Kirby Star Allies

Kirby Star Allies (sometimes written Kirby: Star Allies), known in Japan as 星のカービィ スターアライズ (Hoshi no Kabi: Sutā Araizu, meaning Kirby of the Stars: Star Allies), is a game in the Kirby series that was released on March 16, 2018 worldwide, and a demo on March 1 (EU) and March 4 (US). It is the first game in the series released for the Nintendo Switch, and the first traditional Kirby platformer since Kirby's Return to Dream Land to support cooperative multiplayer through the main game.

Gameplay
Kirby Star Allies is a traditional platformer Kirby game, in which the player controls Kirby, whose objective is to get to the end of each stage through the use of Copy Abilities. Kirby retains his traditional moves; the Inhale, Star Spit, Slide attack, Air Gun, and floating.

The game is a 2.5D platformer, meaning that the characters move on a two-dimensional plane in a 3D environment.

Two game mechanics return from previous installments of the Kirby series; those of Mix abilities (from Kirby: Squeak Squad, though in this game they are called Friend Abilities) and Helpers (from Kirby Super Star and its remake, though they are here referred to as "friends"). In a manner similar to the mechanic shown in the trailer for the unreleased Kirby GCN, there can be four player-controlled or CPU-controlled friends at one time. Kirby can throw a Friend Heart at certain types of enemies in order to turn it into a friend by using the X button; friends can also throw Friend Hearts in order to change their ability. Kirby and his friends can also do the same with Copy Essences and Ability Stars. Even if Kirby has no friends, another player can join, taking Kirby's current ability similar to the helper mechanic in previous games; Kirby can also turn a friend into an ability item by performing "Unfriend," which replaces the Drop Ability function if Kirby has none; this can also be achieved by throwing a Friend Heart at an enemy while already having three friends, and opting to cancel the action instead of replacing one of them. Friends can assist Kirby in multiple ways, allowing for combo moves such as creating a circular formation that allows them to roll ahead in certain areas. The player can also mix Friend Abilities by holding up on the analog stick and having a partner using an attack on the player's character. Players can also revive a friend that has no HP, recovering only half of their total HP.

Additionally, there are two sub-games separate from the main game. They are small, competitive sub-games that also support up to four players at once, as well as optional Joy-Con motion controls. Star Slam Heroes is a timing-based game strongly reminiscent of Megaton Punch, where Kirbys power up a flaming baseball bat and attempt to smack a meteor the farthest distance. Chop Champs sees players trying to chop as much wood as possible with their Kirby within a time limit while avoiding bugs and Gordos.

The game is set to receive updates adding new Dream Friends following the game's release, with the first update, which released on March 28, 2018, adding the original three Animal Friends, Marx, and Gooey. In the update, a new celebration picture was added, and playing Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! with the new Dream Friends reveals additional stages and music.

Game Modes

 * Story Mode
 * Chop Champs
 * Star Slam Heroes
 * Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!
 * The Ultimate Choice

Playable characters

 * Kirby

Friends

 * Beetley
 * Bio Spark
 * Birdon
 * Blade Knight
 * Bonkers
 * Broom Hatter
 * Bugzzy
 * Burning Leo
 * Chef Kawasaki
 * Chilly
 * Como
 * Driblee
 * Gim
 * Jammerjab
 * Knuckle Joe
 * NESP
 * Parasol Waddle Dee
 * Plugg
 * Poppy Bros. Jr.
 * Rocky
 * Sir Kibble
 * Vividria
 * Waddle Doo
 * Wester

Dream Friends

 * Bandana Waddle Dee
 * Gooey (Post-launch)
 * King Dedede
 * Marx (Post-launch)
 * Meta Knight
 * Rick & Kine & Coo (Post-launch)

Allies (cameo appearances)

 * ChuChu (Cleaning moveset)
 * Nago (Cleaning moveset)
 * Pitch (Cleaning moveset)
 * Popon (Goal Game)

Mid-bosses

 * Bonkers
 * Twin Bonkers
 * Bugzzy
 * Twin Bugzzy
 * Chef Kawasaki
 * Twin Kawasaki
 * Mr. Frosty
 * Twin Frosty
 * Vividria
 * Twin Vividria

Bosses

 * Flamberge
 * Francisca
 * Grand Mam
 * Hyness
 * King Dedede
 * Meta Knight
 * Morpho Knight
 * Pon & Con
 * Goldon & Silvox
 * Kracko
 * Twin Kracko
 * Void Termina
 * Void Soul
 * Whispy Woods
 * Yggy Woods
 * Zan Partizanne

Copy Abilities
The game features 28 standard Copy Abilities, as well as the ability to mix certain abilities together into Friend Abilities, similarly to how mixing abilities worked in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and Kirby: Squeak Squad. Abilities in italics are new, and abilities in bold can be permanently imbued with an element.

