Author Topic: Kirby Mass Attack Impressions  (Read 1509 times)

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Offline MegaByte

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Kirby Mass Attack Impressions
« on: July 18, 2011, 02:52:44 AM »

Are ten Kirbys better than one?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressions/27187

Nintendo invited me over to spend some more time with Kirby Mass Attack, but it was the same build as E3, which still included Japanese text. As such, I recommend also reading Michael's impressions from E3.

While the Wii is getting a new traditional Kirby game, Kirby Mass Attack revives the other Kirby tradition of more experimental gameplay. In Mass Attack, Kirby has been split into 10 smaller Kirbys, but at the beginning you only start with one. Eating fruit fills a meter, and each time it reaches capacity, another Kirby is added to the group. After gaining 10 Kirbys, 10,000 bonus points are awarded for each subsequent meter refill.


In Mass Attack, you don't control Kirby directly, but instead tap on the screen where you want the Kirbys to go. Alternatively, you can fling the Kirbys to break through obstacles or lasso them and drag them along to send them to harder to reach areas. The obvious comparison is to Pikmin.

You can tap enemies to send the Kirbys attacking. Certain enemies require a certain number of Kirbys to take down, otherwise, they are shaken off like fleas. It's actually a bit disturbing seeing the mass of Kirbys ganging up and beating the enemies to a pulp like a swarm of pink locusts. It almost seemed unfair. I didn't see any of Kirby's usual power-ups, but at one point, my Kirbys simultaneously blew up to large size for a limited time where they were able to blast through otherwise unbreakable blocks (and thus access special areas).


I played through a number of environments, including terrestrial and underwater. Levels seem to be designed so that certain areas can be reached only with enough Kirbys, thanks to heavy switches or levers. The environments are bright and colorful as usual, but the music had a strange, yet intentional tinny feeling.

I also went up against Whispy Woods, though this battle was the most brutal one involving the recurrent tree boss I've played. Whispy moved up in sections and I had to fling the Kirbys at the appropriate sections while avoiding those covered in spikes. Meanwhile, I also had to avoid spikes falling from the treetop.


Kirby Mass Attack should be an interesting, if unconventional approach to the platforming genre. As one of the DS's final titles, it shows real promise in expanding what a Kirby game can achieve, assuming the gameplay mechanics continue to expand throughout the game. It can be pretty fun flinging and dragging Kirbys around the screen, and I expect later levels to require a balance of strategy and dexterity in keeping the Kirbys alive while also completing the necessary attacks. Check out the gameplay for yourself below.

Aaron Kaluszka
Contributing Editor, Nintendo World Report

Offline Tenser

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Re: Kirby Mass Attack Impressions
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2011, 12:23:43 PM »
I must admit, the site of ten little Kirbys ganging up on an enemy and beating the tar out of it made me laugh.
 
Thanks for the impressions. I'll have to keep an eye out for this title. It seems to be the more interesting of the two.
 
Which E3 build did you prefer?

Offline Ceric

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Re: Kirby Mass Attack Impressions
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2011, 01:21:46 PM »
Sounds like this game should have really been a Pikmin Side adventure in a way.
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Offline MegaByte

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Re: Kirby Mass Attack Impressions
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2011, 04:58:35 PM »
Which E3 build did you prefer?
Probably Kirby Wii. It's just more straightforward and should be a lot of fun to play in multiplayer settings. This one is interesting though, and together they at least partly answer what HAL's been up to for the past several years.
« Last Edit: July 18, 2011, 05:01:05 PM by MegaByte »
Aaron Kaluszka
Contributing Editor, Nintendo World Report

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Re: Kirby Mass Attack Impressions
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2011, 07:22:06 PM »
I may be crazy but I think they should never do traditional kirby games again. Those games have not evolved or changed in any significant way and have grown stale and boring the games like this, Epic Yarn, Canvas Curse really show how varied and worthwhile this franchise can be.

Offline NWR_insanolord

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Re: Kirby Mass Attack Impressions
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2011, 07:23:21 PM »
Or, you know, they could do both types of games.
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