The Great Cave Offensive



The Great Cave Offensive is a sub-game in Kirby Super Star and its remake, Kirby Super Star Ultra.

In this sub-game, Kirby is taking a walk- but he accidentally falls through a hole. He ventures through what seems to be a cave, and must escape. Throughout the sub-game, he has the option of collecting treasure chest items. Each treasure has a value in Gold. The gold the player collects is their score. 100G (100 gold) is equivalent to $1 USD - this is found in the Dime item, which is worth 10G.

Gameplay


As Kirby, the player walks through what one assumes is a cave. Sixty treasures are strewn throughout the cave; so too are save cabins, which contain a Maxim Tomato and a pad which will save the player's progress. These cabins mark the 'levels', although such a concept is not found in Great Cave Offensive. Rather, the player traverses regions; a lake, a forested area and a castle, among others. Most are guarded by a boss - the bosses are unique to this game (including the Active-Battle System-based computer boss called Computer Virus).

The four areas are:
 * Sub-Tree Area Boss: Fatty Whale
 * Crystal Area Boss: Computer Virus
 * Old Tower Boss: Chameleo Arm
 * Garden Area Boss: Wham Bam Rock

The Great Cave Offensive's more adventure-based layout makes it a unique version of the classic Kirby series. It also meant that the inexperienced player would have to play through the game several times in order to find all sixty treasures. The fact that it contained a strain of the classic Dream Land-style gameplay means that the Great Cave Offensive is not too terribly far a departure from the style of play typically associated with Kirby.

In the sub-game Meta Knightmare Ultra, every piece of food disappears, and every Maxim Tomato and Treasure Chest is replaced with food. Areas that do not lead to the mine cart are also removed.

In Kirby Super Star

 * Gold Medal
 * Value - 10000G


 * Gold Coin
 * Value - 1000G (The oval coin seen on the item screen is a Koban, an ancient Japanese gold coin).


 * Whip
 * Value - 6800G (This item could be a reference to either the Castlevania videogame series or the Indiana Jones movie series, because both of the heros wields a whip.)


 * Crystal Ball
 * Value - 200000G


 * Lucky Cat
 * Value - 5000G (The white cat seen on the item screen is a common Japanese luck charm, the Maneki Neko).


 * Seiryu Sword
 * Value - 142000G


 * Screw Ball
 * Value - 80000G (The Screw Attack (or, Screw Ball, as it was called here) is a power-up item in the Metroid video game series that allows the player to perform a jumping attack).


 * Echigo Candy
 * Value - 8000G


 * Zebra Mask
 * Value - 278000G


 * Star Stone
 * Value - 82100G


 * Beast's Fang
 * Value - 7300G


 * Bandanna
 * Value - 1990G


 * Springtime
 * Value - 250000G


 * Dime
 * Value - 10G


 * Glass Slippers
 * Value - 120000G (This item is in reference to Cinderella.)


 * Goblet
 * Value - 800G


 * Saucepan
 * Value - 10G


 * Brass Knuckle
 * Value - 20000G


 * Amber Rose
 * Value - 22100G


 * Fish Fossil
 * Value - 8250G


 * Beast Fossil
 * Value - 24220G


 * Nunchuks
 * Value - 55480G


 * Bucket
 * Value - 200G (The bucket is actually the same one from the Super Famicom game Mario & Wario.)


 * Summertime
 * Value - 250000G


 * 100 Dollar coin
 * Value - 10000G


 * Ancient Gem
 * Value - 68000G


 * Falcon Helmet
 * Value - 41000G (The helmet of Captain Falcon, one of the main characters in the F-Zero video game series.)


 * Dud
 * Value - 30G


 * Truth Mirror
 * Value - 500000G


 * Star Tiara
 * Value - 408200G


 * Turtle Shell
 * Value - 800G (The shell seen on the item screen resembles the shell of a green Koopa Troopa, a common enemy from the Mario video game series).


