Kirby Star Allies

"An evil force threatens Dream Land. Luckily, Kirby and friends are ready to team up and take on the challenge."

- Official Kirby Star Allies website

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, with a demo released on March 1 (EU) and on March 4 (US)  of that year. 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
"Play with others by handing them a Joy-Con! Other players can join in any time by pressing SL + SR."

- Play together with other players! 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 being 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 (when not controlled by the CPU) - all this can also be achieved 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 the Unfriend move, which replaces the Drop Ability function if Kirby has no ability; 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 Friend Actions such as the Friend Circle.

The player can also befriend Dream Friends by using a Dream Rod, which are at Dream Palaces in the main Story Mode, whereas in the post-game Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! mode they are sometimes found after hitting a Big Switch. These are characters from past Kirby games, which otherwise act as normal friends. Here, Kirby can select his Dream Friend of choice via a roulette. Dream Friends can be used directly in the games' post-game modes.

The player can also mix Copy Abilities to create Friend Abilities, by imbuing a base ability (such as Bomb or Sword) with an element ability (such as Fire or Ice). This is achieved by the character with a base ability holding up on the analog stick, whilst the character with an element ability then uses an attack on that character. Other Friend Abilities include Team-Up Attacks which are also triggered by holding up on the analog stick; only some Copy Abilities have these however and they do not require the user to mix abilities.

Game Modes

 * Story Mode
 * The main campaign of the game; available from the start.
 * Chop Champs
 * A bonus sub-game available from the start. Players compete to see who can chop down a tree the quickest whilst avoiding Bugs and Gordos under a time limit. It has three levels of difficulty. This mode supports up to four players as well as optional Joy-Con motion controls.
 * Star Slam Heroes
 * A bonus sub-game available from the start. Players compete to hit a meteor the furthest by charging up their baseball bat and then timing their shot properly. This is strongly reminiscent of Megaton Punch. It has three levels of difficulty. This mode supports up to four players as well as optional Joy-Con motion controls.
 * Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!
 * A post-game mode unlocked after completion of Story Mode. In this mode, players play through an abridged Story Mode (similarly to Meta Knightmare Returns) which is split into 5 distinct 'Levels'. However, the mode also draws inspiration from Helper to Hero in that players select a Friend Helper or Dream Friend to play with for the entire run which cannot be changed. Players can collect Power-Up Hearts during each Level to increase their attack, speed and health, which reset each Level.
 * The Ultimate Choice
 * A post-game mode unlocked after completion of Story Mode. In this mode, players construct a team of up to 4 players or play by themselves to face off against multiple bosses one after another, similarly to The Arena / The True Arena of prior titles. However, unlike prior titles, there is now an adjustable difficulty scale and score counter.

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

 * Adeleine & Ribbon (Post-launch)
 * Bandana Waddle Dee
 * Dark Meta Knight (Post-launch)
 * Daroach (Post-launch)
 * 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)
 * I3 (Adeleine & Ribbon moveset)
 * Batamon (Adeleine & Ribbon moveset)
 * Ghost Knight (Adeleine & Ribbon moveset)
 * Ice Dragon (Adeleine & Ribbon moveset)
 * Octacon (Adeleine & Ribbon moveset)
 * Waiu (Adeleine & Ribbon moveset)
 * Spinni (Daroach moveset)
 * Doc (Daroach moveset)
 * Storo (Daroach moveset)
 * Squeakers (Daroach moveset)

Mid-bosses

 * Bonkers
 * Bugzzy
 * Chef Kawasaki
 * Mr. Frosty
 * 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. Of these, three have been brought back from Kirby Super Star/Ultra (Yo-Yo, Plasma, and Suplex) and four are new (Artist, Festival, Spider, and Staff).

Dream Friends
Dream Friends are a feature newly introduced in Kirby Star Allies. They are callbacks to characters from prior Kirby entries and can be befriended at by using a Dream Rod (which, in the Story Mode, are found in Dream Palaces) - they can also be used in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! and The Ultimate Choice. Most Dream Friends have updated graphics and new movesets; if they weren't previously playable, all-new movesets are available for them to use instead. Some can receive elemental attributes (are so-called base abilities), while others can bestow them (and therefore are element abilities).

