Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Reviews

‘Kirby Star Allies’ review

’Kirby Star Allies’ eats its fill of great ideas, but it's a cakewalk

Steven Petite
By
Kirby Star Allies review
‘Kirby Star Allies’
MSRP $59.99
Score Details
“Teamwork doesn’t quite make the dream work in ‘Kirby Star Allies.”
Pros
  • Beautiful, vibrant visuals
  • Co-op works well
Cons
  • Ridiculously easy
  • Puzzle solutions are fed to you
  • Lightweight on content

There’s no denying that Kirby, the pink puff ball with an insatiable appetite, is a Nintendo staple. For better and worse, the adorable creature-inhaling mascot has delivered a steady stream of familiar, yet charmingly cuddly romps fit for the whole family.

That predictability has kept Kirby in games for more than 25 years, but held him back from earning the same reverence as Nintendo’s most iconic characters. Even with a fresh mechanical wrinkle, each Kirby game winds up feeling not far removed from Dream Land circa 1993 in Kirby’s Adventure.

Kirby Star Allies, Kirby’s Switch debut, maintains that tradition with yet another playable, but predictable, experience. Throughout your journey from Dream Land to the cosmos, you turn enemies into friends and work together to solve puzzles and take on big baddies. On the surface, this twist, which creates a wide palette of new moves for Kirby, would appear to nudge the series forward in terms of strategy. Unfortunately, the friends you make along the way are a bit too perfect, making Star Allies the easiest of rides in a series known for its overabundant accessibility.

Kirby made some (too) wonderful friends

In the set-up for Star Allies, Kirby awakes from a peaceful slumber and senses a mysterious evil threatening the universe. Like of his past adventures, this leads Kirby through a series of self-contained 2.5D platforming levels to banish the maleficent force, fighting classic bosses like Whispy Woods along the way.

This time, however, Kirby doesn’t go at it alone. Kirby can recruit the help of just about every enemy he encounters to back him up and expand his arsenal of abilities. With the press of a button, Kirby can toss a pink heart at foes to turn them into friends. Kirby’s troupe of minions follow closely behind him, attacking enemies automatically on approach and collecting items.

You can play with up to three allies at one time, controlled by either friends or AI (or both) thanks to well implemented drop-in-drop-out co-op. Kirby picks the allies, so co-op players have limited options: They can only use the specific abilities of the ally they control and, while they don’t need to nip his heels, they must remain within half a screen of Kirby, give or take. It sounds limiting, the system works well, particularly when teaming up with less experienced players, as Kirby ultimately controls the game’s pace. If a friend lags behind, they get teleported right into the action.

Kirby can recruit the help of almost every enemy he encounters.

Kirby also has his tried and true copy ability, which lets him inhale and acquire most enemies’ weapons and powers: The two sets of mechanics come together in some fun ways. When Kirby’s wielding a sword, for example, Kirby can raise it up and prompt a fireball-spitting companion to imbue it with flames.

While the most obvious combos are meant for dealing with enemies, combining powers can also open up new paths. Combining moves from an electric ally and a rock smash ally sets off a chain reaction that can unlock power-ups and puzzle pieces — collectibles that, like the 3DS’ StreetPass Puzzle Swap, form jigsaw puzzle portraits of key franchise moments.

Despite offering large number of combinations of allies and copy abilities, Star Allies gives you little incentive to experiment with different combinations. When faced with a puzzle, you never have to think about those options to solve a puzzle. Star Allies presents the solution before you have time to consider the problem at hand. If you seem stumped for more than a moment, an on-screen prompt will tell you exactly what you need. Once you know what ability to use, the enemy that can grant it is always conveniently stashed nearby, often in a hidden room. The ally system opens the door for a robust array of cool animations and interesting maneuvers, so it’s a shame that the game never pushes you to use more than a core few.

That’s indicative of Star Allies approach to difficulty (or lack thereof). Even during the plethora of mini boss fights and late-stage showdowns, you’d have to be asleep at the controls to even remotely struggle. Bosses fall quickly with four allies in tow. During one boss fight, we won by floating around and letting our three AI teammates do the fighting. Kirby games have never been known for their challenge, but Star Allies seems especially conducive to just breezing through.

Pretty but shallow

The story mode’s breezy simplicity allowed us to sit back, relax, and enjoy the sights. Bubble gum visuals that pop off the screen whether in TV or handheld mode make the utter chaos of four person-team fights rather amusing to watch.

Kirby Star Allies review
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Comprised of four worlds, Star Allies has the well-trodden Dream Land and Planet Popstar — Kirby’s home planet — and two final worlds with some galactic themes and scenery. All of it blends together, though. You’ll find grassy levels where the sun shines down in both Dream Land and in the final world, Far-Flung Starlight Heroes. You’ll also find the same enemies, the same straightforward platforming with little obstacles standing in your way. While Kirby has never been a precision platformer like Mario, Star Allies virtually guarantees that your progress won’t be impeded whether you’re in Dream Land or knocking on the door of the final boss. Beyond the occasional slow-moving platform, it’s mostly a long walk or flutter to the next door.

Each level is lovingly rendered, but feels like a shell that could’ve been filled with more stuff — more action, more puzzles — especially considering how the ally system is setup perfectly for creative problem-solving.

Full of friends, light on things to do

Outside of the main campaign, there are four additional modes that come off more as time-wasters than meaningful gameplay alternatives.

Chop Champs, a precision tree-cutting game, may be the best part of Star Allies.

