Kirby Mass Attack Box art ofKirby Mass Attack in various regions. Details Developer(s) HAL Laboratory, ENGINES Publisher(s) Nintendo Release date(s) Nintendo DS August 4, 2011 September 19, 2011 October 27, 2011[1] October 28, 2011 December 1, 2011 Virtual Console (Wii U) December 3, 2015 December 4, 2015 February 29, 2016 July 28, 2016 Platform(s) Nintendo DS Wii U(Virtual Console) Supported languages Japanese, American English, British English, Canadian French, European French, Italian, German, Latin American Spanish, European Spanish, Korean Rating(s) ESRB: PEGI: CERO:

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"KMA" redirects here. For information about the Nintendo DS game known as "Kirby: Mouse Attack" in some languages, seeKirby: Squeak Squad.

Kirby Mass Attack is a spin-offKirby game released for theNintendo DS in 2011. It was co-developed byHAL Laboratory and ENGINES, a company that was founded by several former Flagship employees that had worked onKirby & The Amazing Mirror andKirby Squeak Squad, and published byNintendo. The central premise revolves around using the Nintendo DS stylus to direct and guide up to ten otherwise small and helpless mini-Kirbys, who were split from the original by the game's villainNecrodeus in order to make the pink puffball easier to defeat. Instead of controlling the Kirbys directly, the player has to use the stylus to flick them around, tell them where to run, and drag them over obstacles when needed. A lot of micromanagement is needed to keep the Kirbys from perishing as they make their way through the stages, and if any are lost, the Kirbys will need to collect fruit in order to create new ones, with the player losing if all the Kirbys are defeated. The objective is to lead them through the stages until encountering and defeating Necrodeus at the very end, so that Kirby may become his whole self again.

In addition to the main story and its expansive stages, collections ofenemies, and a variety ofdevices,hazards, and other gimmicks,Kirby Mass Attack also features a very large collection of unlockableSub-Games, which offer novel ways to play and tons of references to otherKirby games and even other games outside of theKirby series.Kirby Mass Attack also features a very detailed hint system, which comes in the form ofDaroach and hisairship. Daroach's main motive for helping the Kirbys is so they can collect the variousmedals hidden throughout the game for him.

Kirby Mass Attack's name was first revealed in the 267th issue of Nintendo Power (May 2011). The game was one of the Nintendo DS titles shown at E3 2011.Kirby Mass Attack was first released in Japan on August 4, 2011, and was released in North America a month later, then in Europe and Australia roughly a month after that and finally in South Korea at the end of the year. It would be the lastKirby game to release for the Nintendo DS, and the last one to feature primarilysprite-based graphics.Kirby Mass Attack would go on to sell roughly 1.06 million copies, making it the lowest in the list ofKirby games that have sold at least a million units.^[2]

Plot[edit]

The premise ofKirby Mass Attack involvesKirby flying down to explore a novel area in the south ofPopstar called thePopopo Islands, only to be attacked by a dark wizard namedNecrodeus: the leader of a marauding band of skeletal creatures called theSkull Gang. While Kirby is taking a nap, Necrodeus appears out of nowhere and zaps Kirby with his magical staff, splitting the pink puffball into ten weaker copies of himself. Necrodeus then proceeds to pick off the Kirbys one-by-one in hopes of snuffing out the planet's greatest hero so he can blot the light of Popstar out forever. However, one of these smaller Kirbys manages to escape, and from there, rendezvouses withhis heroic heart which popped out of him when he was split. The heart - which serves as the player's cursor in gameplay - leads this Kirby into the wilderness so that he can regain his numbers and eventually restore himself to normal.

As Kirby ventures through each of the Popopo Islands and regains his numbers, he is repeatedly attacked by lesser members of the Skull Gang who try to carry Kirbys away and destroy them. As they progress, the Kirbys receive advice fromDaroach - the leader of theSqueaks - who travels with his band inan airship they built. Daroach tells the Kirbys that they need to collectmedals in each island they visit, and pay particular mind for special Rainbow Medals, which - if gathered - can be used to pierce the gloom surrounding the Skull Gang's homeworld ofNecro Nebula. After visiting each island and defeating the Skull Gang's influence there, the Kirbys manage to collect all of these medals, and then are able to infiltrate the craggy lifeless homeworld of Necrodeus and his minions.

