| This article contains the transcript of Kirby Star Allies Channel. | (Similar) |
| “ | This channel is all about the latest game in the Kirby series. Kirby Star Allies released on March 16, 2018. Here you'll find extra info and messages from the developers!” |
| — Channel description |
This page archives posts from the English Kirby Star Allies channel on Nintendo Switch. These were released from the game's launch on March 16, 2018 to May 7, 2019.
Update #1
3/23/2018 (JP)
Welcome to the Kirby Star Allies channel!
Bonjam... I mean, hello everyone! I'm Shinya Kumazaki, general director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
The game is finally out! To celebrate, we also opened the Kirby Star Allies News channel.
In this channel, the development director team, which includes Yuki Endo, Tatsuya Kamiyama, and myself, will share various information about Kirby Star Allies.
The video above is packed with charm, so I hope you check that out too.
Kirby Star Allies is the first classic action Kirby game to launch on the Nintendo Switch™ system.
You can play with anyone, anywhere with up to 4 players simultaneously*, use 28 different copy abilities (the most copy abilities in the Kirby series to date), and befriend over 20 different friends with various abilities.
Kirby can also team up with Dream Friends, which consist of friends from past Kirby games, so please watch the video below to learn about some of them. The first three Dream Friends update will be available March 28th!
We would like to deliver more game information (and charm!) with this channel, so we hope you look forward to it. Until next time...Jambuhbye! (See you later!)
Update #2
Create your own dream team! Bring Dream Friends along on your adventure!
Bonjam! I'm Shinya Kumazaki from Hal Laboratory General Director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
This article is all about Dream Friends, which consist of characters from past Kirby games. We are planning to launch more Dream Friends in future updates, but let me introduce some of them!
Let's begin with the three Dream Friends you will meet as you progress through your adventure. First, there is Bandana Waddle Dee...representing the Waddle Dees that have the perfect attendance award for all Kirby games to date! Next, we have Kirby's Frenemy since Kirby's Dream Land, the self-proclaimed king, King Dedede. And thirdly, is the winged knight that has flown the skies since Kirby's Adventure, Meta Knight.
But that's not all. In addition to the characters above, more Dream Friends have been added as part of the free update on March 28th.
First are the animal friends that appeared in Kirby's Dream Land 2: Rick & Kine & Coo! After debating long and hard about which animal friends to add to the game, we decided to just put them all together. The biggest highlight is that you can easily swap between these characters depending on the situation. Rick uses fire, Kine uses ice and water, and Coo uses wind for attacks, so you can use these various elements to your advantage when solving puzzles along the way.
The next one is a surprise appearance from Kirby Super Star: Marx! Normally, he's a final boss that would never become your ally but Dream Friends make the impossible possible! His basic form looks like a jester riding a ball, but by using Friend Abilities, he can use attacks from his Final Boss form.
Lastly, there's the strange friend from Kirby's Dream Land 3: Gooey! Even though I don't know what he's thinking...but he's a character that's searching for the big questions in life. In addition to collecting items with his long tongue, he also has a nostalgic flight form.
Having these new and old characters come together is a true dream come true. The world of Kirby Star Allies is a dream stage where it's possible for characters that you would never see together work together. I hope everyone that plays the game will continue enjoying lively piggybacking, food-sharing adventures with friends!
Until next time Jambuhbye
P.S. If you pay attention to Kirby's friends running across the title screen, we've added new variations including the Dream Friends, I hope you can check that out too!
Also, I may have mentioned in the past you can play with 24 friends. but my apologies! If you include the Dream Friends introduced above, you can actually play with 30 friends. I would like to strongly stress this correction!
Update #3
Find hidden rooms with these two hints!
Bonjam! This is Yuki Endo from HAL Laboratory, Level Design Director for the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
In this article, I would like to introduce some hints to find hidden rooms. Normally, the goal of this game is to complete stages by swapping through various friends. However, instead of just heading straight to the stage goal, try taking your time to explore. —you may find some surprises! Here are two hints for finding hidden rooms.
Hint 1: The mysterious hole on the volcano wall.
Take a look at the first screenshot in the image above. This is a volcanic stage called Nature's Navel, located on World of Miracles - Planet Popstar. There is actually a secret entrance hidden somewhere around here. Can you find it? There's a fun course you can play inside!
Hint 2: Escape Jambastion using a secret route!
Next, please take a look at the second image. This is a hidden room that's somewhere in the Fortress of Shadows, Jambastion. There are many Electro Saws (an electric obstacle that moves along rails) inside, and the rails are shaped like the three letters H, A, and L.
Hmm where can this hidden room full of items be? Well, if you look carefully, Kirby and his friends are on a Friend Star...which means it's found in the stage where you need to escape Jambastion. It may be a little tough, but try resisting the urge to hurry along while on the Friend Star: you may want to stop and think for a bit to find the room!
So how did you like those hints? There are many surprises hidden in the game so please explore around. It may also be fun to show off the surprises you find to your friends!
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #4
Look for these secrets on the world map! Bojam. This is Tastsuya Kamiyama of HAL Lab., Sequence Director for the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
In this fourth article, I would like to talk about how the world map was made and some secrets you can find on it. Did you notice the surprises in the picture above?
