It was only in the last few levels that these secret areas really made think or go out of my way to find the abilities I needed. My only gripe is that the puzzles inside optional secret rooms aren’t exactly challenging because the necessary characters are often standing patiently nearby. Having the right ability or ally in the right place often led to discovering hidden areas and treasure. They would also react to any puzzle elements they could tackle on their own: a water ally would busy himself dowsing flames, while the the hammer-swinging Bonkers would smack down on any pegs.
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Simply holding my weapon aloft would trigger any elemental allies in my group to shuffle over and supercharge me and any other non-elemental teammates. Initially, I was worried I’d have to direct my team by myself (and you can, by having Kirby piggyback on an AI ally to manually control them), but instead I found them quite reactive to their environment. The constant variety of intriguing yet intuitive puzzles, and the allure of seeing what each new enemy could do, kept me swapping out allies or changing Kirby’s current abilities.Ĭombining moves to solve puzzles is also where the AI partners of Star Allies surprisingly shine. Giant bomb on a rope blocking your path? Only cutting moves will sever that rope - but you’ll also need to make sure your cutter’s been supercharged by a fiery ally to light the fuse while cutting the rope. There are plenty of roadblocks along your side-scrolling adventure, and it’s only by using the right abilities in tandem that you’ll be able to forge ahead, or find secret areas. Just using your team to demolish enemies is fun in its own right, but Star Allies takes a clever approach to making sure you’re constantly rearranging your group.
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His ability to infuse weapons with wind attacks with his broom, apply a water buff with a splash of his bucket, or even use a vacuum cleaner to send my friends ricocheting around the screen to destroy everything in sight. Plus, there’s some complimentary DLC on the horizon that screams fan service.Other allies can fulfill specific roles like healing or grappling, but my favorite is the Broom Hatter. The post-game content is different enough to feel at least a little fresh, offering even more added value to Star Allies.
#KIRBY STAR ALLIES REVIEW WITH DLC FULL#
You’re going to want the full screen experience for this. Do yourself a favor and play it in docked mode. Not only is it intense, it’s downright cinematic. Most memorably, the final boss is easily the most fun to fight in all of Kirby’s 25+ year history. Sure, you can beat the game within a few hours, but going full 100% takes a fair amount more effort. User friendly as he is, picking up Kirby for them was a breeze, and an insanely fun breeze at that. My run of Star Allies was with a loved one who is more or less new to video games. In fact, playing with friends is where this game really sings. Sure, there’s an animation once you pull off a friend ability, but it’s skippable. Past gimmicks like Triple Deluxe’s Hypernova and Return to Dreamland’s Hyper Abilities did little to improve gameplay and did lots to slow down momentum. If something positive can be said about these new combinations, it’s that they don’t waste your time. Granted, the combinations aren’t nearly as phoned-in as Squeak Squad either.
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If you’re expecting the amazing and sometimes totally weird copy combinations from Kirby Crystal Shards, you’ll be sorely disappointed. While combining abilities to form brand new ones is great, it’s not nearly as fun as it could have been. This is Kirby after all, it’s user-friendly to a fault.
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It takes some getting used to when it comes to assembling the right team with the right abilities, but it’s far from challenging. In an instant, your foe is now on your side. Instead of sacrificing an ability to spawn a helper, Kirby tosses a heart at an enemy. Like Kirby Super Star before it, you must rely on the power of friendship. Kirby Star Allies, his latest adventure, doesn’t introduce anything that seasoned Kirby veterans won’t recognize. The pink puffball has changed very little since his debut on the Game Boy. As the tides turn and the sands of time fall ever quicker into the hourglass, gaming changes at almost exponential levels.