LONG BLOG
First Impressionish Kinda Sorta Review: Kirby Super Star Ultra
Ah, yes...I remember you well. I would play this for hours on end with my brother. But what's this?
By the gods! They made another one? Hm, what's that? Remake? I don't care, as long as it's Super Star.
For my first official blog entry, I felt that a look at the recreation of one of my favorite games *adds to sidebar list* would be in order.
As a child of the 90s, I was well exposed to some of the games found before the rise of the polygonal empire. One such life absorbing, rip-snorting title was Kirby Super Star. It would be an understatement to say that I spent a lot of my time on this game. For the longest time, I played nothing but this. It was such a simple concept but it was so entertaining I couldn't put it down.
Needless to say, my brother and I picked Kirby Super Star Ultra yesterday. I hadn't expected anything terribly different from this game, but the defining moment was when I started up the game and was treated to this:
...And by this I mean the 3D animated cutscenes.
After that aesthetically pleasing morsel, I was immediately immersed in the game modes I was so fond of. The originals are all there (with updated graphics), like Gourmet Race, which is the most win-filled mode in my opinion. There are also new stylus based substitutes for the old mini-games. They just seem like an excuse to use the touch screen, but they're still fine either way. I've yet to play through all the modes (hence first impressions) but the content is great, especially on the DS. Being able to take it anywhere is quite the convenience.
Maintaining the 2 player co-op, wirelessly even, was a godsend. Being able to play with a friend in the main game modes has always been a huge plus for me, and has worked very smoothly thus far.
Another small touch is the addition of a brand new tutorial system dubbed "The Beginner's Show." It's just an interesting little way to show new players how the game is played. It's nothing important, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
The only possible gripe I could have with this game is that it feels like it's dumbed down. I seem to remember dying a whole lot more in the original. Although I guess they would've made that choice because it is a handheld game, so it would be easier to complete quick gaming sessions. Again, I haven't played through all the modes yet, so I've yet to see how difficult the game can get.
Really, Kirby Super Star Ultra has returned an old favorite along with a few little surprises to keep it fresh. This game has already captivated me and will probably give me the same addiction I had when I had first played the original. Now if you'll excuse me...
I'm glad you're back, friend.
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About Benefactorone of us since 12:51 PM on 09.15.2007
Hi, Destructoid! It's nice to actually have words on this sidebar for once. Anyway, I enjoy a wide variety of genres in games on a multitude of consoles. So generally I'm not blatantly biased towards Corporation A over Corporation B, just because I might own one system and not the other.
Aside from games, I read only a few novels and comics, and I also watch anime and read manga from time to time, my favorite anime series thus far being Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Japanese culture fascinates me with its many quirks and oddities.
I'm surprised I've even gone this long without mentioning that Metal Gear Solid is my favorite game series of all time. I've never loved a series more than I love this one. I love the characters, the story, the gameplay, and of course, the actors (here's to you, Mr. Hayter). I will jump on anything MGS related if I get the chance. I'm pretty much obsessed. In terms of the old Metal Gear games, however, I'm not such a huge fan. I tried to get into them, but they were just too different for me to get used to.
Without further ado, here are The Systems I Currently Own: DS Lite, PS3, PSP, Wii
My Favorite Game Genres: Platformer, Action/Adventure, Shooter, RPG (Kinda)
My Favorite Games:
From the Playstation Brand:
Final Fantasy VII, IX, and X
Crash Bandicoot 2
Sly 3
The Spyro Trilogy (Insomniac's games)
Ratchet and Clank Series
Anything MGS (you should know this by now)
Patapon (undeniably adorable)
Valkyria Chronicles (Yes, a Sega game, but on Playstation)
From the Nintendo Brand:
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (one of the greatest games I have ever played)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Starfox 64
Super Smash Bros. Series
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (This was Silicon Knights, but I thought it was presented incredibly well and the new features made it a better game)
Metroid: Fusion
The Metroid Prime Series
The Paper Mario Series (Spiritual successors to Super Mario RPG, but worthy nonetheless)
Kirby Super Star (Ultra just made it 10x better)
From the Microsoft Brand (Ex-Bawx):
The Halo Trilogy
Gears of War
...haven't played much more than that
For PC:
Starcraft (probably the only RTS I really liked)
Half-Life Series (even though I really have these on playstation, it still belongs here)
Team Fortress 2 (have this on both PS3 and PC, you can probably guess which I play 100% more)
Audiosurf (such a sweet game)
Left 4 Dead (What can I say? I do like me some Valve games)
Favorite Psycho Genius: Hideo Kojima
From all this information, you can probably tell I was primarily exposed to the PS1-N64 era, and that I also buy into Sony's big titles more. They tend to appeal to me more than others.
My PSN is Benefactor. Friend me if you'd like. My Steam ID is Mr. L if you want to friend me on Steam, too.
Aside from games, I read only a few novels and comics, and I also watch anime and read manga from time to time, my favorite anime series thus far being Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Japanese culture fascinates me with its many quirks and oddities.
I'm surprised I've even gone this long without mentioning that Metal Gear Solid is my favorite game series of all time. I've never loved a series more than I love this one. I love the characters, the story, the gameplay, and of course, the actors (here's to you, Mr. Hayter). I will jump on anything MGS related if I get the chance. I'm pretty much obsessed. In terms of the old Metal Gear games, however, I'm not such a huge fan. I tried to get into them, but they were just too different for me to get used to.
Without further ado, here are The Systems I Currently Own: DS Lite, PS3, PSP, Wii
My Favorite Game Genres: Platformer, Action/Adventure, Shooter, RPG (Kinda)
My Favorite Games:
From the Playstation Brand:
Final Fantasy VII, IX, and X
Crash Bandicoot 2
Sly 3
The Spyro Trilogy (Insomniac's games)
Ratchet and Clank Series
Anything MGS (you should know this by now)
Patapon (undeniably adorable)
Valkyria Chronicles (Yes, a Sega game, but on Playstation)
From the Nintendo Brand:
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (one of the greatest games I have ever played)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Starfox 64
Super Smash Bros. Series
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (This was Silicon Knights, but I thought it was presented incredibly well and the new features made it a better game)
Metroid: Fusion
The Metroid Prime Series
The Paper Mario Series (Spiritual successors to Super Mario RPG, but worthy nonetheless)
Kirby Super Star (Ultra just made it 10x better)
From the Microsoft Brand (Ex-Bawx):
The Halo Trilogy
Gears of War
...haven't played much more than that
For PC:
Starcraft (probably the only RTS I really liked)
Half-Life Series (even though I really have these on playstation, it still belongs here)
Team Fortress 2 (have this on both PS3 and PC, you can probably guess which I play 100% more)
Audiosurf (such a sweet game)
Left 4 Dead (What can I say? I do like me some Valve games)
Favorite Psycho Genius: Hideo Kojima
From all this information, you can probably tell I was primarily exposed to the PS1-N64 era, and that I also buy into Sony's big titles more. They tend to appeal to me more than others.
My PSN is Benefactor. Friend me if you'd like. My Steam ID is Mr. L if you want to friend me on Steam, too.