- If you visit Far-Flung - Starlight Heroes after you clear story mode, you can see Ripple Star from Kirby 64™: The Crystal Shards game in the far distance.
- After the first free update, you may get a glimpse of Dyna Blade soaring in the distance of World of Peace - Dream Land. Dyna Blade is a character that made its first appearance in the Dyna Blade game in the Kirby Super Star™ game.
We've hidden some other features from past Kirby titles in Far Flung - Starlight Heroes, so we hope you'll explore around and find them!
Oh, speaking of the world map, you may have notice that you can move freely around it in this game. This is different from the more "linear" map in past games. We often use linear maps to keep the player from getting lost, and because it's easier to adjust the game's camera based on their movements.
One of the main reasons we went with a "free-roam" map in Kirby Star Allies is that the Nintendo Switch™ system's higher resolution makes it easier to show a broader view. With a high resolution, we can show a vast map while keeping Kirby a size where you can see him clearly. The stages and Dream Palaces are also shown clearly on this vast map, which help prevent the player from getting lost. It's also much easier to get back to the Dream Palaces with this free range of movement.
Additionally, I believe watching Kirby's friends chase after him as best as they can on the map add a fun feeling of going on an adventure with your friends!
We also had another goal when creating this world map. In past games, player progressed by going to different locations on the map. This time, as the story progressed, we wanted to increase the scale of the map.
We wanted players to feel the scale of the story grow bigger and bigger, so we started out with Kirby running around the map and eventually moved to traveling around on a Warp Star; making the controls feel different as the story progresses.
When player left Planet Popstar for the first time and ventured off to space, we hope they felt as if they've jumped into a grand world!
Until next time. Jambuhbye!
Update #5
Hidden secrets about the boss characters!
Hello...I mean, Bonjam! I'm Shinya Kumazaki of HAL Lab., General Director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
In this fifth article, I'd would like to talk about the boss secrets in this game! If you use certain elemental abilities there are hidden effects and reactions that can happen during boss battles.
- Whispy Woods/Yggy Woods - If you use fire abilities to attack them, they catch on fire!
- King Dedede - If you pour water on rotten fruit thrown at you, they turn into healing items!
- Twin Kracko - If you attack with ice abilities when they make it rain, the bosses freeze!
- Francisca - When she attacks with soda, you can electrocute her by using electric abilities!
- Flamberge - When she has her cannon out, you can prevent her attacks by using water abilities on the fire traveling along the fuse! You can even use paint from the Artist abilities to prevent it too.
Likewise, you can shorten your boss fights quite a bit by using Friend Abilities. We kind of intended to recreate the tempo of past Kirby games where you could easily defeat bosses by throwing minor enemies at them at the right time. We also wanted players that have never played a Kirby game before to feel a similar accomplishment by utilizing Friend Abilities.
Last but not least. I would now like to talk about the three Jambastion Mages who have added a little more color to this game's story.
The Jambastion Mages, who are the boss Generals, are referred to as "three sisters" in one of the pause screens.
So are they actually siblings or members of a sisterhood of mages? Just like Kirby and Meta Knight's secrets, this is another mystery that stirs the imagination!
In the Japanese version of the game, a pause screen says Zan Partizanne was taken in by Hyness, and had sworn loyalty to Hyness after she had received powerful magic. Comparing Hyness's true face and hers, it looks like they're from different races though
Hopefully this sparked some interest in boss characters like the Jambastion Mages! It may be fun to enjoy the series in a new way--by expanding your imagination and learning about the secrets and backstory of the characters.
Until next time. Goodby—Jambuhbye!
(EU version of final passage)
Finally, let's talk about the villains of this piece, the three mages of Jambastion.
The generals of magic, as they're known, are the main bosses. On certain boss fight pause screens you'll see them called sisters, but what does that mean? Actual siblings or members of a sisterhood of mages? Just like the mystery of Kirby and Meta Knight, we'll leave this one to your imagination.
On another boss fight pause screen you'll see that Zan Partizanne is sworn to her master, Hyness, and through him was granted the strongest magical power. Even now she serves him devotedly. But you can see from Hyness's true face that they don't look like family
Obviously you don't really have to pay much attention to each character's background, beyond how it affects the story. We might reveal that Gooey is a kind of Dark Matter, but as far as Kirby is concerned, Gooey is just Gooey.
However, if these bosses pique your interest, we think it adds to the depth of the series and makes their mysteries more fun to ponder.
Update #6
5/31/2018
Don't forget to take fun photos in Kirby Star Allies!
Hello! Bonjam!
Yuki Endo from HAL Lab. here! I'm the level design director for the Kirby Star Allies game.
In this sixth article, we would like to introduce some great photos. These were submitted by users to a photo contest that ran on the Japanese official Kirby Twitter account.
The theme of this event was to share screenshots of giggle-worthy scenes and decisive moments captured in the game. The developers looks through the submissions and picked out their favorites!
We hope these photos will inspire you to take and share fun in-game pictures of your own!
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #7
6/8/2018
More free Dream Friends DLC is coming this summer!
Bonjam. This is Tatsuya Kamiyama of HAL Lab., sequence director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
I have some breaking news—Wave 2 of the Dream Friends DLC is coming this summer!
