Unlike the first two games, which are very well known, this one is probably the most underrated and most unnecessarily lambasted game in the entire Kirby series. Chalk it up to the fact that Kirby Super Star came out shortly before this and that critics and players were disappointed that it didn't play like...you guessed it...Kirby Super Star.
This would be the last game Nintendo would develop for the American Super NES, even though there would still be support for the system for the next two years in Japan and there were still some more games for the system for about another year or so.
It's actually a really enjoyable game. It plays like the second game, and introduces more new ideas, some of which would ironically never appear in future games. You'll see them as we play.
World 1: Grass Land
World 1-1
The first door in the game gives you two characters. Rick the Hamster is on the right, while the guy on the left is Nago the cat, who walks around with Kirby in his hands instead of just having Kirby riding him. This makes for some interesting ability attacks, such as throwing Kirby at an angle like an energy beam with the Cutter ability. Nago also has a triple jump that can come in handy in some situations.
Getting on the animal friends is different compared to the previous game. Instead of walking into them, you have to walk into them and then press X. You also use the X button to dismount. This confused me at first, and it's probably done the same to a lot of other players who hadn't played the game before.
Also, Kirby moves really slow, and you'll be dashing all the time just to get through the level at a decent pace. Even then, this gets annoying.
The Cutter Ability is the first ability you'll see in the game, and it allows Kirby to throw boomerangs. There are also Cutter blocks with a picture of a boomerang on them that can only be destroyed by that ability, too. This won't be the last you'll see of such blocks, as there will be others that can only be destroyed by a certain ability.
The stars are back, and the more stars you collect, the more of the six stars on the HUD that you fill up. When you fill up all six stars, you get a one up. You need 30 stars to do this.
Kirby takes ten hits before he goes. That's pretty lenient compared to other games, but this makes even more sense when you press the A Button and call Gooey. Yes, this is the name of the dark blue blob in the opening cutscene, and if you have a second controller, you can play as him. The only catch is that you lose two of your hit points, but if you swallow and inhale him again, you'll get your two hit points back and you can also bring him to heal him. He controls the same way Kirby does, except he uses his tongue to eat enemies instead of inhaling them.
Speaking of hit points, the thin orange bottles are Pep Brews for those of you who are completely in the dark when it comes to a Kirby game. These bottle replenish two hit points.
You'll also see the Parasol and Spark power-ups in this stage, too, and they both have their own respective blocks here as well. You'll also find the Invincibility Lollipop near the end.
You may notice pink flowers in this stage. If you jump on them, you'll stomp them. Don't do this. If you leave these flowers alone, you'll get a Heart Star when you beat the stage. If you don't know what to do to get the Heart Star, the room here provides a hint. You'll need all the Heart Stars to fight the final boss of the game.
When you reach the exit, you'll be in a room with a door. This door takes you to the end-of-level mini-game. Kirby will move up and down, and the lower Kirby's arms are, the further he jumps. Whichever tile you land on dictates what prize you'll win. If you land on the evil smiley face, you get nothing. (This would be the basis of the post-level mini game in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.)
The big stars here are worth three stars.
World 1-2
If you swallow the witch on the broomstick, you'll get the Broom ability. While this is an interesting ability, as it lets Kirby sweep the ground with a broom for whatever reason and actually works as an attack, it's probably one of the weirdest ideas ever and has never been used in another game since. It is useful with animal friends, though. I mean, look at Nagi. It's like he's getting enjoyment out of waxing and buffing floors.
You'll also see the Stone and Fire power-ups for the first time in this game, too.
You'll meet two new animal friends here. Chuchu is a pink blob of sorts that's nothing like Kirby. She can cling to walls and climb up them, and she can also hang onto ceilings and walk on them, but your flying ability is limited. Pitch is a ridable green bird that's about as big as Kirby that can fly but also run on the ground, unlike Coo.
In the second section, there is a door hidden behind some blocks. Inside is some green guy with a coil for a body. What you're supposed to do here is come here with Chuchu and without an ability. Walk up to the guy and swipe him in the face with Chuchu. Boom. You got the Heart Star for this stage.
Nelly reappears in this game from the previous installment, and this time around she's demoted from a boss to a normal enemy.
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