For the speedrun mode, Guest Star, you charge through five sets of levels as the Star Allies character of your choosing. Nevermind the wood-chopping and meteor-batting mini-games, which are cute but undeniably shallow the boss rush and speedrun modes are the main attractions. The unlockable extra modes, then, are the game's saving grace. It's almost a good problem to have-a game that's so good that you don't want it to end-but it's tough to shake the disappointment when you cross the finish line. Strolling through the story mode ensures a generous amount of expertly crafted whimsy and joy, but because levels are so easygoing, with lightweight platforming and a trio of friends watching your back at all times, Star Allies' campaign quickly runs out of steam. Never one to make you suffer, enemies with the relevant power-ups are generally placed nearby so you won't ever feel totally unprepared. On some occasions an obstacle or object requires you to interact while using a specific ability (such as electrifying a power line or igniting a pile of leaves). You're told when a stage contains a hidden opportunity, so the trick is to simply keep an eye out for suspicious-looking objects or doors during your travels.

The pictures you unlock are just that-pictures-which is a little deflating, as far as rewards go.īut rare levels contain hidden rooms with a switch that unlocks a new stage in the overworld. Each stage has a unique pink piece, though you can regularly find randomized blue pieces or tap amiibo to generate them on the fly. The only real challenge is to locate hidden items-puzzle pieces that are used to complete pictures, not unlike the 3DS StreetPass game, Puzzle Swap. Reaching the end of a level or world is generally very easy. You also occasionally group together to roll downhill as a wall-smashing wheel, hop on the back of a flying star for some casual side-scrolling shooter action, or line up to form a train and steamroll through enemies. These surprises may force your team to split up to tackle simple, large-scale puzzles, a feat the AI handles effortlessly without your input. The procession of new ideas from one stage to the next keeps you wondering what clever platforming obstacle or power-up will appear next. The story mode paces itself well, in part because it's so short. It's not a massive twist given that enemies play the same as Kirby does when he's absorbed their powers, but for a game built around its variety of personalities, it's an appreciated bonus to look forward to. And after you unlock a pair of extra modes upon completing the story, you earn the right to play as any character in the game in a speedrun mode. Rather than being limited to only playing alongside key characters like Meta Knight or King Dedede, you can now recruit almost any enemy you come across.

You've been able to team up in previous games, like Kirby's Return to Dream Land on Wii, but it's fundamental to Star Allies and far more flexible in practice. It's a welcome change that keeps the otherwise traditional gameplay fresh, and even though the extra help is overkill for most of the challenges that lie in wait, Star Allies still puts your cheerful chums to good use. But what sets the latest game apart from previous Kirby adventures is that everything is designed with co-op in mind, whether you have friends to play with or not. Kirby games are guaranteed to have a perky pink mascot, candy-coated platforming levels, and plentiful power-ups to wield and combine all key pieces of Kirby Star Allies.

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