Kirby Super Star Ultra
North American box art
Developer(s)	HAL Laboratory
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Director(s)	Shinya Kumazaki
Producer(s)	Masayoshi Tanimura Kensuke Tanabe
Programmer(s)	Shigenobu Kasai
Artist(s)	Hitoshi Kikkawa
Composer(s)	Jun Ishikawa Hirokazu Ando
Series	Kirby
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS
Release	NA: September 22, 2008 JP: November 6, 2008 EU: September 18, 2009
Genre(s)	Action,platform
Mode(s)	Single-player,multiplayer

Kirby Super Star Ultra^[a] is a 2008anthologyaction-platform game developed byHAL Laboratory and published byNintendo for theNintendo DS. The game is anenhanced remake ofKirby Super Star, originally released for theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System in 1996, to commemorate theKirby series' 15th anniversary.^[1] The remake retains all game modes found in the original and adds four major new ones, along with adding updated visuals andfull-motion video cutscenes.^[1]

The game was released in North America on September 22, 2008, in Japan on November 6, 2008, and in Europe on September 18, 2009.^[2] The game received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its conversion to handheld gameplay, graphics, soundtrack, and large amount of new content. Like its predecessor, it was also criticized for being too easy.Kirby Super Star Ultra sold just under 3 million copies, making it the best-selling Kirby game since the series' debut,Kirby's Dream Land, in 1992,^[3] and is currently thefourth best-selling game in the series.

Kirby Super Star Ultra is aside-scrollingplatform game. Similar to previous entries in theKirby series, the player controlsKirby to complete variouslevels while avoiding obstacles and enemies. Kirby can walk or run, jump, swim, crouch, slide, and inhale enemies or objects to spit them out as bullets.^{[4]: 10–13} He can fly for a limited time by inflating himself; while flying, Kirby cannot attack or use his other abilities, though he can release a weak puff of air. By eating certain enemies, Kirby can gain copy abilities,power-ups allowing him to take on the properties the enemy possessed.^{[4]: 14–15}

If Kirby uses a copy ability, he can produce a Helper, a character that can be controlled automatically orby another player by wireless multiplayer. Like Kirby, Helpers can float continuously, but can only use the copy ability they were based on. The player can also grant the Helper a different form or revert them into apower-up in an emergency.^{[4]: 16–17} Theplayer characters losehealth if they are hit by enemies or hazards. Health can be replenished by eating food scattered across levels. If the Helper loses all their health, there is a short time for Kirby to grant it a new power before it disappears. If Kirby loses all of his health, the player will lose alife. Losing all lives results in agame over.^{[4]: 19–21}

Kirby Super Star Ultra retains all game modes found inKirby Super Star, but adds four new main ones for a total of eleven game modes total.^{[5]: 1 [1]}Kirby Super Star'sminigames also return, while adding three more for a total of five.^[b] While most game modes retain the samegame mechanics, they have different scenarios and objectives. Some games must be unlocked by playing others; a major change fromKirby Super Star involvesSpring Breeze being the only one accessible from the start.^[4]: 22 All games must be completed fully for a 100% save file percentage.Kirby Super Star Ultra also expands the original game by adding new enemy types, levels, mid-bosses, bosses, music, and full-motion video cutscenes. The integration of thetouchscreen of the Nintendo DS also changes accordingly depending on game mode.^[1][6]

