History VideoGame / KirbySuperstar

%%* EternalEngine: The Halberd in Revenge of Meta Knight and Mecheye (Mekkai in ''Ultra'') in Milky Way Wishes.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Instead of the usual Dark Matter-esque EldritchAbomination, [[spoiler:Marx]] is just [[spoiler:one of the tiny, cute, marshmallow-like denizens of Popstar who manages to gain ultimate power with a BatmanGambit involving Kirby and the wish-granting comet Nova]].

While ''Kirby's Adventure'' on the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] [[TropeCodifier codified]] the ''Kirby'' formula, ''Super Star'' is considered to be the game that perfected it, to the point where its style of gameplay has become the series standard. It was [[VideoGameRemake remade]] in 2008 for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS as ''Kirby Super Star [[SuperTitle64Advance Ultra]]'' (''Hoshi no Kirby Ultra Super Deluxe'' in Japanese), which added a handful of extra games to the mix, bringing the total to '''16''' games in one:

* ArtEvolution:
** King Dedede's beak is no longer duck-like, and he is now wearing gloves and is now wearing a

** '''Megaton Punch''': Less related to the [[MegatonPunch similarly-named trope]] and more a contest of timing, the challenge is to line up the strength and timing meters just right to deliver a strong enough punch to [[EarthShatteringKaboom break the planet in half.]] Remixed in ''[[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' as Crackity Hack.

** '''Helper to Hero''': Instead of playing as Kirby, you choose one of his helpers (characters based on an element that Kirby absorbed, usually controlled by computer or by a second player) and run though a shortened, non-randomized version of The Arena. This can create quite a challenge: sure, winning as Bonkers ([[DropTheHammer Hammer]]) or Plasma Wisp ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Plasma]]) isn't too bad, but how about winning with Capsule J2 (Jet) or Wheelie (Wheel)? Not to mention getting the best time...
** '''Meta Knightmare Ultra''': You play as Meta Knight through abridged versions of the original main games, excluding Gourmet Race and The Arena. Meta Knight has a whole suite of moves at his disposal, and uses them to [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown thrash his way through the stages]]. His goal is to fight the ultimate warrior in the universe, while your goal is to get the best time.
** '''The True Arena''': This is what happens when The Arena hates you. It's a BossRush again, but with less health-recovery (5 ''regular'' tomatoes) and much tougher bosses -- you fight the bosses and sub-bosses from Revenge of the King, then get the [[FinalBoss final bosses]] from the three added games, and a bonus boss.

** '''Snack Tracks''': Kirby eats food on a conveyor belt.
** '''Kirby on the Draw''': Kirby does target practice with popguns.
** '''Kirby Card Swipe''': Kirby plays [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karuta Karuta]].

* AntiVillain: In "Revenge of Meta Knight", Meta Knight's motives aren't explicitly evil, since he really wants to scare a complacent Dream Land and [[TeachHimAnger force them into taking action]] -- a plan that's interrupted when [[SpannerInTheWorks Kirby]] intercepts the Halberd.

** "Meta Knightmare Ultra" introduces [[spoiler:Galacta Knight, a legendary warrior who had been sealed away due to his destructive powers. He is summoned by Nova so Meta Knight can test his strength.]]

* TookALevelInJerkass: Meta Knight. His motives were always somewhat ambiguous, but in ''Revenge of Meta Knight'', he intends to take over Dream Land, directly threatening Kirby in the process. This is part CharacterizationMarchesOn and part AmericanKirbyIsHardcore, as the localization took his already-shady morals and made them more explicitly villainous. ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' mentions that Meta Knight secretly has a [[Narcissist vain streak]] deep in his heart, which likely explains why he appears so ruthless here.

* AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield: Marx's battlefield takes place on a strange purple planet with weird yellow hills off in the background with a wide view of space from the background. This overall gives the area a strong resemblance to the moon where you fight [[spoiler:Nightmare]] at in ''Kirby's Adventure.'' [[spoiler:The arena with Marx Soul is even more bizarre, taking place in a lava lamp-esque void with multi-colored hexagons.

