REVIEW: Kirby Super Star 1996 SNES
	By: Hal Lab./Nintendo Type: Platform Players: 1 Difficulty: Easy

I first played Kirby Super Star at the 1996 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles (it then still was called Hoshi no Kirby, or "the Star that is Kirby" in Japanese) and was ecstatic that Hal Laboratory and Nintendo finally had brought the pudgy hero to the then-struggling 16-bit Super Nintendo.

The Nintendo 64 made its U.S. debut at that same show, so it was great to see some solid representation for the system whose place the Nintendo 64 soon would take at the forefront of Nintendo's development and promotional efforts.

Kirby Super Star, as it says so prominently on the box, is eight games in one. But unlike the equally outstanding Mario All-stars, this collection is eight new Kirby games rather than an amalgamation of the classic Dream Land Game Boy titles.

The action follows the platform excellence established by those games. Most of the eight titles (Spring Breeze, Dyna Blade, The Great Cave Offensive, Revenge of Meta Knight and Milky Way Wishes) are side-scrolling action games along the lines of Dream Land, its Game Boy sequel and the barely-known Dream Land 3, also on the SNES.

The Megaton Punch (left) and the Samurai Kirby (right) sub-games

Two others (Samurai Kirby and Megaton Punch) are small but fun "activities" -- sub-games for one or two players that are very short with limited depth. They definitely couldn't stand on their own on a single cartridge, but as part of the Super Star collection of games, they're nice additions.

The remaining title is Gourmet Race, in which you race King Dedede (Dream Land's ultimate villain) in a three-course track. The goal is to win the races and have Kirby collect as many edible power-up treats as possible along the way. Again, this particular title holds little interest on its own, but as part of the group, it's fun distraction.

And some of the side-scrollers have their own unique touches. The Great Cave Offensive takes on an adventure-like quality as Kirby strives to collect some 60 different items. Points along the way allow you to save your progress (and item collection) to pursue the adventure further later, an RPG-like feature. And Revenge of Meta Knight has Kirby up against not only a healthy set of enemies, but a ever-decreasing time clock as well.

Overall, this collection is a must-have for Super Nintendo lovers. Like the Dream Land Game Boy titles, the games are pretty easy to complete, but the excellent playability and cute graphics make a purchase worthwhile. Unique power-ups (the expected fire, ice and ninja abilities, plus hilarious ones like wheelie, parasol and hammer) turn the seemingly innocent pink hero into all types of warriors, and the accompanying animations make the sometimes short adventures worth the time. The two sub-games, though simple and extremely easy, are great fun with two players and feature the same cutesy yet wonderful graphical touches.

The sound is plain if not sub-par for the SNES, but it's what you would expect from the Dream Land series of games. The music fits the titles (especially the outstanding Japanese intro to Samurai Kirby, which probably is the best and most original music track on the cartridge), so it doesn't jump out as overly bad. The sound effects, especially for the many original power-ups, are well done overall.

The game saves the progress of three players' files using percentages, but even after finishing the three main action games (Spring Breeze, Dyna Blade and Revenge of Meta Knight), I came back for more just because of their great gameplay and fun features. And two of the eight games aren't playable until you finish some of the others, even further increasing the game's replay value.

This is an outstanding collection that never got the attention it deserved because of a late release in the Super Nintendo's commercial lifetime. But it belongs in the collection of any platform game lover with a SNES. Easiness aside, these are eight Kirby games in one cart, and I applaud Hal Labs for their work. Kirby remains a unique character -- a hero who needs little violence or anger to win his battles. These are great games for kids growing up with the likes of the Tomb Raider and Resident Evil game series.

The only problem one might have is finding this cart -- because it was released for the Super Nintendo so late, it didn't stick around for long. It technically no longer is part of Nintendo's set of available SNES games, and although Toys R Us did have it as a current title as of this review (November 1998), it hadn't been in stock in my area for months and is overpriced at those locations ($59.99, the game's original MSRP in 1996).

Used game stores like FuncoLand typically want up to $30 for a copy, but if you can find one with the box and instructions, I'd suggest jumping on it. I was able to find a brand-new copy for $19.99 (a super deal) at a larger Electronics Boutique, but it was the last copy there (and they never even had heard of it when I first asked), so I don't expect this great game to stick around much longer. Pick it up if you can. - Jason Whitman 82%

[Key to the reviewing system]

Design and content is copyright Marcus & Mattias Liedholm 1997-2004. All rights reserved. No part of the contents on this website may be reproduced without written permission. Products and game characters mentioned at the web site may be registered trademarks of other companies.            NintendoLand is not in any way connected to or sponsored by Nintendo Inc. We are no retailers of Nintendo's products and we are not offering services like technical support.     Further info: VGF Legal Statement & Terms of Use. Privacy policy.