Kirby Star Allies

Developer Hal Laboratory Publisher Nintendo Format Switch Release Out now

Switch

Switch may have had an outstanding first year, though on reflection, Nintendo might wonder if it went too big too soon. The best Mario game in a decade followed the best Zelda in even longer. With Splatoon 2, it refined and built upon its most exciting new property in years, just after launching its other most exciting new property in years, the wonderfully eccentric Arms. Yet having sustained a remarkable run, Switch is increasingly being propped up by indies and remakes. Labo may be just around the corner, but otherwise, until later this year at least, Nintendo is relying upon something of a second-string lineup.

Perhaps that’s a little unfair on Kirby, who’s been a safe pair of hands (and lungs) for some years now. Hal’s mascot is a remarkably consistent performer – we’ll ignore his most recent 3DS spin-off – but then reliability isn’t the kind of thing to raise anyone’s pulse. Still, Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot were entertaining enough, and Star Allies maintains a similar standard. Which is to say it’s quintessential Kirby: a platformer as well-made as it is easily conquered, ideally suited to younger players and parents looking for something undemanding to co-op with their kids for a few hours on a lazy Sunday.

Star Allies, in fact, shows Kirby embracing his status as a supporting act. His name may be on the box, but here he constantly shares centre stage. The traditional world-ending threat is not one he can prevent alone: instead he’ll lob hearts to recruit those he normally calls his enemies. From gorillas to beetles, snowmen to sentient plugs, all can be won over by a simple show of affection, with bosses the only exception – and even a couple of those can be pressed into service once defeated. By default they’re AI-controlled, though up to three other players can become them by squeezing both shoulder buttons on a spare controller.

Effectively, this means you can build a team with a wide array of powers to cover any given scenario, but the areas surrounding the gentle environmental puzzles always feature the enemies you’ll need to solve them. Occasionally, you’ll need two at once: a flaming sword is the only way to both cut and ignite the fuse of a bomb to ensure it explodes at the right time. Here, any character with a blade must raise it so a fire-breathing ally can set it ablaze. It’s a pity the solutions are spelled out by nearby signs; happily, these so-called ‘tips’ can be turned off.

But the primary use of these combinations is to make even lighter work of threats. Often, it’s a matter of combining elemental powers with traditional weapons to boost their attack – Blizzard Cutter, Sizzle Whip and Zap Sword are all self-explanatory – but there are some unusual ones besides. A friend with a brush can sweep Rock Kirby into a curling stone, sending him sliding downhill to knock rows of opponents off their feet. An artist can conjure a giant statue, splattered with paint. New combos are heralded by brief, celebratory cutaways: a cheerful reward for trying something different. Sometimes you’ll find alternative solutions to similar problems, freezing a cascade to get past on one level, and using the delightfully-named Chumbrella to keep your friends dry as they pass beneath it on another.

A few combos seem mightily overpowered. Bombthrowers may not be able to jump while they’ve got an explosive in their hand, but the Zap ability produces a column of electricity from each explosion, letting them hit airborne enemies without needing to take flight. Then again, Kirby has never prioritised challenge so much as efficient play, inviting you to defeat bosses without taking damage, or in the fastest possible time. This is emphasised in a terrific extra mode that benches its star entirely, so that his allies can essentially become the protagonist of their own game. Here, you race through remixed courses against the clock, obtaining pickups that increase your health, speed and attack, until you’re demolishing bosses in a matter of seconds.

Even in the story mode, the only reminder that Kirby’s supposed to be the star – outside the infrequent cutscenes, at least – comes when an ally strays to the edge of the screen and they’re swiftly spirited back to his side. This can even be a boon: anticipating a fatal fall, the Kirby player can move to a position to stop it. Teammates may, indeed, find themselves having a little more fun. Kirby must still spit out air to descend after floating upwards, whereas other characters can simply stop tapping jump to drop. They don’t need to get rid of their previous ability to gain a new one, either. And there’s less pressure on them, too: if Kirby falls down a pit, then it’s back to the last checkpoint for everyone. If others fall, they can simply inhabit one of the remaining allies – or, if all four slots are taken, wait for Kirby to befriend the next enemy he sees.

If that central idea sounds nauseatingly sappy, its cutesier moments are leavened with a streak of inventive weirdness and strong visual appeal: it may not have vast 3D worlds to contend with, but Hal has quietly produced one of the best-looking Switch games to date. That strangeness and beauty combines in a luminous and agreeably bonkers climax which nods to several past Kirby games, and even seems to riff on The Wonderful 101’ s hyperactive finale. It’s a fine sign-off from a game that seems as enthused about its old ideas as its new ones, that knows exactly what it is and needs to be. At a point in Switch’s life where Nintendo is looking to keep players happy until the big guns are ready, Hal has followed its remit to the letter. Its hero might be forever wearing someone else’s hat, but there’s something to be said for a series that’s this comfortable in its own skin.

Its cutesier moments are leavened with a streak of inventive weirdness and strong visual appeal