Dream Friends
Dream Friends are a feature newly introduced in Kirby: Star Allies. Some can receive elemental attributes, while others can bestow them.

Items

 * 1UP
 * 3D Warp Star
 * Food
 * Friend Heart
 * Invincibility Candy
 * Key
 * Maxim Tomato
 * Meat
 * Pep Brew
 * Picture Piece
 * Point Star
 * Power-Up Heart
 * Treasure Chest
 * Warp Star
 * Watermelon

Levels
Levels in italics are unlocked by pressing a Big Switch in another stage. Stages in bold contain boss fights. Stages in italic and bold are unlocked by beating the game.
 * World of Peace - Dream Land
 * Green Gardens
 * Donut Dome
 * Honey Hill
 * Fruity Forest
 * Clash at Castle Dedede
 * Extra Eclair
 * World of Miracles - Planet Popstar
 * Friendly Field
 * Reef Resort
 * Inside Islands
 * Echo's Edge
 * Nature's Navel
 * Duplex Dream
 * Sacred Square
 * Fortress of Shadows - Jambastion
 * Gatehouse Road
 * Eastern Wall
 * Longview Corridor
 * Western Outer Wall
 * Inner Sanctum
 * Heavenly Hall
 * Sector A
 * Sector B
 * Sector C


 * Far-Flung - Starlight Heroes
 * Planet Earthfall
 * Falluna Moon
 * Planet Misteen
 * Mareen Moon
 * Planet Caverna
 * Grott Moon
 * Planet Frostak
 * Blizzno Moon
 * Planet Towara
 * Gabbel Moon
 * Star Lavadom
 * Sizzlai Moon
 * Jambandra Base
 * The Divine Terminus
 * Extra Planet α
 * Extra Planet β
 * Extra Planet γ
 * Extra Planet δ
 * Ability Planet
 * Kirby - Star Allies

Objects

 * Apple
 * Containers
 * Cannon
 * Electro Saw
 * Switch
 * Star Block

Demo
The demo for Kirby Star Allies was released on March 1 in European regions and March 4 in North America. It includes two stages: a combination of Green Gardens, Honey Hill, and Fruity Forest called "Grasslands Stage;" and a combination of Donut Dome, Friendly Field, Reef Resort and Clash at Castle Dedede, called "Cave & Castle Stage." A Nintendo eShop link appears beneath the stage links. A boss fight was present at the end of each stage: Whispy Woods at the end of "Grasslands Stage" and King Dedede at the end of "Cave & Castle Stage." As well as being released on the eShop, the demo was included in the software of Nintendo Switch demo kiosks at retail locations.

amiibo Compatibility
During Story Mode, the player can scan an amiibo. Scanning a Kirby-related amiibo (both from the Kirby series and their Super Smash Bros. counterparts) will give two Point Stars, either a Maxim Tomato or a Pep Brew, and two Picture Pieces. The same goes for scanning the Qbby amiibo from BOXBOY!, except it gives a milk carton Food item instead.

Scanning any other amiibo will give two Point Stars, a cherry, and one Picture Piece.

In addition, the game will only allow 7 different amiibos to be scanned per Stage attempt. The count resets if the player exits the stage without clearing it.