• Spring Breeze: an abridgedremake of the firstKirby game,Kirby's Dream Land (1992), with new added gameplay enhancements. Kirby must make his way to a castle to challengeKing Dedede, who has stolen food from the citizens of Dream Land. The bottom screen displays the current level and score while playing this mode.^[7][4]: 22 UsingDS Download Play,Spring Breeze can be played with a second player without a second game card.^[4]: 29
• Dyna Blade: Kirby must stop Dyna Blade, a giant bird, from disturbing Dream Land's crops. The mode consists of five levels that the player must clear, including a face off against Dyna Blade. There are also two secret areas and a mini-boss that moves across theworld map. The bottom screen displays the world map, current stage, and score while playing this mode.^[8][4]: 23
• Gourmet Race: aracing game in which Kirby races King Dedede while eating as much food as possible.^[9] It takes place across three courses; whoever earns the most points by the end of all levels wins, with bonus points awarded to the first to finish each race. Players can choose to race either King Dedede or a "ghost" (the player's best attempt at the race), or simply race alone for the fastest time. An expanded display has been added to the bottom screen, showing the location of Kirby and Dedede through each course, along with the past high-score for each course.^[4]: 25 The game can also be played in multiplayer, which was not possible inKirby Super Star.^[9]
• The Great Cave Offensive: aMetroidvania adventure that sees Kirby explore a cave for treasure. 60 treasure chests are hidden across four areas, referencing otherNintendo franchises such asMetroid andThe Legend of Zelda.^[10] Some generic treasures have been replaced with items referencing more recent Kirby titles, for example, the 'Dud' with the'Cell Phone'. The bottom screen displays an extensive map that shows the player's current location, treasure and gold count, and if the player has found all the treasure in a specific area.^[4]: 24
• Revenge of Meta Knight: a story-driven mode chronicling Kirby's efforts to stopMeta Knight, who attempts to take over Dream Land and end the inhabitants' "lazy" lifestyle by invading in his signature airship, the Battleship Halberd. Each level has atime limit, and Kirby will lose a life if the player does not finish in time. The Halberd takes damage after every level; the bottom screen shows the ship's current status and player's location. The player fights numerous bosses, and the mode culminates in a chase to escape the falling Halberd.^{[11][4]: 25}
• Milky Way Wishes: the largest mode in the game. Because the Sun and Moon around planet Pop Star are fighting, ajester-like creature namedMarx tells Kirby he must travel across eight planets and restore the giant wish-granting comet-clock Nova.^[12] The mode also featuresscrolling shooter elements.^[13] Unlike the other modes, Kirby cannot use copy abilities; instead, he collects "Copy Essence Deluxes". Once in Kirby's possession, they allow the player to select and tap a copy ability from the bottom screen, and are kept permanently. The bottom screen also shows the player's current location.^[4]: 26 In the end, Marx— who masterminded the conflict— wishes to Nova to control Pop Star, but Kirby stops him.^[14]
• The Arena: aboss attack mode that challenges the player to fight every boss in the game with only one life and a free selection of power-up at the start of the game. The player can replenish their health up to five times total between rounds, and are granted two power-ups at random. The current boss and time are now shown on the bottom screen.^[15]

• Revenge of the King: After being beaten by Kirby so many times, King Dedede vows to defeat him in one last ditch attempt.Revenge of the King is a more faithful remake ofKirby's Dream Land's extra mode, which essentially serves as a longer and moredifficult version ofSpring Breeze. Kabula, the one boss present inKirby's Dream Land but notSpring Breeze has been added, along with harder versions of bosses, longer levels, and a completely revamped final fight. It is notable for being the last time canonically that King Dedede serves as a major antagonist to Kirby out of his own volition.^[16]
• Helper to Hero: A boss-rush mode where the player can control any one of the twenty Helpers in the game and utilise their unique movesets. In each Helper's campaign, their respective trials always culminate in a surprise final fight against Wham Bam Jewel, a newer and tougher version of Wham Bam Rock (the final boss ofThe Great Cave Offensive) who is fought immediately after the latter's defeat.^[17]
• Meta Knightmare Ultra: A condensed and remixed version of five of the seven original modes with new level layouts, allowing the player to play as Meta Knight. Meta Knight wishes to become the galaxy's greatest warrior, so he embarks on a long quest through Dream Land until he reaches his Halberd and flies into space with the intention of reviving the destroyed Nova fromMilky Way Wishes. Nova then grants his wish to fight the greatest warrior in the galaxy, Galacta Knight.^[18] The player can activate special abilities using the bottom screen, which cost magic points to cast.^[19]
• The True Arena: A harder version of the regular Arena mode, containing all of the new bosses and mid-bosses added to the game, along with a unique version of Marx called Marx Soul that serves as the hidden final boss of the game.^[20] It is unlocked after completing all other modes.^[6]

After the release ofKirby: Squeak Squad, HAL Laboratory's next Kirby project veered towards the idea of a remake ofKirby Super Star on the Nintendo DS. Originally it was meant to be a simpler remake, titledKirby Super Deluxe Plus, but Masayoshi Tanimura, the president of HAL, requested from the team a deluxe package that would exceed customers' expectations.Kirby Super Star Ultra was exhibited at a trade show mid-development; the development team remarked that even though the show was aimed for adults andWii Fit was the main attraction, the number of people who showed up at their booth exceeded expectations, as they held high nostalgia forKirby Super Star. The direction ofKirby Super Star Ultra was handled byShinya Kumazaki. The team's goal was to retain all modes from the SNES original; despite the game's considerable size, Kumazaki believed he could not remove anything due to fans' nostalgia, a sentiment shared with other members of the development team. Difficulty was also adjusted to make earlier sections, particularlySpring Breeze, easier than inKirby Super Star, but is compensated with the addition of new harder modes likeRevenge of the King. Player research with people who playedKirby Super Star was highly valued so that adjustments could be made for new players while keeping the original game's appeal, as the game was viewed not just as a remake in-house, but a new title.^[1][5]: 2