When the Kirbys arrive at Necrodeus' palace, they find his staff - the one he used to split them apart - and try to claim it so the spell can be undone, but Necrodeus shows up and swallows the staff, forcing the Kirbys to defeat him if they want it. After a long and grueling struggle - part of which takes place in a zero-gravity environment - Necrodeus is soundly beaten and relinquishes the staff as he is banished to oblivion. Using the staff's magic, the Kirbys are finally able to recombine into one being. This done, Kirby takes to hisWarp Star and returns home to Popstar, but not before pondering for a moment about how the darkness surrounding his home makes it shine all the brighter.

Gameplay[edit]

Kirby Mass Attack is - like the mainKirby series games - a side-scrolling 2D platformer that tasks Kirby to reach the end of stages filled with various enemies, obstacles, and occasionally boss fights. However, much likeKirby's Epic Yarn before it, the core gameplay is very different from that of the main series. Due to having been split into ten weaker copies, the Kirbys are no longer able tohover,inhale, or useCopy Abilities. Instead, their main means of attack is by latching onto enemies and pummeling them, or by being tossed at enemies and hazards to impact them, in a very similar manner to howPikmin fight. In another similarity to thePikmin games, the player does not control the Kirbys directly, but instead plays the role of a leader in the form ofKirby's heroic heart, which is a star-shaped object that acts as a cursor. This heart is controlled by means of the Nintendo DS stylus, and tapping places on the screen tells the Kirbys where to go. Other key actions include tapping and holding down to drag the Kirbys along a magical line to get them around hazards, or tapping and quickly flicking a Kirby to throw him in the direction indicated.

In another departure from the mainKirby series,Kirby Mass Attack does not have a traditionalhealth meter for the Kirbys, but instead gives each one two hit points, and shows their state of health by their body color: Healthy Kirbys are pink, wounded Kirbys are blue, and KO'd Kirbys are gray. Wounded Kirbys can be restored to full health by tossing them through a Recovery Ring, which can be found at various points in stages. KO'd Kirbys will slowly flutter away on angel's wings and can be saved and returned to blue status if they are captured by a living Kirby before they are gone. However, some hazards such asSkullys andGrueglooms may destroy Kirbys they manage to catch without any chance of rescue, while other hazards such ascrushers will KO Kirbys regardless of their health status. In the case that any Kirbys are lost, the player can replenish their numbers by having the remaining one(s) collectFruit. Collecting 100 points worth of fruit will automatically add a new Kirby to the team, or give a score bonus if there are already ten. If all 10 Kirbys are lost during a stage, aGame Over occurs, and the stage has to be replayed from the beginning (there is noextra life system inKirby Mass Attack).

The main story mode ofKirby Mass Attack takes the Kirbys through over 40 extensive stages, each of which has a wide array of unique enemies, devices, hazards, and other gimmicks (many of which are unique to this game). As the Kirbys progress through each stage, their main objective is to collect themedals hidden throughout. One medal in each stage is designated as a Rainbow Medal, and collecting all of these is required to access the final level ofNecro Nebula and complete the game. Collecting medals is also how the player unlocks extra game features, including theSub-Games,boss rush mode, and other menu options like theTheater.

Rankings[edit]

At the end of each stage, the player is graded based on how well the Kirbys were handled, which is separate from the medals. The rankings are as follows:

• Gold Star - No damage was taken
• Silver Star - No Kirbys were KO'd (put into angel state)
• Bronze Star - No Kirbys were lost
• No star - Kirbys were lost or a shortcut was used

While these rankings have no direct effect on gameplay, getting a Gold Star on every stage is required for100% completion. This means that to earn this distinction, the player has to clear each individual stage and boss fight without any Kirbys being harmed once, which is among the most difficult tasks anyKirby game directly imposes on the player.

Levels[edit]

There are five levels in the main story mode ofKirby Mass Attack. The first four take place in an area in the southern regions ofPopstar called thePopopo Islands. The fifth level -Necro Nebula - does not appear until everyRainbow Medal is collected in the prior four levels. For more information about each level in the game, click the corresponding island in the navmap below.

