and Moon around planet Popstar are fighting, a jester-like creature named Marx tells Kirby he must travel across nine planets and restore the giant wish-granting comet-clock Nova. Unlike the other modes, Kirby cannot use copy abilities; instead, he collects "Copy Essence Deluxes". Once in Kirby's possession, they allow the player to select a copy ability from a list and are kept permanently. The mode also features scrolling shooter levels. In the end, Marx—who masterminded the conflict—wishes to Nova to control Popstar, but Kirby stops him.
 * The Arena: an endurance mode that challenges the player to fight every boss in the game. Between rounds, the player can replenish their health and select copy abilities. Completing The Arena unlocks a sound test.
 * Sub-games: two minigames that can be played single-player or multiplayer. They include Samurai Kirby, a timing game reminiscent of a minigame from Kirby's Adventure (1993), and Megaton Punch, where players must punch a planet to make a bigger crack than their opponent.

Development
Kirby Super Star was developed in Japan by HAL Laboratory and directed by Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai. It was the third Kirby game he directed, following Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby's Adventure. Although a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) title, the Kirby Super Star prototype was developed for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. According to Sakurai, although the prototype was for internal use only, it was almost complete and some of Kirby's animations were nearly identical in the final game. The prototype was used to test out ideas before implementing them in the final product; Sakurai said having the game operating on an internal build made it easier to develop ideas. HAL president Satoru Iwata had little involvement with the game, and left development under Sakurai's supervision.

For Kirby Super Star, Sakurai "had three pillars in mind. One was two-player cooperative gameplay and another was including actions similar to those in fighting games. The third was an omnibus format." The addition of cooperative gameplay was something Shigeru Miyamoto requested. While Sakurai knew a SNES Kirby game would mean bigger, more detailed characters and graphics, he wanted to hear from Miyamoto before thinking about the foundation and other important aspects. Sakurai and Iwata traveled to Kyoto; there, Miyamoto told them he wanted cooperative gameplay, something uncommon in side-scrolling platform games. Miyamoto had dreamed of creating a cooperative game in his Super Mario franchise for many years, but was unable to until New Super Mario Bros. Wii in 2009 because of how fast the series' gameplay is. Kirby, on the other hand, is slower-paced, so Miyamoto figured it would be possible. Sakurai thought about it and came up with the idea to have a main player and an assisting one; this led to the conception of Helpers, which he thought opened the door for inexperienced players.

As for including fighting game-like moves, Sakurai made enemies stronger. He did this because "[t]he main player would simply hurl blades and lay waste to opponents while the Helper just watched." Additionally, he expanded copy abilities' possibilities so players could perform multiple actions by pressing the same button, similar to fighting games. The game was also the first in the series in which Kirby's appearance changed depending on his copy ability. The omnibus format was chosen because Sakurai noted most SNES and some NES games were of considerable length, and prices were high. Kirby Super Star served as "the antithesis to that trend," with Sakurai hoping to create sections with different stories and gameplay that appealed to both experienced and inexperienced players. Spring Breeze, a remake of Kirby's Dream Land, was designed for beginners and is thus Super Star first game. The title is a quote from the Dream Land manual that "describe[s] Kirby as a youth who came with the spring breeze," and was chosen to signify its simplicity. Originally, Sakurai was going to remove copy abilities to remain faithful to the original game while teaching beginners how to play, but ultimately did not.

Development lasted three years, longer than usual for the era. This was partially due to the influence of Rare's Donkey Kong Country (1994), a game that incorporated CG graphics. Sakurai was certain using CG would be beneficial, so the team redid the artwork about halfway through development. The backgrounds were rendered in CG, while the introductory animation was created through a combination of pre-rendering and Mode 7. The graphics were powered by the SA1 enhancement chip. HAL's development schedule also lengthened development. Sakurai planned to include an additional game, Kagero Mansion, which was discarded due to time constraints. Kagero Mansion was a horror game with an emphasis on action and puzzle elements; it saw Kirby stuck in a mansion and unable to inhale. HAL also planned to add a move that allowed Kirby to create an explosion from guarding, but cut the idea.

Kirby Super Star was one of the last SNES games, released just three months before the launch of the system's successor, the Nintendo 64 (N64). Publisher Nintendo released the game in Japan on March 21, 1996, in North America on September 20, 1996, and in Europe on January 23, 1997. In Japan, the title is Kirby of the Stars: Super Deluxe, while in Europe, it is Kirby's Fun Pak. Its working title was Kirby of the Stars: Active, which "suggest[ed] that the game was more proactive and had more active gameplay." Mother series creator Shigesato Itoi came up with the final title, which Sakurai said "convey[s] how rich it is in content". The Japanese packaging was designed to resemble a Paulownia box, an idea that originated from Itoi. This was because expensive sake and silverware is often sold in Paulownia boxes, and the team thought the game was special.