One of the Dream Friends being added in Wave 2 is Daroach, leader of the mysterious treasure-thieving Squeaks, from the Kirby: Squeak Squad game.
Daroach can shoot beams of ice, just like in his boss battle. Enemies that are hit by this will freeze, and you can conveniently take them out all at once.
The second character is Dark Meta Knight from the Kirby & The Amazing Mirror game. Dark Meta Knight is a shadow of a powerful knight that made a great impact on Mirror Land, located high above Dream Land.
In addition to sword attacks, Dark Meta Knight can use mirrors in a variety of ways, such as reflecting enemy attacks back where they came from.
These characters may have been tough foes of Kirby in past Kirby games, but they are reliable friends for your journey in this game.
Please look forward to the summer!
Update #8
6/27/2018
Secret messages on the pause menu!
Bonjam! I'm Shinya Kumazaki from HAL Laboratory, the General Director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
Today I'm going to tell you about the special messages that you can find on the pause menu. Normally, pausing the game will show you controls and techniques, but during boss fights you'll get to see secret messages instead!
This will be familiar to long-time players of the series, but to many it's a hidden facet of the game. If you haven't seen them, go and have a look. You might learn some new things.
These hidden messages are one way we make the world of Kirby deeper and wider than it would otherwise be. Even if you don't take much notice of the background or plot, Kirby is still full of action and fun—but for people who want to be immersed in the world of Kirby Star Allies, there are new depths to be explored in these hidden messages.
As you get closer to the grand finale we put in messages to amp up the excitement, and on the last boss's pause menu, you'll find song lyrics!
We've had some fun with wordplay in the background too. For instance, take the Planet Popstar stage names. If you take the initials of the stage names and put them together, you'll get an important word!
So, as you can see, we've tried to flesh out the world of Kirby Star Allies world using action, graphics and words.
Another way to expand the world is, of course, with the Dream Friends joining us in the summer update, which we're currently working hard on. Please be just a little more patient!
That's all for me. Jambuhbye!
Update #9
2/13/2018
Adeleine & Ribbon to join free update wave 2, coming July 27th!
Hello and bonjam!
This is Yuki Endo from HAL Laboratory, the level design director for the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
In addition to Daroach and Dark Meta Knight making their entrance with the second free update, there is, in fact, another Dream Friend duo ready to enter the spotlight: a pair whose presence has long been missed. It's Adeleine & Ribbon from the Kirby 64™: The Crystal Shards game!
Adeleine has the ability to bring anything that she paints to life, and Ribbon the fairy possesses a mysterious power that allows her to fly. These two have a really dedicated, long-time fanbase. Back in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, they played an important role in the story, but you weren't able to control them yourself. Now that they've become Dream Friends, they can finally be player-controlled!
Adeleine and Ribbon fight using their unique powers, occasionally joining forces. Adeleine relies on the power of her paintings to attack. It's far more potent than Kirby's Artist Copy Ability, so expect to see some moves that will really color you impressed. More details on that later!
Then there's Ribbon. She shares her power with Adeleine so they can glide through the air together. Sometimes they even team up to unleash a combined attack!
Just like in the original game, they don't have much in the way of stamina, which can make their adventure particularly tough. Still, they're an interesting duo - all it takes is a few brush strokes to turn the battle around! With the power to create all sorts of paintings and a unique ability that stands apart from the rest, they really are a true "dream" friend.
What's more, if you play with Adeleine & Ribbon as Guest Stars after completing the main story, you'll get to take on brand-new maps! Have fun painting your way through classic Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards stages specially arranged for the Kirby Star Allies game. There's a very memorable map at the end which fans may remember, so look forward to that!
New Dream Friends Daroach, Dark Meta Knight and Adeleine & Ribbon aside, the second free update also introduces plenty of new game elements. The update will be available for download on July 27th - not long at all!
Jambuhbye for now!
Update #10
7/23/2018
Change to Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! mode in update wave 2.
Bonjam.
I'm Tatsuya Kamiyama from HAL Laboratory, the sequence director for the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
In the tenth installment in the Kirby Star Allies channel, I'm going to tell you about an update to the Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! feature. Once Story Mode has been cleared, Kirby's friends take center-stage in this mode, and you can take your pick of hero to play through with.
Up until this free update, when playing through Guest Star ???? you could save and continue a game, but only with one character at a time. If you started from the beginning with a different character halfway through, all records of the game in progress (except for time records) would be deleted.
The second free update will allow you to have multiple Guest Star ???? games saved at once, so you can play through with all the friends.
For people who have played this mode before the update, we have added a feature by which save data can be automatically created from a Best Time record to allow those people to continue their games.
In other words, if you have a lot of friends cleared at level one, with this update you can continue playing even with friends you haven't been able to play with yet.
And finally, here's a minor spoiler.
If you watch the credits after clearing Guest Star ????, the friend you've cleared with will appear in the audience. Complete it with various characters to grow the audience for the curtain call! Each Dream Friend added with the update will also come with their own levels, and the Friend Helper's levels will also get an upgrade.
So how would you feel about conquering Guest Star ???? with every friend?
With that, jambuhbye!
