Kirby Super Star

Similar to previous entries in the Kirby series, the player controls the titular character 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 loses all their health, there is a short time for Kirby to grant it a new power before it disappears. If Kirby loses all of his health, 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 : an abridged remake of the first Kirby game, Kirby's Dream Land (1992), with the gameplay enhancements of Kirby Super Star . King Dedede has stolen food from the citizens of Dream Land, and Kirby must reach the King's castle to challenge him. 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 . Gourmet 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.

Players earn points from eating food and bonus points for finishing first in a race; whoever earns the most points by the end of all levels wins. 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 that he has fallen into for treasure. Sixty 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 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.

In the end, Marx—who masterminded the conflict—wishes to Nova to control Popstar, but Kirby stops him. 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.

The Arena : a boss attack mode that challenges the player to fight every boss in the game with only one life and a free selection of power-up at the start of the game. The player can replenish their health up to five times total between rounds, and are granted two power-ups at random. Completing The Arena unlocks a sound test . Sub-games : two minigames that can be played single-player or multiplayer .

They include Samurai Kirby , in which the player must be the first to press a button after a prompt, similar to Wild Gunman (1984); and Megaton Punch , in which the player must accurately time three button presses to throw a stronger punch than their opponent.