Rereleases
Kirby Super Star was rereleased on the Wii and Wii U via Nintendo's Virtual Console, a digital distribution service. The Wii version was released in Japan in October 2009 and in the West in May 2010, and the Wii U version was released worldwide in May 2013. The game was also included in Kirby's Dream Collection (2012), a 20th anniversary compilation of Kirby titles for the Wii, and the Super NES Classic Edition (2017), a dedicated console containing 21 SNES games.

Kirby Super Star Ultra
Kirby Super Star Ultra, known in Japan as Kirby of the Stars: Ultra Super Deluxe, is a remake of Kirby Super Star for the Nintendo DS, developed to commemorate the series' 15th anniversary. Kirby Super Star Ultra retains all game modes found in the original, but adds four new ones: Revenge of the King, a more difficult version of Spring Breeze; Meta Knightmare Ultra, which allows the player to traverse levels as Meta Knight; Helper to Helper, in which the player controls Helpers and fights bosses; and True Arena, an updated version of The Arena. It also includes three new minigames, integration of the DS touchscreen, wireless multiplayer for up to four players via DS Download Play, enhanced graphics and audio, and full-motion video cutscenes.

HAL's Shinya Kumazaki directed Super Star Ultra. It was originally called Super Deluxe Plus, but was retitled after producer Masayoshi Tanimura requested that the team provide fan service that exceeded customer expectations. The team's goal was to retain all modes from the SNES original; despite the game's considerable size, Kumazaki believed he could not remove anything due to fans' hopes. Adjustments were made for new players, while HAL managed to retain multiplayer through the DS's wireless functionality. Some developers thought the game changed so much it could be considered a new product. The packaging was designed with a coat of glitter to retain the sense of luxury the Paulownia box design gave to the original, as project coordinator Mari Shirakawa felt Paulownia would not appeal to children. Kirby Super Star Ultra was released in North America on September 22, 2008, in Japan on November 6, 2008, and in Europe on September 18, 2009.

Reception
Kirby Super Star was well-received in contemporary reviews, who overall found it a good transition of Kirby to the SNES. Although the game sold 1.10 million copies in Japan, it was released at a time when Nintendo was transitioning to the next generation of consoles with the N64. According to IGN, while Kirby Super Star was praised by series fans and likely sold much better than most contemporary third-party titles on the market, the transition caused the game to leave little impact despite its quality.

Critics generally praised Kirby Super Star exceptional amount of content, with an Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) reviewer describing the package as "a piñata packed full of little goodies." Critics thought its various games were distinct and provided great variety, which they found original and imaginative. Computer and Video Games (CVG) wrote that contemporary platformers suffered from predictability and a lack of inventiveness, something Kirby Super Star resolved by "giving just about everything its best shot." The introduction of Helpers and cooperative gameplay was also commended. GamePro wrote it added more to the experience, while some of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) reviewers found it imaginative and uncommon in platformers.

Other aspects that were praised included the presentation (particularly the visuals) and controls.

While some reviewers thought Kirby Super Star had high replay value, others were underwhelmed by what they perceived as a low difficulty level despite acknowledging the game was aimed at younger players. One Game Informer reviewer summarized some of the various games as "pre-school level," while another thought they were fun but grew old and would only provide mere minutes of entertainment. Conversely, Superplay said the game's first parts were too easy (something the reviewer thought was carried over from the Game Boy Kirby titles), but that the difficulty did escalate through progression. The reviewer also wrote the easiness was generally not noticeable due to the abundance of content.

Legacy
Great Cave Offensive in Smash: https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/469475-top-20-super-smash-bros-stages; Halberd in Smash: https://www.engadget.com/2007/09/12/dojo-update-battleship-halberd/; Gourmet Race in Smash: https://www.shacknews.com/article/108988/super-smash-bros-ultimate-gourmet-race-unlock-king-dedede; Smash music: https://www.usgamer.net/articles/17-12-18-super-smash-bros-ultimate-song-list-every-music-track-in-ultimate-full-soundtrack#Smash%20Header%208

