Kirby Star Allies
Year: 2018
Rating: E10+
Time Played: 5+ hours
I enjoyed the Kirby games growing up. They’re probably the first games I ever beat. They may have been simple, but they were fun. I still have fond memories of Kirby’s Adventure on the NES, which cemented the series formula in my head: eat enemies and steal their powers. The platforming was never too difficult, but the boss battles provided enough challenge to satisfy me when I eventually defeated them. I was also equally engaged with finding all the hidden areas until I reached 100% completion. The latest in the Kirby series, Kirby Star Allies, doesn’t stray far from this formula.
While I only picked up the occasional Kirby game since my NES days, I knew the “partner” mechanic had been around for some time. Kirby Star Allies doesn’t necessarily reinvent anything with this game mechanic as much as it does tweak it slightly to allow four players simultaneously. However, I did appreciate many of the “combo” attacks present in this game, even if their animations became tiring by the end. I also found the visuals for Kirby’s first game on the Switch to be quite stunning. It was a fun playthrough, even if it didn’t provide any challenge.
Perhaps this was my main issue with Kirby Star Allies: it was too easy. Granted, I understand this game is targeted at a younger demographic. However, once I beat the game (at 78% completion for a single play-through), I had no motivation to find the remaining secrets or to try out the “difficult” modes, as I felt I had experienced all the game had to offer. And perhaps that’s just how this game is. It’s likely an introduction for new fans of the franchise who haven’t grown up with the same gameplay for decades.
A visually impressive, albeit extremely easy game, I give Kirby Star Allies 3.0 stars out of 5.
