Will you accept Kirby’s friend request?
The pink puff is back in HD and he’s not alone. Kirby is back and he’s finally on the Nintendo Switch console in HD. But this time, he’s not alone. Recruit enemies by hitting them with hearts and gather helpers for a party of up to four characters. On top of that, you can join with up to three friends for a different kind of team-up action. Recruit up to three enemies as helpers by hitting them with hearts. Returning copy abilities include, Sword, Fire, Water, Bomb, Broom and many more. Imbue copy abilities with different elements, such as wind, water, fire and electricity, by borrowing or giving them to helpers to add more attack power, unleash powerful attacks, or solve puzzles. Up to 4 players can join in with the horizontal Joy-Con controller configuration, or 8 Joy-Con with 4 Joy-Con Grips.
Kirby Star Allies is a return to form for the pink puffball as the traditional formula makes a return, but with a twist…you can gather up to 3 allies by throwing hearts at specific enemies and working with them to pull off special moves or power up your already gained ability with an element touch such as fire or ice. The levels follow the classic 2D side-scrolling that we’ve come to expect from Kirby and it’s great.
When on your side, the allies are AI controlled but you can also join in with 3 other friends if you prefer. The variety of enemies is quite small, but they do have great powerups that will help you take on some of the tougher bosses, though they aren’t invincible either. That being said, the game is on the easy side and shouldn’t take too long to overcome.
The game handles well on the Switch in both handheld and docked modes, while looking crisp and running at a solid framerate throughout. The levels and characters are nicely detailed in HD and the soundtrack is classic Kirby.
The Verdict
Kirby Star Allies is a great return to form for Kirby and while the new change doesn’t really mix things up that much, it’s still a great platformer and another must-have for the Switch.