Update #11
8/8/2018
What's new In the free update #2?
A summer bonjam to you! I'm Shinya Kumazaki from HAL Laboratory, the General Director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
This time I'm going to talk about what has been added in the game in the free update #2.
The pièce de résistance is three new Dream Friends!
First is Daroach and his gang of thieves. He's no gentleman thief though, so don't get the wrong idea. We wanted to include as many characters as possible, so you'll see the shape of another fearsome foe in the Treasure Chests he throws! Here's some trivia for you: Daroach hates tomatoes! But surely even he would eat Maxim Tomatoes without complaining?
Next up we have Dark Meta Knight, the darker copy of Meta Knight from Mirror World. This mysterious knight split Kirby into four during the Kirby & The Amazing Mirror game. He also appeared in the Kirby™: Triple Deluxe game.
Finally, we have Adeleine & Ribbon. You've all been very patient, so thank you! It's like a dream come true to meet these two again. One of Adeleine's traits is having very little health, but since having 1 HP makes the game much harder, we had her team up with Ribbon to keep her true to her character. They can once again set out on adventures with King Dedede who acts like an older brother of the group! By the way, Adeleine is a little shy about being fed items, so she hides her face a little.
Other additions include:
- The ability to save multiple separate games for each character in the Guest Star ???? mode.
- Even more new stages two replace exiting maps in Guest Star ????.
- New hidden areas in Story Mode.
- Three new celebration pictures.
Try to set new records in The Ultimate Choice with the new Dream Friends. Adeleine & Ribbon will show you what "hard mode" really means!
We hope you enjoy this summer's free update! Jambuhbye!
Update #12
8/23/2018
More hidden rooms in Story Mode!
Hello! Bonjam! I'm Yuki Endo, level design director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
In addition to new Dream Friends, various features have been added by the 2nd free update. Today, I would like to introduce some hidden rooms that have been added to stages in Story Mode.
There are a number of new hidden rooms, so I would like to feature two of them today. If you haven't found these yet, I hope you'll have fun playing the stages looking for them!
- Room 1: A mysterious hole in the tree.
Please take a look at the first image above. This is on a certain planet in the Far-Flung Heroes World.
Can you figure out where the hidden entrance is in this picture? We hope you have fun looking for it! Inside this hidden room, you'll find some tricky battles.
- Room 2: Not a HAL room but a heart room.
Now please take a look at the second image! This image is a look inside the hidden room.
A staple of the Kirby series, you may have found hidden rooms with blocks spelling out HAL in this game already. But we thought it would be great to have blocks create a shape that represents the game.
Since this is a snowy mountain stage, this hidden room is located in Echo's Edge in Planet Popstar...but the hidden entrance is as tough to find as a HAL room. Instead of going right into the next door, you may want to be patient and take your time to locate this one.
In both rooms, you can find lots of Picture Pieces. The 2nd update also adds 3 more pictures to complete, so hunting down hidden rooms may help out if you're trying to gather a bunch of Picture Pieces to complete all the pictures.
The world of Star Allies now has more things to do after the 2nd free update, so we hope you'll enjoy the game to the fullest!
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #13
9/21/2018
Secret game menu details.
Bonjam! I'm Tatsuya Kamiyama, Sequence Director for the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
Have you played Kirby Star Allies with the free update #2*?
In addition to new Dream Friends, there are helpful updates such as a save feature in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! mode. We hope you check it out!
Today, I would like to introduce secret details in the game menu.
For this game, we wanted to use a simple design without too many textures, and we used designs that uses shape-changing transitions.
One of these designs includes a gradation effect that smoothly transitions shapes in the background. This gradation effect is actually based on a design that one of our programmers created as a hobby. Since that creation happened to match the design of this game, when it was introduced to the designers, the reaction was "That is it!". And it was used in the game.
The gradation effect is also used during screen transitions. And in Story Mode, the colors are customized based on the theme colors of the worlds.
Next, I would like to introduce the effect when Kirby morphs into a silhouette of a heart in the loading screen.
We've discussed various design options until we decided on the final load screen effect. Some of the design candidates included the four stars in the Star Allies logo spinning around, and Kirby striking a pose. There were over ten different design candidates, but we chose this design because it utilized a heart which expresses the game's theme.
There are some other details in the menus too. For example, if you pay attention to the silhouette of Kirby and his friends in the Theater, you can see them chatting and falling asleep.
Also, Kirby and his friends perform in a band when you select music in the Jukebox, but did you know they react if you push the L/R buttons while they're performing?
There are some other small secrets hidden in the menus, so you might discover some fun details if you pay attention.
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #14
10/2/2018
A few tidbits about the story and hearts.
I'm Shinya Kumazaki from HAL Laboratory, the General Director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game. By now you must have had a chance to delve into the second free update, right?
Today we're going to be giving away some secrets about the key item of this game - the heart - and the storyline.
In the images accompanying this post, you'll see a model sheet for the heart, which became the main motif for this title's story. There's a concept sheet for the dark Jamba Heart as well.
In the game's opening, countless Jamba Hearts suddenly come raining down. Mixed with the dark hearts, you might see light hearts raining down, too. The hooded villain Hyness was the one who scattered the hearts - though, not on purpose. The ritual he was performing failed, sending dark and light hearts soaring throughout the galaxy.