Trivia

 * Kirby Star Allies greatly resembles the first attempt at Kirby GCN, a canceled game for the Nintendo GameCube. It resembles Kirby's Return to Dream Land as well, though this is because Kirby GCN was reworked into Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
 * Friends wear the hat that corresponds to their ability, unlike Helpers in Kirby Super Star and its remake.
 * Friends reflect the colors of the player playing them. Any friends who are player 2 are yellow, friends who are player 3 are blue, and friends who are player 4 are green. This concept is reused from Kirby GCN. It, however, applies only to common enemies and midbosses; special characters (such as King Dedede and Gooey) always retain their normal coloration unless they are being used by multiple players.
 * This is Nago, Pitch, and ChuChu's first appearance in the flesh since their debut 21 years before Kirby Star Allies in Kirby's Dream Land 3.
 * In The Ultimate Choice's difficulty selection, there is a secret 8th difficulty, Soul Melter, which shows Kirby with red, evil eyes, grinning. This is a reference to the Kirby: Right Back at Ya! episode Frog Wild.
 * King Dedede, when he transforms, greatly resembles his transformation in the same episode when he was possessed.
 * This is the first Kirby game to be localized into Chinese, in both Traditional and Simplified forms.
 * Before Kirby Star Allies’ release date was revealed to be March 16, 2018 in the January 11 Nintendo Direct Mini, the official Nintendo website's Game Store page listed the game's release date as June 30, 2018. This may have just been a placeholder release date/window before an actual release date was officially announced.
 * Kirby Star Allies is the fourth Kirby game to have an E10+ ESRB rating.
 * Kirby Star Allies is the first Kirby game to have a happy Kirby on the North American box art since Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
 * Kirby Star Allies is the first Kirby game to see release worldwide on the same day.
 * The power of the new Artist ability, when paired with the hat, is reminiscent of Adeleine from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.
 * This is the third Kirby game to run at 30fps instead of the usual 60fps after Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and Kirby Battle Royale.
 * However, Kirby: Planet Robobot switches from 60fps to 30fps depending on the number of objects and effects onscreen.
 * This is the first Kirby game where Waddle Doo closes his eye, something only previously seen in Kirby: Right Back at Ya! and Smash Run from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
 * On January 27, 2018, the My Nintendo rewards program released a Kirby Star Allies-themed calendar for the month of February. It was discovered to be a January calendar, as the month had 31 days instead of 28, and Valentine's Day was marked as the second Sunday of the month rather than the second Wednesday. This mistake was corrected shortly after.
 * When the official Japanese website of Kirby Star Allies launched on February 14, 2018, the URL initially misspelled the game's title as "Star Arise." This was corrected shortly afterward, and the misspelled URL now redirects to the correct one. (The English words "Allies" and "Arise" have the same spelling in katakana.)
 * Kirby Star Allies is the first traditional platformer in the series to name individual stages.
 * In the March 8 Nintendo Direct, when Gooey is shown as a future update Dream Friend, they state that his debut was in Kirby's Dream Land 3, when he actually debuted in Kirby's Dream Land 2 as a non-playable character. This error also appears on the official site for Kirby Star Allies.
 * Although, this is probably due to the fact Gooey's name wasn't revealed until Kirby's Dream Land 3, and that his appearance in Kirby's Dream Land 2 was a mystery to players when the game was first released.
 * Kirby Star Allies consists of four worlds, the fewest thus far of any game in the main series.
 * When King Dedede is defeated, a false credits starts to play, which might be a reference to Kirby's Dream Land’s ending where Kirby defeated King Dedede.
 * Kirby Star Allies, Kirby's Dream Land 2, Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble, and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse are the only games in the series thus far to save the player's life count.
 * Kirby Star Allies is also the first game where Kirby's lives extend over 99.
 * The first letter of all seven stages found on Planet Popstar, including the two unlockable stages, spell out the word "FRIENDS", which ties into the theme of friendship present in the game, as well as the game's main mechanic. This is a trait that is present in several previous Kirby titles (Kirby's Adventure, Kirby: Canvas Curse, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition, Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kirby: Planet Robobot).
 * Kirby Star Allies has the most standard Copy Abilities of any Kirby game, at 28.
 * A new composer was introduced in this game: Yuuta Ogasawara. He composed the music for Planet Earthfall, Planet Towara, the sub-games, and the Kirby Dance.
 * In the 2.0.0 update, murals of all the Dream Friends were hidden in various levels.
 * When Kirby defeats the first four bosses (Whispy Woods, King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Pon & Con), he can throw a Friend Heart at them to positively affect them. Dedede and Meta Knight are converted into friends, Whispy Woods happily drops dozens of items from his branches, and Pon & Con eagerly open a gate for Kirby to pass through. The latter is required to continue through the game.
 * There's a game-crashing glitch in Kirby Star Allies. To perform this glitch, a player needs to play as either Rick & Kine & Coo or Gooey, then they need to KO themselves by getting crushed under a platform while they are still guarding themselves. This KOs the character, but the protective bag is still there, so the game searches its character to despawn the bag from it. Since the character was KOed first, the bag cannot be despawned without its character, which leads to this error, closing the game.
 * As listed in the game's credits, the third-party company Eighting provided development assistance for the Star Slam Heroes and Chop Champs sub-games. Kirby Star Allies is their first collaboration with HAL Laboratory.