The addition of the Nintendo DS's functionalities expanded and streamlined parts of the game originally locked behind menus, such as the ability to change abilities on the bottom screen inMilky Way Wishes, or the player's treasure collection inThe Great Cave Offensive. This came from a desire to keep no information on the top screen when possible during play. Adjustments were made to Kirby's move set to enhance play; more copy abilities were considered during development but dropped, due to how it could upset the balance of the game modes.^[5]: 2 IncludingKirby Super Star's co-operative play through the DS's wireless functionality was a key aim to the development team, andKirby Super Star Ultra was further refined to allow every single mode to be played in co-op, unlike the original. The team felt a lot of pressure during development to retain the feature, asShigeru Miyamoto had personally requested cooperative gameplay forKirby Super Star on a visit to HAL Laboratory in 1996.^[5]: 3 Full-motion cutscenes were also added to enhance the game's story; these were kept short and faithful toKirby Super Star in order to not disrupt the game's pacing.^[5]: 4

Kirby Super Star Ultra'ssoundtrack was composed byJun Ishikawa, who also worked on the originalKirby Super Star, andHirokazu Ando, a veteran composer for the series who did not work on the original. New music was composed for the remake, including additional tracks for the original game modes and new tracks for the extra modes and cutscenes.

Kirby Super Star Ultra was released in North America on September 22, 2008,^[21] in Japan on November 6, 2008,^[22] and in Europe on December 18, 2009.^[23] The packaging design was initially planned to emulate aPaulownia wood box, as in the original game's Japanese packaging, with the addition ofnoshi paper wrapped around it. This would indicate that the product was an even more luxurious experience. However, Nintendo coordinator Mari Shirakawa was concerned that children would not understand the connection between Paulownia and luxury. As a result, the final packaging was designed with a coat of glitter to retain the sense of luxury while making it more accessible. UnlikeKirby Super Star, this packaging was retained worldwide.^[5]: 3

Kirby Super Star Ultra received "generally favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation websiteMetacritic.^[24] Several reviewers gave praise to the updated graphics and audio-visual presentation, calling them "gorgeous" and "vivacious".Destructoid's Ashley Davis praised the game for its replay value and additional content, stating that "they feel like they could have been part of the original game, each bringing something different to the table".^[27]1UP praised the game for its multiplayer and described it as "excellent", but noted while clever at times, the level design was not as intricate as in theMario series.^[26]IGN Australia's Clara Barraza praised the game's visuals, replay value, and harder additional content, while remarking that, while fun, the first half of the game is "a bit on the easy side". She also referred to the minigames as "bland".^[31]IGN US's Craig Harris remarked that the gameplay ofKirby Super Star Ultra felt more at home on the Nintendo DS than its SNES counterpart.^[32]Nintendo Life's Stuart Reddick praised the gameplay and visual presentation, calling it "magnificent", but expressed disappointment about the lack of touchscreen controls.^[33]Game Informer's Matt Helgeson was less warm towards the game, calling it "a game that is clearly a few generations behind the times", but praised its graphics and replay value.^[30]Eurogamer's Keza MacDonald criticized the gameplay, stating that "it never forces you to use your adaptable powers in an intelligent or challenging way", and the game's short length, but praised the visuals, calling the standard "universally high".^[28] In Japan,Famitsu gave it a score of 32 out of 40.^[29]

Most, if not all reviewers, were critical or aware of the game's easy difficulty, but noted that it was standard for the Kirby series.^{[27][26][31][32][33][30][28]}Destructoid remarked that "if it's a really challenging game you are looking for, you probably want to look elsewhere.Ultra, like most other Kirby games, never gets too terribly hard."^[27]

Kirby Super Star Ultra was both a critical and commercial success, selling over one million copies in Japan, as its predecessor did,^[35] and selling just under 3 million copies worldwide, makingKirby Super Star Ultra the fourth best-selling entry in the series, behindKirby and the Forgotten Land (2022),^[36]Kirby's Dream Land (1992),^[37] andKirby Star Allies (2018),^[38] outselling the originalKirby Super Star by more than double.^[3]

On December 11, 2008,Super Star Ultra became a Famitsu Gold title.^[39] As of December 2008, it was the fifth best-selling Nintendo DS game in the U.S.^[40]

• Kirby Super Star Ultra atMobyGames
• Official Kirby Super Star Ultra minisite (Japanese)

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