The light hearts come from the spears of the heart once used by heroes to seal away the dark power. The spears got shattered, but they appear again later in the story, working in harmony with Kirby's Friend Power.
The story shows the contrast between a team of friends who are full of heart, and Hyness, who forsakes his own heart and falls into darkness. Still, even when Hyness becomes trapped in a spiral of loneliness and despair, he continues to be idolized by his three generals of magic. How does he feel about that, I wonder?
With this perspective, I hope you can all enjoy the different aspects of Kirby Star Allies - whether it be the rowdy action of beating up enemies, or the fun of digging a little deeper into the game world.
Anyway, that's all from me. Jambuhbye!
Update #15
10/11/2018
Secret details of the Cook Potluck ability!
Hello! Bonjam!
I'm Yuki Endo, Level Design Director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
Today we would like to focus on some secrets about Chef Kawasaki's signature Cook Potluck ability.
The Cook Potluck ability is unleashed when Kirby and friends are cooked in his pot. After being mixed, the friends fly out of the pot alongside a food item that aligns with their characteristics.
For example, if Chilly goes in the pot, chocolate ice cream launches out with him. It may be fun to guess which food item comes out of the pot with different friends.
Of course, this also happens when Dream Friends get cooked too. When Daroach (a Dream Friend added with the free update #2*) gets cooked in Cook Potluck, a strawberry shortcake launches out of the pot alongside him. But if you look closer, this strawberry shortcake looks a bit fancier compared to the ones you normally encounter. This one was actually designed after the strawberry shortcake that caused Kirby and Daroach's long chase in the Kirby Squeak Squad game.
In addition, a sandwich appears alongside Adeleine & Ribbon when they get cooked. You may notice that the sandwich is rectangular compared to the triangular sandwiches frequently spotted in the game. The sandwich is modeled after the sandwich Adeleine is eating during a video sequence in the Kirby 64™: The Crystal Shards game.
Lastly, here's a challenge for you.
When the 3-in-1 Dream Friend, Rick & Kine & Coo, gets cooked, different food items pop out depending on which form they are in when put in the pot. A carrot pops out with Rick, and a roast chicken when Coo's in the pot. Chef Kawasaki cannot use Cook Potluck underwater, so it may seem as if you can't cook Kine who swims underwater. However, as you can see in the picture above, you can see Kine pop out of the pot alongside some sushi.
Can you figure out how you can get Kine in the pot?
I hope you'll try to figure it out!
There are more secrets in the game, so we hope you enjoy the game by experimenting different things while you play.
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #16
10/29/2018
Learn about the adorable skits that play on the title menu.
Bonjam!
I'm Tatsuya Kamiyama, sequence director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
When you open the title, file select, and mode select menus, you can watch Kirby and friend helpers perform short skits. Additionally, Dream Friends that are added through free DLC updates also participate in skits that may remind you of games they originated from.
Within the additional 18 skit patterns added from 2 free DLC updates, there are currently 82 different skit patterns. This is only the number of patterns, so if you consider the characters randomly placed in different roles and different moving directions, there's actually a lot more!
When we were creating the structure of the title menu, we wanted to design a menu screen that matched the feel of the game. Since we knew friend helpers and friend abilities would be key features of the game, we decided to include Kirby and the helper friends.
The stages and title menu systems are different, so it is difficult to add in Kirby in a similar way to how he appears in stages. On top of that, this game has a large variation of characters and copy abilities, so it was quite the challenge.
In the beginning, we were planning to just have Kirby run across the screen with friend helpers, but ideas started to fly around, like, "Wouldn't this be cute?" and "If we include these characters, we can do this!" So, the staff's love for Kirby overflowed and a variety of short skits you can watch in the completed game were born.
When you start playing this game for the first time, you only see Kirby in the title screen, but as you play with more friend helpers, they start appearing in the title screen too.
We hope you'll check out the title screen and enjoy Kirby and friends' adorable skits when you have a chance.
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #17
11/7/2018
The secrets of Hyness's design development.
Bonjam!
I'm Shinya Kumazaki, general director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
Have you cleared the main story of the game? Today, I would like to talk about some secrets regarding the origin of Hyness's design, a boss from the climax of the story.
Even in earlier sketches, Hyness was designed to be a mysterious new character with a hidden identity. Hyness's name was inspired by him being an elite mage, a noble being, and a high-ranked priest. He is also a genius among the mages, so his strengths made him the head of the Jambastion mages and leader of his people.
For Hyness, we wanted to design a character with a little more depth to build up his boss battle that contrasts with past antagonists like President Haltmann—a man obsessed with eternal prosperity—in the Kirby™: Planet Robobot game, and Queen Sectonia—an evil villain obsessed with beauty—from the Kirby™: Triple Deluxe game.
We wanted to make good use of his face hidden under his hood, so after discussing with veteran designers, we decided to heat up the climax of the story when his face is revealed.
There were various ideas of what should be under his hood, like: "What if he didn't have a definitive form under the hood?" "What about a pure-hearted philosopher?" "How about a long-haired woman?" "What if he had a beast-like face?" etc.
