Kirby Super Star

Kirby Super Star, named Kirby's Fun Pak in PAL regions, is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game. It was developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. Kirby Super Star was released in 1996 in Japan and North America and in 1997 in Europe and Australia. As the blurb mentions on the front cover, Kirby Super Star features eight unique games, although two of them are Sub-Games. In 2008, the game received a remake for the Nintendo DS titled Kirby Super Star Ultra.

Kirby Super Star has been ported to the Wii Virtual Console in 2010 and the Wii U Virtual Console in 2013. It was later released on the Nintendo Switch Online service in 2019.

Gameplay
Like the earlier main series installments, Kirby Super Star is a side-scrolling platformer, which applies to its six main titles. As is the standard with platformers, Kirby has to try to reach the end of a level while dodging enemies and obstacles along the way. Kirby can walk or run, jump, swim, crouch, slide, and inhale an enemy or object to spit out as a Star Bullet. Kirby can also hover in midair, but it does not allow him to attack or use his other abilities, although he can deflate by releasing an air bullet. By eating certain enemies, Kirby can gain their ability, which gives him the main properties of the enemy. Kirby Super Star is the first game where Kirby can guard to defend himself from weak attacks. If Kirby touches an enemy or an obstacle, he takes damage, and taking enough damage causes him to lose a life. Unlike earlier games, Kirby's health is represented by a refillable gauge rather than individual bars. If Kirby loses all of his lives, the player gets a Game Over.

Kirby Super Star introduces Kirby being able to convert his current ability into a Helper, which is a friendly enemy who helps Kirby along the way. In two-player mode, the second player can take control of the Helper. Each ability spawns a different type of Helper. It is possible for Kirby to have an ability even with a Helper alongside him. Kirby can also discard his ability to return to his usual form, but if Kirby does this while he is assisted by a Helper, it becomes a different one associated with that ability. Like Kirby, Helpers take damage from enemy attacks.