“Guest Star???? Star Allies Go!” lets you pick your character and three allies for a run through a roughly two-hour greatest hits compilation of the game. It’s a time attack mode featuring heath, attack, and speed power ups. While some may find the goal-oriented nature of this oddly-named mode fulfilling, you’re only really working towards finding new puzzle pieces since no online leaderboard exists to post times.

“The Ultimate Choice,” a boss rush-style gauntlet of the game’s toughest fights, ups the difficulty a touch. It can get tricky on hard, but you can still revive teammates, so it isn’t nearly as difficult as similar modes in other games.

Star Allies multiplayer offerings are rounded out with two minigames: “Chop Champs” and “Star Slam Heroes.” Chop Champs, a precision tree-cutting game, may be the best part of Star Allies. Switching from side to side to chop wood while trying to avoid chopping bugs is a surprisingly hectic delight that combines button mashing (or vigorous motion controls) with quick reaction times. It may not keep your attention for hours on end, but it’s definitely good for a few rounds. Star Slam Heroes, an intergalactic home run derby, loses its appeal much quicker.

Our Take

Kirby Star Allies introduces a neat new system that gives Kirby more powers than ever before. While Kirby’s companions work well, the game never pushes players to tap its full potential. Every puzzle, every platforming sequence, and every boss fight is an absolute cakewalk — even by Kirby standards. Kirby looks good on the Switch, but this latest visit to Dream Land is too brief, too familiar, and too safe to provide more than forgettable fun.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. If you own a Nintendo 3DS, Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kirby: Planet Robobot both provide better Kirby experiences. If you have a Switch and need a playful platformer, you’re much better off scouring for power moons in Super Mario Odyssey.

How long will it last?

If you just complete the main missions, you’ll be done in a few hours. Unlocking and completing all the bonus missions took us just under eight hours. Boss run, the time attack, and mini games add on few more hours of fun before it gets stale.

Should you buy it?

No, not unless you plan on playing co-op with young children or really, really love Kirby.

Kirby Star Allies was reviewed on Nintendo Switch using a retail code provided by the publisher.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Steven Petite
Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
Red Dead Redemption is coming to Nintendo Switch and PS4 this month
red dead redemption switch ps4 release date key art

The original Red Dead Redemption is coming to two new platforms, PS4 and Nintendo Switch, later this month. It'll retail for $50 on both platforms.
Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare Coming to Switch and PS4
Rockstar Games' open-world western game first launched in 2010 for Xbox 360 and PS3. It was critically acclaimed and a smash sales hit, creating a new franchise for Rockstar that could stand alongside the likes of Grand Theft Auto. It received a sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, in 2019, but the original Red Dead Redemption remained stuck on older platforms outside of backward compatibility support on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
That's why fans got excited when a rating for the game from the Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea popped up. We've now learned that this rating is for new Nintendo Switch and PS4 ports of Red Dead Redemption by Double Eleven Studios. Red Dead Redemption will release across both of those platforms digitally on August 17, with a physical launch to follow on October 13.

It will cost $50 and includes the base campaign as well as the zombie-infested Undead Nightmare expansion; the Red Dead Online multiplayer is not included. This is the first time Red Dead Redemption will ever be on a Nintendo system, although it doesn't look like the port will have much in the way of Switch-exclusive features. That said, a press release does reveal that this will be the first version of the game to include Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Latin American Spanish, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese localizations.
Red Dead Redemption comes out on PS4 and Nintendo Switch on August 17. 

Read more
The best places to find Purple, Ice, Pink and Rock Pikmin in Pikmin 4
The player stands with Oatchi and some Red Pikmin in Pikmin 4.

While there were only the base Pikmin types of Red, Blue, and Yellow in the original game, there are now nine different types in Pikmin 4. All the originals return, as you would expect, but plenty of new and exciting ones are introduced. Each one still has a unique advantage that allows you to do new things and get to new areas of the massive zones, meaning you will need to utilize each and every one to complete all your tasks. That said, there are some types that are more difficult to find than others. Yes, you could make each type yourself by finding their corresponding onion, however, some onions aren't unlocked until very late into your playtime, or even after you've beaten the game. If you want to know the best places to track down the Purple, Pink, Ice, and Rock Pikmin in Pikmin 4, follow our lead.
Where to find Purple Pikmin

The Purple Pikmin are the first type that is somewhat tricky to find. This type is useful because each one has both the carrying capacity and weight of 10 Pikmin, creating shockwaves when you throw them, but is the slowest of all the types. The first level you can encounter them on is Seren Shores. On this map, head into the Engulfed Castle cave. This is a very dangerous cave, but if you're just looking to bolster your numbers, you can rush in, collect them, and run away.
Where to find Ice Pikmin

Read more
Where to find each onion color in Pikmin 4
Collin saying how onions come in tons of colors in Pikmin 4.

The plant-like creatures known as Pikmin come in more shapes and colors than ever before in Pikmin 4. These colors do more than give each Pikmin a different style -- they also indicate what that type of Pikmin can do. The basic Red Pikmin, for example, is fireproof. If you haven't played the previous entries, you may not be aware of how you go about creating these various Pikmin types. The answer is the colored onions you can find scattered throughout the game. By collecting them and bringing them back to your base, you can unlock the ability to make more of a specific Pikmin type. Here's where you can find each of the onion colors in Pikmin 4.

Note that the new Glow Pikmin do not have an onion in Pikmin 4 and can only be found while exploring at night. There are also some onion colors that appear multiple times, but you only need to collect one of them to unlock the ability to make that Pikmin type.

Read more