While these ideas were being discussed, the lead character designer sketched out the alien-like design at the very bottom of the image. It's a surprising face, but the design somehow fits into the world of the Kirby series and reminiscent of a mage from another galaxy.
He is also voiced by Shigeru Chiba (Ed note: a prolific Japanese actor—look him up!), so a character that matches the greatness of his voice was born.
We incorporated his rain dance-like movements when he worships the Dark Lord, and the sound team created tracks that matched his image. Altogether, a battle scene with a mood like no other past Kirby games was created.
The impressive Hyness character was created through teamwork, but every single character's movements, designs, and sounds are created by staff members working together, all with the goal of making the game as exciting as possible.
Enjoying the design, imagining deeper settings of the characters, or just simply enjoying their actions...all is as good as one another. If there is something intriguing for you, we hope you enjoy that.
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #18
11/23/2018
Kirby Star Allies will have free DLC starting 11/30!
Bonjam!
This is Yuki Endo, Level Design Director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game. As we get ready for the 11/30 launch of the next wave of free DLC, we would like to introduce new Dream Friends being added with this update.
Magolor is a deceptive mage from the Kirby's Return to Dream Land™ game. He may have put Kirby in tough situations in the past, but you can finally use him as a playable character!
He magnificently wields his magic in battles. While some of his moves may seem a bit unfair, they match his personality! One of his great features is that he wields the giant Ultra Sword! Did he secretly stash up some power from the Master Crown? Or perhaps he stole this ability from Kirby?
We hope you look forward to this amazing ability.
Taranza arrives from the Kirby™: Triple Deluxe game! He is an intelligent, multi-limbed character who kidnapped King Dedede. He has a technical fighting style and skills that last a limited amount of time. Harnessing magic, he used his spiderweb-like threads to catch foes.
We recommend his Darling Dreamstalk move, which creates a Dreamstalk that stays in place for a while. You can use the Dreamstalk as a shield and utilize the Super Taranza Ball, a powerful long-distance move.
Susie from the Kirby™: Planet Robobot game joins the battle wielding the power of science!
Susie works as a secretary for Haltmann Works Company. Flying around gracefully with the power of science, she fights with the H.W.C Blaster.
Additionally, she can also jump into the Business Suit mech that Kirby has a tough time defeating. This machine has a lot of power and defense, so you can easily plough through enemies.
We were originally going to cut off today's article here, but here's another special announcement...
Breaking news! Here's a surprise addition!
From Kirby Star Allies, the beautiful Three Mage-Sisters join the roster!
Now, Dream Friends from every major Kirby game are available!
When using these sisters, you can change between them any time you want while playing the game.
Unlike Rick & Kine & Coo, where they swap out depending on the move, the Mage-Sisters are special characters that you can actually tag out. You woulds be able to use the Three Mage-Sisters by completing a specific task in the game!
Now there's a total of 13 Dream Friends! You can play with any of these characters in all modes except sub-games.
We hope you look forward to this update!
Jambuhbye!
Update #19
12/7/2018
Free DLC Wave 3 update is live!
Bonjam!
I'm Tatsuya Kamiyama, Sequence Director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
As of November 30th, the free DLC wave 3 update has gone live! This is the last wave of updates for this game.
Kirby Star Allies features 28 copy abilities, the largest number of copy abilities in the Kirby series, and 24 Friend Helpers. In addition to that, new Dream Friends have been added through waves of free updates. In this 3rd wave, an additional 4 Dream Friends have been added.
With the addition of Magolor from the Kirby's Return to Dream Land™ game, Taranza from the Kirby™: Triple Deluxe game, Susie from the Kirby™: Planet Robobot game, and The Three Mage-Sisters from this game, if you count all the Friend Helpers and Dream Friends, there are a total of 37 Friends!
And, on top of that, a new game mode has been added called Heroes in Another Dimension!
This mode will be available after you clear Story Mode. Kirby and his friends go through a dimensional hole that appeared before them, and adventure off into another dimension.
A new feature in this mode is that when Player 1 passes through doors marked by a different character icon, you will change to the marked character. You can utilize their different abilities to progress through the challenges and collect Friend Hearts that have scattered across this different dimension.
You will face Parallel Bosses that stand in your way. Not only do they look scarier, their attacks have powered up atrociously. This is a pretty tough mode with challenges and strong enemies!
In addition to myself, the staff has poured their hearts into this wave 3 update, where heroes from the traditional Kirby series begin their adventure. It seems like the Three Mage-Sisters await them for battle, but what is the fate of the sisters' hearts, and Hyness' fate? What new future awaits after collecting all the scattered Friend Hearts...?!
We hope you enjoy playing this new update!
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #20
12/21/2018
Secrets of the wave 3 final update! Available now!
Bonjam!
I'm Shinya Kumazaki, general director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
Before we begin, in celebration of the wave 3 update, we hope you enjoy the special illustration of the new Dream Friends in battle—prepared just for the Kirby Star Allies channel!
In addition to the new mode and new Dream Friends, did you notice that there were other various adjustments made for this free update? For example, in some hard modes, Kirby's Star Bullet attack gets significantly stronger depending on how many stars have been inhaled. Utilize Kirby's signature trait and inhale tons of stars to challenge the tougher bosses!
