Review Surfing – Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS)

It’s the calm before the storm. Good games have recently been dispatched by Nintendo for its DS handheld, but many of the fans appear to be looking at the calendar as they eagerly anticipate major releases coming later this month or early November. Unfortunately, the fans are overlooking one Nintendo superstar: Kirby, that cute pink ball.

Kirby Super Star Ultra, a remake of the SNES game Kirby Super Star, arrived late last month, but like its predecessor, somehow got ignored by one reason or another. For the SNES iteration, it was the arrival of 3D console games. The DS version, on the other hand, seems to be overshadowed by the impending arrival of behemoths like Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, Chrono Trigger, and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

It’s a shame because Kirby Super Star Ultra is doing quite well—just like its SNES precursor. Observe the following reviews:

The streamlined gameplay in Kirby Super Star Ultra is easy to pick up.

1UP: (90%) If you’ve played any of the Super Smash Bros. games and wondered where a good deal of the items and characters came from (that aren’t Mario/Zelda/Metroid-related), chances are you’ve never played a proper Kirby game. Considering that the pink puffball’s usually emerged toward the end of each Nintendo console’s lifespan and has never gotten the push he’s deserved, this is forgivable. Now, though, it’s also redeemable: Super Star Ultra is an enhanced remake of the excellent Super NES platforming classic Kirby: Super Star, with some DS bells ‘n’ whistles thrown in for good measure.

IGN: (79%) Kirby’s third Nintendo DS adventure sits somewhere between the first two: it’s not as creative as Kirby’s Canvas Curse, but it’s not as “by the numbers” formulaic as Kirby’s Squeak Squad. It’s definitely a fun, quality DS adventure, even if it didn’t start out that way. The short and sweet adventure structure actually feels at home on the Nintendo DS, but the slightly easy level of difficulty might make this one a short-lived addition to your Nintendo DS library.

GameDaily (60%) You’ll see what this game has to offer in a few hours and that’s a generous estimate. We love Kirby, the colorful worlds he explores and the cheery music, but this aged SNES game can’t compare to a true sequel with hours of content. Save yourself $34.99 and play one of Kirby’s previous adventures.

Despite what the pundits say, the most important verdict is yours. What do you think of the streamlined gameplay in Kirby Super Star Ultra? We’d love to hear your thoughts about this.

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