Point Stars are basicitems which can appear in stages.Kirby will gain anextra life if enough are collected. Point Stars have taken on a number of different appearances through the series, but in the modern titles (starting withKirby's Return to Dream Land), they are simple 5-pointed stars which either float or fall to the ground and spin slowly in place. They can be found out in the open, insideTreasure Chests, or from defeated enemies and destroyed objects.
InKirby's Dream Course, enemies drop Point Stars when they are defeated, which linger in place where the enemies were. In the 1P Game, they serve no real purpose, but in the 2P Game, they are the primary objective for scoring points, being worth one point each. Instead of collecting them, however, Kirby orKeeby need to roll over them to "claim" them, resulting in the star changing to pink or yellow respectively. In the 2P game, two Point Stars also appear orbiting the cup when that emerges on the board. These can be claimed by rolling over them without entering the cup, but whoever does enter the cup will inevitably claim these stars regardless.
InKirby's Dream Land 2, Point Stars are calledSmall Stars. There is only one variety of the item in this game, and collecting seven of them results in a 1-Up. They can be found scattered through stages, can be earned in theGoal Game, and are collected as the objective in theBonus Chance games.
InKirby's Dream Land 3, Point Stars are calledStar Pieces. This time, 30 pieces are needed to gain a 1-Up. Strangely enough, both this game andKirby's Dream Land 2 re-use the exact same sprite (sans color differences) for these objects, despite being vastly different in graphical style otherwise. However, two new varieties of Star Piece are also introduced which are slightly larger in appearance, and grant 3 points (medium) and 5 points (large) when acquired, though these can be found only in theGoal Game.
InKirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Point Stars (referred to simply asStars in the manual) have the same relative value as inKirby's Dream Land 3, with 30 standard ones needed to earn a 1up. There are now four varieties, however, as follows:
Yellow - standard stars worth one point each. These can be found frequently in stages and in theBonus Game.
Green - worth 3 points. Only found in the Bonus Game.
Red - worth 5 points. Only found in the Bonus Game.
Blue - worth 10 points. These are found in place ofCrystal Shards that have already been collected. They are elongated vertically to somewhat match the shards' shape.
InKirby Tilt 'n' Tumble, Point Stars are referred to asStar Pieces. There are three types of Star Pieces in the game, and collecting a certain amount of them will gain Kirby an extra life, with some having special requirements.
Yellow Star Piece - Collecting 50 Yellow Star Pieces will grant Kirby a 1up. These Star Pieces are obtained by finding them on the course, flippingStopwatches or defeating enemies by "popping it up" (flicking theGame Boy Color upward) to turn them into Yellow Star Pieces.
Red Star Piece - Collecting 7 Red Star Pieces will grant Kirby a 1up, with the rest of the Red Star Pieces in the stage turning into flashing rainbow-colored variants, which can be picked up to earn 1ups. This streak will last until the player loses a life or completes the stage, which will reset all the Red Star Pieces to their normal state.
Blue Star Piece - Collecting all the Blue Star Pieces on a stage will grant Kirby a 1up. Flipping four or moreWaddle Dees over can make the Blue Star Pieces appear, and must be collected before they disappear in order for Kirby to receive the extra life.
— Kirby: Canvas Curse instruction booklet (NA print), page 17
Small yellow Point Stars appear inKirby: Canvas Curse, found frequently in stages (both out in the open and from reel gates which award them when passed through) and awarded as part of theDash! Jump! goal game. 100 are needed to earn a 1-Up in this game, the first in theKirby series to have this number requirement. Unlike most other titles, there are no larger variants of Point Stars in this game.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land and most subsequent main-series games[edit]
Starting withKirby's Return to Dream Land, point stars are standardized to come in various colors and sizes. Collecting 100 points' worth of stars will grant a 1-Up, and each type is worth a different number of points:
Yellow - 1 point
Green - 5 points (these would be introduced inKirby: Triple Deluxe)
Red - 10 points
Blue - 30 points
Blue stars have additional decorations on them, being given a white line drawn on its surface which traces its shape partway in from the edge. In the 3DS games, these stars appear slightly more purple.
InKirby and the Rainbow Curse, instead of granting 1-Ups, collecting 100 point stars allows Kirby to use hisStar Dash ability. There are three types of Point Star in this game, named "smaller", "medium", and "large" in the electronic manual. These give 1, 10, and 100 points respectively. In addition, collecting several point stars in quick succession awards even more stars as a bonus, in a mechanic referred to as "Chains".
InMeta Knightmare Returns fromKirby: Planet Robobot, point stars resemble Meta Knight's "M" emblem. The 30 Point Stars deviate from their typical design: they match Meta Knight's navy body and Galaxia's golden blade, rather than being blue and white.
Instruction manual bio (page 16): "Collect 100 of these to gain an extra life. The number of stars you receive depends on the color of the Point Star."
InKirby's Dream Land 2, Point Stars are calledSmall Stars. There is only one variety of the item in this game, and collecting seven of them results in a 1-Up. They can be found scattered through stages, can be earned in theGoal Game, and are collected as the objective in theBonus Chance games.
Artwork of a pink Point Star that has been claimed byKirby fromKirby's Dream Course
Kirby holding a Point Star inKirby 64: The Crystal Shards
A huge stash of point stars in the canceledKirby Tilt 'n' Tumble 2
Kirby encountering a hollow red Point Star in theExtra Mode inKirby's Return to Dream Land
A Point Star fromDededetour inKirby: Triple Deluxe
Artwork of three Point Stars fromKirby and the Rainbow Curse
A Point Star fromKirby: Planet Robobot
A Point Star fromMeta Knightmare Returns inKirby: Planet Robobot
Tip image of Kirby next to a Point Star fromKirby Star Allies
A blue Point Star inKirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