Additionally, we increased the strength, launch distance, and invincibility frames for some of the abilities as well. One example is increasing the invincibility time while flying up during the Beetle Spiral Horn move.
The earliest Dream Friends, like King Dedede, have also gotten some new moves. One of my favorites is Meta Knight's Galactic Counter attack, which looks really cool!
Here, I would like to look back and count what has been added through the free updates:
- In Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! mode, maps representing a roundup of characters have been included to add some change.
- We count the stage areas from one door to another as "1 step." But, by the wave 3 update, in addition to over 170 steps, 56 steps have been added to Heroes in Another Dimension, resulting in a total of roughly 240 new steps.
- For playable characters, if you include Kirby's normal state, there are now a total of 66 of them (Kirby + 28 abilities + 24 friends + 13 Dream Friends).
- Additionally, there are 117 different skits you can watch on the title screen, 29 different transformations using the Stone ability, 18 memorial illustrations, and 233 tracks in the Jukebox!
Every feature above is created with what the staff wanted to express, and with the hope that users would enjoy them.
Honestly, we may have overdone it a bit this time...
However, numbers and projects cannot express the amount of heart that was poured into development. We enjoyed developing the game, and developed it with the hope that players would enjoy it, as well.
We hope those that have not played the wave 3 update will enjoy playing it!
Until next time... Jambuhbye!
Update #21
1/11/2019
Experience the Heroes in Another Dimension mode!
Sorry we're a bit late, but Jamba New Year!!
I'm Yuki Endo, Level Design Director for the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
Whether you just received this game over the holidays, or you've had it for a while, we're hoping you'll enjoy the updated world of Kirby Star Allies with the free wave 3 update. The new mode, Heroes in Another Dimension, can now be accessed after you beat the main story mode.
In this mode, you navigate through Another Dimension, facing challenging stages and powered-up bosses. Work together with Dream Friends and utilize Friend Abilities to collect Friend Hearts by solving various puzzles. Some Friend Hearts may take some careful thought to get a hold of, while others might be a bit more laborious to retrieve if you miss them during your initial run. We hope you enjoy the difficulty of these stages!
After you defeat the final boss, you can freely select stages in this mode. If you've missed Friend Hearts, this means you can try again! Additionally, after defeating the final boss, you will be ranked based on how many Friend Hearts you've collected. For example, if you get A rank or above, the end becomes a happy ending.
To get A rank, you'll need to collect at least 100 out of 120 Friend Hearts! This is quite a hurdle, but we hope you'll accomplish it! And, by earning this ending, certain powerful characters become a Dream Friend!
Finally, if you get A Rank or above, please don't push the + button to skip the credits. You may notice something different... Continue watching to be able to battle an unexpected character!
Kirby Star Allies has a robust amount of content you may not have gotten yet, so we hope you enjoy the game to its fullest.
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #23
2/12/2019
Concept art featured in Kirby Star Allies.
Bonjam!
This is Shinya Kumazaki, General Director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
We hope that you've had a chance to enjoy the added features in the third free update. Today, I'd like to share two pieces of concept art that appear at the end of the stories.
The first piece of concept art is of the Mysterious Altar that appears in the final stage of Story Mode, The Divine Terminus. The second piece, the red sword, represents a tough foe that appears at the end of Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! mode. What kind of character would wield a weapon like this...?
If you haven't cleared these modes yet, I hope you'll make it to the end and see what characters await!
If you look closely at the first piece of concept art, there's something that looks like a door towards the back. Where does that door lead? Although this remains a mystery, it stirs the imagination.
The second piece, the red sword, has a powerful appearance. It mirrors many of its owner's features, like the butterfly wings and a phoenix-like design. The character designer incorporated many images into this sword, sketching out various designs.
The powerful foe that wields the sword also appears in black as the EX boss version, an even more powerful boss, if you make it to the end of the toughest mode. It's an extremely tough boss, but we hope you'll have a chance to challenge it!
Like these sketches, there are countless designs that were created with the staff's creative ideas. It might be fun to play the game again and compare this concept art with the final in-game designs.
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #24
2/25/2019
The Three Mage-Sisters make an appearance in Jukebox and Theater!
This is Yuki Endo, Level Design Director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
Have you unlocked the Three Mage-Sisters as Dream Friends? This can be done by collecting 100 Friend Hearts in Heroes in Another Dimension mode, which was added with the third free update. We hope you'll enjoy try out their abilities!
With that, I'd like to offer some tips about where you can find the Three Mage-Sisters after you unlock them.
If you visit Jukebox after unlocking the Three Mage-Sisters, they will sometimes perform alongside Kirby! By the way, several tracks were added to Jukebox with the recent update. You can unlock more tracks by playing through the added content.
If you hold down the L and R Button during their performance, the sisters will strike a pose! It may be fun to push these buttons to the beat of different tracks.
Additionally, the Three Mage-Sisters will sometimes make an appearance I the Theater. You may see them as guest silhouettes on the bottom left of the screen, so we hope you'll take a look.
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #25
3/15/2019
Friendly tips for Heroes in Another Dimension mode.