* TookALevelInJerkass: Meta Knight. His motives were always somewhat ambiguous, but in ''Revenge of Meta Knight'', he intends to take over Dream Land, directly threatening Kirby in the process. This is part CharacterizationMarchesOn and part AmericanKirbyIsHardcore, as the localization took his already-shady morals and made them more explicitly villainous. ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' mentions that Meta Knight secretly has a vain streak deep in his heart, which likely explains why he appears so ruthless here.

** Masked Dedede is a faster and stronger version of King Dedede who fights with powerful spin attacks and using flamethrowers and missiles from his hammer.
** Wham Bam Jewel is a stronger Wham Bam Rock who fights nearly the same, but has a powerful dashing fist attack and can shoot bullets from his fingers like a gun.
** Galacta Knight is this to Meta Knight, being a powerful AxCrazy BloodKnight who can fire powerful lasers from his lance and [[FlunkyBoss summon his own Meta-Knights]].

** '''The Great Cave Offensive''': Kirby has accidentally fallen down a hole and found himself in a huge cave, filled with treasure. Now he has to find a way out of the cave while [[KleptomaniacHero grabbing as much loot as he can]]. More of a {{Metroidvania}} game than a linear platformer, Kirby's quest through the cave helps him find various valuable relics.

** '''Milky Way Wishes''': The Sun and the Moon are fighting, throwing day and night into chaos, [[RunningGag and it's up to Kirby to stop hi— or rather, them]]. This game takes Kirby to other worlds to find the wish-granting comet Nova, and since the enemies on these worlds are different than the usual ones, Kirby can't absorb their powers; instead, he has to find the Deluxe Copy Essences around the levels, after which point he has those powers forever, and can shuffle through them.

** Going from playing ''Super Star'' to ''Ultra'' can be quite difficult control-wise. In the original, it used the classic SNES control scheme of B being jump and Y attack, with A being used to summon a helper. In ''Ultra'', they went for control consistency with the GBA games and ''Squeak Squad'', having B as attack and A as jump (with X being used to create a helper). It can also be tricky if you, say, play ''Ultra'' first and then play the original on something like ''Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition''.

** '''Spring Breeze''': King Dedede has stolen all the food in Dream Land, and it's up to Kirby to stop him. The introductory game, it's essentially a [[CompressedAdaptation compressed version]] [[NostalgiaLevel of the original]] ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'' with abilities added.

** '''Gourmet Race''': Kirby and King Dedede race to see who can [[EatingContest eat the most food]] while still reaching the finish line first. It's pretty straightforward. Very notable for its music: the theme for Gourmet Race stages 1 and 3 "Get Up and Go-urmet!" is one of the staples of the ''Kirby'' franchise, and it's also a popular source for remixes on websites such as Website/YouTube.

** '''Revenge of Meta Knight''': Meta Knight is setting out to conquer Dream Land in his massive flying battleship, the Halberd, in order to put an end to "Dream Land's lazy lifestyle", [[RuleOfThree and it's up to Kirby to stop him]]. In this game, the [[TimedMission levels are timed — failing to clear it within a certain amount of time results in a loss]]. Also noted for the story — Meta Knight and his crew can be heard talking about Kirby attacking, and the crew is visibly [[MookHorrorShow freaking out]] as he [[BattleshipRaid lays waste to the Halberd]].
** '''Milky Way Wishes''': The Sun and the Moon are fighting, throwing day and night into chaos, [[RunningGag and it's up to Kirby to stop hi— or rather, them]]. This game takes Kirby to other worlds to find the wish-granting comet Nova, and since the enemies on these worlds are different than the usual ones, Kirby can't absorb their powers; instead, he has to find the Deluxe Copy Essences around the levels, after which point he has those powers forever, and can shuffle through them.
** '''The Arena''': Okay, ''seven'' main games, as beating all six games unlocks The Arena, a straight-up BossRush. Kirby has his choice of abilities and a set number of Maxim Tomatoes, and must battle through every boss and miniboss of the game, from [[WarmUpBoss Whispy Woods]] to [[TheRival Meta Knight]] to the terror that is [[ZeroEffortBoss Waddle Dee]], before a rematch with the final boss.