ThePopopo Islands Click on an island

Enemies[edit]

Kirby Mass Attack features a stunningly large cast ofenemies, more than any other singleKirby game. Additionally, many of these enemies are new to the series, and of these, most have not reappeared in any game since. The following lists each enemy in alphabetical order:

Sub-Game exclusive enemies[edit]

The following enemies and bosses appear only in theSub-Games:

Bosses[edit]

There are five bosses inKirby Mass Attack, each serving as the final obstacle of each level. The first four are fought for a second time in Necro Nebula.

Bosses inKirby Mass Attack
Boss	Home level	Description	Notes
Whispy Woods	Green Grounds	A totem pole-like sentient tree whose segments can be destroyed by slamming into them repeatedly.	Unlike in other iterations, Whispy Woods fights by dropping spiky nuts instead of apples.
Lady Ivy	Sandy Canyon	A spikySnoozroot-like creature that attacks by knocking the platform the Kirbys are standing on around like a see-saw.
King Dedede	Dedede Resort	King Dedede fights the Kirbys by tossing bombs encased in bubbles from a hot air balloon.	This is the only fight that can be entered with less than 10 Kirbys.
Skullord	Volcano Valley	A giant skull-wearing pig enemy that attacks from afar using meteors shot from its snout.
Necrodeus	Necro Nebula	An undead wizard who hates bright light and who was responsible for splitting Kirby into 10. He attacks using his hands to swipe and using a laser inside his mouth.	Defeating Necrodeus completes the game.

Extras[edit]

Using medals, severalSub-Games and menus can be unlocked. They are presented in the order they are unlocked in:

• Field Frenzy (and the Extras menu in the process)
• Music Player
• Kirby Brawlball
• Kirby Curtain Call
• Dash Course
• Strato Patrol EOS
• Kirby Quest
• Game Album
• Checklist (Does not unlock the checklist so much as reveal its hidden contents. This is done page by page with different medal thresholds.)
• Survival Rush

Staff[edit]

The following is a list of staff who have worked onKirby Mass Attack:

Nintendo eShop description[edit]

Gather a mob of Kirby characters, and then lead them on a crazy adventure where nothing can stand in your way! You can send Kirbys swarming over your enemies, fling them into the air to hit flying floes^[sic], and even take on challenges of strength! Be sure to collect medals hidden throughout various stages to unlock minigames.

Trivia[edit]

• Often when performing actions, or when entering doors while still eligible for a Gold Star, the mini-Kirbys shout "Poyo", which was a vocalization Kirby often repeated in place of actual speech in the anime,Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. This is among the fewKirby games where that is the case, as most other games where Kirby "talks" has him shouting variations of "Hi!"
  • In addition, the Sub-Games ofKirby Mass Attack feature a number of characters otherwise exclusive to the anime who make cameo appearances. These includeChef Shiitake,Max Flexer,Escargoon,Captain Waddle Doo, and theN.M.E. Sales Guy.
• This is the only game in the series where Kirby can drownunderwater (but can still breathe in space).
• The game's internal codename iswadogo, although filenames also useWADO frequently. The Japanese name for Waddle Dee is ワドルディ orwadorudi, with "wado" being a shortening of this name.
  • Additionally, a number of sound effects of Kirby's voice have internal names ofSE_WANYA_DO,SE_WANYA_RE,SE_WANYA_MI, and so on up toSE_WANYA_HI_DO, suggesting that they may have been "wanya" vocalizations earlier in development (similar to the "wanya" vocalizations used in Kirby Brawlball for the Waddle Dee elements on the board).

Gallery[edit]

Main article:Kirby Mass Attack/gallery

Names in other languages[edit]

External links[edit]

• Official Japanese website
• Official Australian website (Wayback Machine)
• Kirby Mass Attack on Kirby Informer
• English manual (EU print)
• Japanese manual

References

• Good pages
• Kirby Mass Attack
• Spin-off games
• Games on Nintendo DS

• Pages using Tabber parser tag
• Articles which list Japanese names
• Articles which list Chinese names
• Articles which list Dutch names
• Articles which list French names
• Articles which list German names
• Articles which list Italian names
• Articles which list Korean names
• Articles which list Portuguese names
• Articles which list Spanish names