Notes for sources
Contemporary
 * https://retrocdn.net/images/2/2e/EGM_US_086.pdf (page 30)
 * Shawn: 9.0. Good to see games like this still coming out. Example of what companies should strive for: good graphics, excellent gameplay. Many different levels, bonus games, boss fights, everything a Kirby fan could ask for. Likes copy abilities/Helpers and co-op.
 * Dan: 8.5. Doesn't understand why he likes it. "[T]his cart is a piñata packed full of little goodies." Some side games are simple yet fun; e.g. Samurai Kirby. The game is full of action, power-ups, and excitement. "Once you play it with a friend, you'll be hooked."
 * Crispin: 9.0. Proves side-scrollers can still be fresh and imaginative. Praises Kirby's novel copy ability. Also one of the few Mario-like games to feature co-op. Overall a bargain: six main games, two bonuses, will keep players occupied for a while. Graphics are great, music is as good as other Kirby games.
 * Sushi X: 8.0. Each game is distinct, making gameplay thrilling no matter which. Co-op imaginative, two bonus games great, good graphics and sound. Diehard SNES players should check it out.
 * Best feature: different modes. Worst: playing alone.
 * Overall: visuals 7/10, sound 6/10, ingenuity 8/10, replay value 8/10.


 * https://web.archive.org/web/19971120005140/http://www.gameinformer.com/oct96/kirby.htm
 * "Kirby joins the Nintendo ranks as a console gaming mascot along with such recognizable faces as Mario and Donkey Kong."
 * Geared towards children; may not appeal to experienced players, but kids will eat it up.
 * Destined to be a classic
 * Andy, the Game Hombre: 6.5/10. One of the most disappointing games of the year. The eight games feel like one game split in pieces. Is fun and some things are exciting, but they grow old quickly and take mere minutes to complete. Good rental.
 * Reiner, the Raging Gamer: 7.25/10. "Take the difficulty of Mario and slice it in half. KSS is an easy walk-thru for seasoned players, but is a difficult quest for the gaming youth and beginners."
 * Paul, the Game Professor: 8/10. "Yeah, some of the games in Kirby could be considered to be pre-school level, but the total package wound up to be very entertaining. I enjoyed Kirby's exploits on Game Boy and this continues his reign as one of Nintendo's top blobs. The variety of game and easy to follow instructions make this a great game for everyone. A good one for those who always complain that video games are too hard. Yet, there are plenty of secrets and challenges to keep the avid gamer busy for at least a couple days."
 * Overall: 7.25/10.


 * https://archive.org/details/Superplay_Issue_44_1996-06_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n33 - review by Will Overton
 * Finally a real SNES Kirby game. Not a rehash with superfluous extras
 * Worth noting in dev section that it mentions pre-rendered backgrounds, and pre-rendered graphics and mode 7 were used in the opening.
 * Found GB Kirby games lacking in difficulty, and at first it seems like Super Star suffers from the same problem. Loads to see with pre-rendered backgrounds, but big imbalance between the powers of Kirby and his foes. The Helper mechanic seemed to clinch this.
 * However, it does get better. Great Cave Offensive has replay value, Revenge of Meta Knight makes Kirby like other contemporary platformers with its story, and Milky Way Wishes has a decent difficulty level. Gourmet Race isn't hard, but has replay value since times are saved. The two minigames are fun.
 * "superbly playable": responsive, intuitive controls, and the game is a joy to play. It's not hard, but you won't really notice because there's so much content.
 * Overall: 87%. Everything you'd expect from Kirby on the SNES.


 * GamePro issue 98
 * "An 8-bit star achieves 16-bit superstardom with this awesome game."
 * Introduction of Helpers = more to do
 * Varied controls executed perfectly, simple but charming gameplay
 * Everything's improved over the 8-bit games - graphics sharp and colorful, music spirited
 * Graphics 4.5, sound, control, fun factor 5. High replay value


 * CVG 179 (https://retrocdn.net/images/1/1d/CVG_UK_179.pdf) (p 68–69)
 * Review by Paul Davies
 * Main problem with platform games is how predictable they are, so they least they can do is show inventiveness.
 * Kirby Super Star "giv[es] just about everything its best shot," Kirby lives up to the game's title with no limits
 * Kirby is one of the reviewer's favorite characters because of his versatility and good games. Super Star is typical HAL: oddball humor and ingenious game design
 * Minigames are simple but fun.
 * Platforming is easy, but replay value extends the playtime considerably.
 * Gameplay variety helps make the game stand out.
 * Overall: 3/5. Unique and varied, worth a purchase. Not as good as Yoshi's Island and DKC2 though.

Retrospective
 * https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/05/25/kirby-super-star-review
 * http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/vc/kirby_super_star_snes
 * https://www.usgamer.net/articles/super-nes-classic-reviews-game-by-game-20-kirby-super-star