 * Sword
 * Value - 325000G (This is actually Marth's Falchion from the Fire Emblem series, but the English translation didn't pick up on that.)


 * Warrior Shield
 * Value - 50000G


 * Unicorn's Horn
 * Value - 80300G


 * Autumntime
 * Value - 250000G


 * Rice Bowl
 * Value - 50G


 * Tut's Mask
 * Value - 160000G (A reference to the mask of Tutankhamen mummy.)


 * Mr. Saturn
 * Value - 120000G (A member of a friendly species of beings - all known as Mr. Saturn - from the Mother video game series.)


 * Armor
 * Value - 212000G


 * Treasure Box
 * Value - 100000G


 * Mannequin
 * Value - 3000G


 * Gold Crown
 * Value - 528000G


 * King's Cape
 * Value - 508000G


 * Model Ship
 * Value - 800000G


 * Sun Ring
 * Value - 800000G


 * Wintertime
 * Value - 250000G


 * Katana
 * Value - 990000G


 * Charm
 * Value - 8000G (The necklace seen on the item screen holds an Ankh.)


 * Xmas Tree
 * Value - 40000G


 * Kong's Barrel
 * Value - 1500G (A "DK Barrel", from the Donkey Kong Country games.)


 * Ramia's Scale
 * Value - 12800G (The scale of a mythical creature, Lamia.)


 * Shiny Bamboo
 * Value - 600000G


 * Tire
 * Value - 1100G


 * Spirit Charm
 * Value - 78500G


 * Pegasus Wing
 * Value - 42800G (The wing of the mythical horse, Pegasus. The Wing of Pegasus was also one of the three Sacred Treasures in Kid Icarus)


 * Raccoon Doll
 * Value - 8150G


 * Shell Whistle
 * Value - 82000G


 * Orihalcon
 * Value - 512000G (Orihalcon is a mythical stone that is incredibly hard.)


 * Platinum Ring
 * Value - 40000G


 * Triforce
 * Value - 800000G (The Triforce is the most powerful and well-known artifacts in the Legend of Zelda series.)

In Kirby Super Star Ultra
In Kirby Super Star Ultra, some of the treasure chest items are different. This section details what changes have been made to the treasure Kirby can collect in the Kirby Super Star Ultra version of the Great Cave Offensive when compared to the original Kirby Super Star version.


 * Screw Attack
 * Goes by this name instead of Screw Ball.


 * Phanto Mask
 * Goes by this name instead of Zebra Mask. The Phanto is also an enemy in Super Mario Bros. 2. In the Japanese version, it is known as the Phantom Mask.


 * Seasons Heart
 * Is a combination of Springtime, Summertime, Autumntime and Wintertime. It replaces Springtime.


 * Machine Parts
 * Value - 121,000G. These are the wings to Hydra in Kirby Air Ride. Replaces Nunchuks.


 * Power Paintbrush
 * Value - 222,000G. This object is in Kirby Canvas Curse. Replaces Summertime.


 * Cell Phone
 * Value - 40,210G. This is Kirby's well-known cell phone from Kirby & the Amazing Mirror. Replaces Dud.


 * Koopa Shell
 * Value - 800G. Goes by this name instead of Turtle Shell. This makes the reference more clear.


 * Falchion
 * Value - 325,000G. Goes by this name instead of Sword. Marth from Fire Emblem uses this sword.


 * Three-Star Cane
 * Value - 222,000G. This object is in Kirby Squeak Squad. Replaces Autumntime.


 * Broken Bowl
 * Value - 50G. Goes by this name instead of Rice Bowl.


 * Gold Watering Can
 * Value - 200000G. This pops up as a hidden item in the Animal Crossing series. Replaces Wintertime.

Trivia

 * The Old Tower is actually fully optional. You do not have to fight Chameleo Arm as well.
 * The song that plays in the save rooms is a remix of the second part of the Float Islands theme. This remix would be re-recorded as the All-Star Mode Rest Area music in Super Smash Bros. Melee.