** '''MegatonPunch''': A contest of timing, the challenge is to line up the strength and timing meters just right to deliver a strong enough punch to [[EarthShatteringKaboom break the planet in half.]] Remixed in ''[[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' as Crackity Hack.

** '''[[RevengeOfTheSequel Revenge of the King]]''': Like Spring Breeze, this game follows the original ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand''. The trick this time is that this is a remix of ''Kirby's Dream Land's'' '''Extra Game''' (hard mode), so the enemies, especially the bosses, are a lot tougher. This includes a fight against war-blimp Kabula, mid-bosses from ''[[VideoGame/KirbysAdventure Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'', and a [[TookALevelInBadass brand-new]] King Dedede.

* Sub Games: A set of mini-games that can be played with friends wirelessly, they utilize the Nintendo DS's touch screen and stylus. They can be summarized as:

* ButThouMust: When starting Spring Breeze, Dyna Blade, The Great Cave Offensive or Milky Way Wishes, it asks if it's your first time playing. However bizarrely, if you choose "no", it will still show a tutorial, though a brief single screen one instead of the longer playable one you get from picking "yes". Averted in regards to the DS version; selecting "No" takes you straight into the game.

* HarderThanHard: The True Arena. So very, very much. You thought that beating The Arena was noteworthy? Well, this is a fight against all the harder bosses and {{Mini Boss}}es with less than half the healing items and [[spoiler:Marx Soul]] at the very end just to spite you.

** [[spoiler:Marx's battle theme]] takes the cake; it switches time signatures constantly with little rhyme or reason.[[note]]It goes, 9/8, 3/8, 7/8, 6/8, 9/8, 6/8, two 5/8 measures, four 3/8 measures, 7/8, 6/8, 9/8, 9/8, two measures of 5/8, eight measures of 3/8, two measures of 5/8, two measures of 3/8, 6/8, two measures of 5/8, 6/8, 5/8, and finally four measures of 6/8.[[/note]]

* HeavyMetal: In ''Ultra'', [[spoiler:Galacta Knight]]'s battle music is perhaps the only time you're ever going to hear this in a ''Kirby'' game. [[spoiler:It carries over to all of his future appearances.]]

* FloatingLimbs: The mini-boss Jukid, as well as the Plasma Wisp enemy, have floating hands.

* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Kirby'' creator Creator/MasahiroSakurai developed both this game and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', which features a near-identical system for attacking. In fact, ''VideoGame/TheSubspaceEmissary'' from ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' can be summed up as "''Kirby Super Star'' in 3D, but you have to fall off the screen to die".

* TookALevelInJerkass: Meta Knight. His motives were always somewhat ambiguous, but in ''Revenge of Meta Knight'', he intends to take over Dream Land, directly threatening Kirby in the process. This is part CharacterizationMarchesOn and part AmericanKirbyIsHardcore, as the localization took his already-shady morals and made them more explicitly villainous. ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' explains that Meta Knight secretly has a vain streak deep in his heart, which likely explains why he appears so ruthless here.

** Since the localization was completely redone for ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'', lots of names were slightly changed, including Cook Kawasaki to Chef Kawasaki, Sir Meta-Knight to Lord Meta Knight, Burnin' Leo to Burning Leo, Poppy Bros. Jr. to Poppy Bro Jr., T.A.C. to Tac, Ghameleo Arm to Chameleo Arm, and [=PopStar=] to Pop Star.[[note]]Pop Star is referred to as Popstar or Planet Popstar in subsequent games.[[/note]]

Likewise, the Yo-yo ability seems to be based on [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 Ness]], right down to the ability's background resembling ''[=EarthBound=]'' menu screen. Creator/HALLaboratory helped develop ''[=EarthBound=]'' in part.