Bonjam! This is Tatsuya Kamiyama, sequence director of the Kirby™ Star Allies game.
Are you enjoying Heroes in Another Dimension mode? This is a challenging mode in which you need to defeat tough foes while collecting Friend Hearts. If you collect 100 Friend Hearts or more, the story's ending changes and the Three Mage-Sisters become your Dream Friend!
Now that's some motivation to collect 100 Friend Hearts!
Today, we would like to share how to find some challenging Friend Hearts in Dimension I and Dimension II.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Dimension I: The hidden switch!
There's a hidden switch in Bandana Waddle Dee's first stage.
To the left of the second Green Point Star, you can see a switch! A cube may be blocking your view, but if you hug the wall, you can use the lance to hit the switch.
Dimension I: Change on through using Bluster Sword!
The Bluster Sword ability will come in handy in Meta Knight's first section. Using the Piercing Slash attack with a Bluster Sword extends the range of attack and allows for faster mobility. If you utilize this advantage where the stage sinks, it will be easier to obtain the Friend Heart. Also, make sure to become friends with the Broom Hatter somewhere in this stage.
Dimension II: Jump off NESP's attack!
Did you know that Rick can stomp on enemies and enemy attacks? In Rick & Kine & Coo's stage, there is a locked door behind NESP. In order to reach it, first jump on NESP's attack, and then on top of NESP—all while holding the key.
Dimension II: Check under the Friend Platform!
In the Ice section of Dimension II, once you climb to the top of the ladders, you can find a Friend Platform. If you look below, there's an open space. This is where you can find a Friend Heart! But, be careful—you can't get this heart if you transform into the Friend Train.
We wish you luck on collecting all 100 Friend Hearts! Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #26
3/16/2019
Celebrate the 1st anniversary of Kirby Star Allies with this illustration!
It's time to party! The Kirby™ Star Allies game has turned one year old. To commemorate its anniversary, the developers prepared this special illustration.
This illustration also packs a bit of Kirby history! All of the allies in this picture have been present in the series since the Kirby's Dream Land™ game: the first game in the series from more than 25 years ago!
Each ally was also illustrated by different developers who worked on the Kirby series. General Director of Kirby Star Allies, Shinya Kumazaki, illustrated Poppy Bros. Jr., while Design Director Riki Fuhrmann illustrated Kirby. Broom Hatter on the right was illustrated by Designer Hitoshi Kikkawa, who has been working as a designers since Kirby's Dream Land. Yes, this illustration is a collaboration between generations of designers!
We hope you enjoy both this illustration and the game, and can feel the history of the series as you do so.
Update #27
4/12/2019
Discover the hidden room on Planet Caverna.
Happy spring and bon jam!
This is Yuki Endo, Level Design Director of the Kirby Star Allies game.
Have you found the hidden room on Planet Caverna? With so much content added in the third update, we thought it would be nice to add some challenge to the stage. So, we added a hidden room! But be warned: entering this hidden room drastically changes the difficulty of the whole stage.
Located on Planet Caverna in Far-Flung — Starlight Heroes, this challenge takes place in a large cave where mid-bosses battle you, room after room. The doors that lead to the hidden room is not obvious, so, we'll let you in on a secret...
At the beginning of this stage, descend into the cave by breaking the blocks. Once you land at the very bottom, hover up until you return to the very top. There, you will see that a secret door has appeared!
Once you enter a room, you'll notice that not only are the mid-bosses stronger, but they attack you with a twin! Watch out for the Twin Bugzzy — they're especially challenging.
If you're confident in your skills, please give this hidden room a try. If you can defeat all the mid-bosses, you will receive a ton of items in front of the goal.
There are still many secrets sprinkled throughout the game. We hope you have fun exploring and discovering some for yourself.
Until next time, Jambuhbye!
Update #28
5/7/2019
Kirby Star Allies channel finale!
Here's a final Bonjam from the Kirby™ Star Allies game channel!
This is Shinya Kumazaki, general director of Kirby Star Allies.
We've reached the final article for this channel. To mark this occasion, we've put together a commemorative collaboration illustration by the game's development staff! We hope you enjoy the time-lapse video of our teamwork.
These characters were not only drawn by the design team, but members from other teams, including directors (like me), programmers, and even the sound team! This illustration is a true representation of the Kirby Star Allies development team.
Looking back, the development for this game started with a goal to create a culmination of the Kirby series. At release, there were 41 stages and about 250 steps (the section in a stage from one door to the next) available. After all the free updates, the number of steps now total more than 500, and include extra challenge modes and bosses.
The well-received Dream Friends and Friends now total 37. If you add Kirby's individual copy abilities, there are 65 types of characters to play with. There's so many of them that they can't all fit into our illustration!
It was a lot of work, and we may have overdone it a bit, but it became a sensational project which made us feel like we were able to celebrate four launch days with the fans.
If you haven't played after the free updates, we hope you have a chance to play it after reading this article!
So, what will Kirby be doing after concluding his grand Kirby Star Allies adventure? Since he's so carefree, we bet he's out there somewhere enjoying his ever-peaceful days—eating, sleeping, and eating and sleeping, again.
Thank you very much for reading the many articles on this channel. Until we meet again.
Jam...Buhbye!!