The game is set to continue to receive updates adding new Dream Friends. At launch, three Dream Friends were available - King Dedede, Meta Knight and Bandana Waddle Dee. The first update (version 2.0.0), which was released on March 28, 2018, added Rick & Kine & Coo, 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. A second wave of Dream Friends was added in another update (version 3.0.0) on July 27, 2018, adding Daroach, Dark Meta Knight, and Adeleine & Ribbon. Like before, it also added new celebration pictures (3 in total) and altered Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! with additional stages, graphics and music when playing as the new Dream Friends.

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.

Changes with Updates
Although most updates advertise as only adding new Dream Friends, they change various things in Kirby Star Allies as well. Most of these changes are minor, but do affect gameplay.

Update 2.0.0

 * New Dream Friends were added, being Rick & Kine & Coo, Marx, and Gooey.
 * Some Levels in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! were changed when playing as the new Dream Friends.
 * The title screen and file select screen's color changed from blue to yellow.
 * New character animations were added to the title, file select, and menu screens.
 * Bandana Waddle Dee, King Dedede, and Meta Knight now have their own colored splash screen and music when selecting them as Dream Friends. They also have their own intro menus in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! as well.
 * Chop Champs's title screen music was altered a bit.
 * Void Termina's core phase music was altered a bit.
 * Enemies hit by some attacks will now bounce slowly on the ground, giving extra time to get their Copy Ability or make them a Friend.
 * The new Dream Friends were added to the final scene in Void Termina's fight.
 * A new celebration picture was added, being "Crazy Mischief in the Stars".
 * Three new transformations were added to the Stone ability.
 * The new and old Dream Friends were added to the giant golden statue at the end of Extra Planet δ.

Update 3.0.0

 * New Dream Friends were added, being Adeleine & Ribbon, Dark Meta Knight, and Daroach.
 * Some Levels in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! were changed when playing as the new Dream Friends.
 * Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! now allows the player to create a save file for each Friend. If the player has played the mode before the update, they can create a save file for the Friend through the Best Times records.
 * Levels in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! for the regular Friends have been upgraded.
 * The title screen and file select screen's color changed from yellow to red.
 * New character animations were added to the title, file select, and menu screens.
 * The New Dream Friends were added to the final scene in Void Termina's fight.
 * Secret areas were added to Clash at Castle Dedede, Echo's Edge, and Planet Earthfall.
 * The Dragoon was added as an Easter egg on World of Miracles - Planet Popstar's overworld map.
 * Hyness's sound effect when going on his crazed rant has been lengthened to last for the entire speech.
 * Boss and Mid-boss HP were scaled when playing multiplayer in Story Mode, but were unchanged in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! and The Ultimate Choice.
 * Three new celebration pictures were added, being "Friends' Getaway", "Chasing Our Dreams", and "Shadowy Partners".
 * Three new transformations were added to the Stone ability.
 * A new painting was added to the Artist ability, being a stuffed Kirby.
 * The new Dream Friends were added to the giant golden statue at the end of Extra Planet δ.

Reception
Kirby Star Allies received "mixed or average" reviews according to Metacritic, receiving an aggregate score of 73, Gamespot gave it a score of 8 , and IGN gave it a score of 8.3. The game also holds a 72.82 on GameRankings. Critics praised the game's soundtrack, visuals, and multiplayer while critiquing the easy gameplay.

Shortly after release, fans criticized the game, noting the relatively small number of playable stages (40) compared to other then-recent Kirby games. Many accused the game of being too short to be worth its $59.99 MSRP.

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.
 * Kirby Star Allies is Adeleine and Ribbon's first appearance since Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.
 * This is the fifth Kirby game to run at 30fps instead of the usual 60fps, the first four being Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Kirby: Planet Robobot (depending on the amount of objects onscreen, but otherwise runs at 60fps), and Kirby Battle Royale.
 * However, even though the game runs at 30fps, the menu, pause screens, and loading screens run at 60fps.
 * 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. A similar false credits appears at the end of Guest Star ???? Allies Go, after the player defeats Hyness.
 * 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, the Kirby Dance, the remix of the boss theme and Dark Mind's theme from Kirby & The Amazing Mirror that plays when fighting Morpho Knight in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! when playing as Dark Meta Knight, and the remix of Rainbow Resort that plays when viewing the "Friends' Getaway" celebration Picture.
 * 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.
 * Kirby can also damage Void Soul with Friend Hearts.
 * 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.
 * Notes from the ESRB describe how Kirby Star Allies earned its E10+ rating. In addition to its cartoon violence and the sounds and effects of that violence, the notes mention "frenetic melee moves" and a boss fight where "players pilot a starship and shoot projectiles at a winged-creature from a third-person perspective."