Peak of the franchise for me.

Compared to later 3D installments that have the traditional level select + map structure, this game is a remake of the original Super Star, an anthology of minigames. But the feeling evoked from playing Kirby + the frankly amazing soundtrack (shoutout to Super Star Ultra's file select theme, one that can make me tear up in nostalgia even now) is unparalleled by any other entries in the series for me personally. One of the first games I 100%d, a fairly frustrating task at times (looking at you, True Arena)

at this point i'm now a big fan of kirby's gameplay but not exactly a fan of the actual games. the sprites are still wonderful and the backgrounds are some of the most beautiful i've ever seen in a platformer. because it's a collection of several different games that reuse maps and enemies, the gameplay can get a little repetitive. levels are still very easy which isn't a problem at all, however this time the bosses are quite challenging, especially in the arena and helper to hero modes. i had a lot of fun finishing the stages, but ended up not completing the two arena modes and the sub-games.

A content-rich, incredibly enjoyable platformer. I've always viewed Kirby games as having beat-em-up elements with how powerful you are in comparison to everything else, and compared to the other Kirby games at the time that were still running off of the 1 button Kirby's Adventure formula for abilities, having the Super Star ability controls - and having them succeed in this game so well they would become the standard going forward - just feels great to play. Kirby games aren't known for difficulty, which is why the addition of Revenge of the King and more make up for it by being considerably more difficult extras that are fun to tear through. The sprites are incredibly clean in this game and have been used in sprite comics across the globe. The new content added in this remake feels so natural that when I was younger playing it, I didn't think anything odd of it appearing. The first appearances of the True Arena and Masked Dedede are as good as any of their reappearances, and the old content that was remade is as great as it was on the SNES. I'd call this game a perfect remake - all others should strive to be like this.

Kirby at it's best.

The "compilation of multiple games" structure works nicely as an excuse for the developers to try out different ideas and objectives that become the center of each scenario presented in each main mode. While Spring Breeze is your typical Kirby fare, Revenge of Meta Knight takes that level design and ups the ante with a timer on each section. Stuff like this keeps the game consistently fresh and different with each main mode you unlock; Nothing is quite the same as the one before, and I think that's Super Star Ultra's greatest strength.

This is a truly perfect remake in the same vein as something like Metroid: Zero Mission, where everything from the original is intact, but enhanced with some quality of life, and entirely new modes that make it feel like a completely new experience. It outshines the original in absolutely every way, and stands on it's own as potentially the best game in the series. If you've never played a Kirby game before, this one's got everything you could love from the series.

The pinnacle of the pink puff. This is my favorite video game of all time and it solidified Kirby being my favorite video game character. The game has many modes which are each a ton of fun as well bosses that can get pretty challenging (For Kirby standards). The level design is great and the music SLAPS, but that just my bias talking (Candy Mountain/ Galacta Knight’s Theme). Controlling Kirby also feels amazing as each copy ability has its own unique moves and animation which makes it satisfying to try out different abilities. The cutscenes also are pretty good for a DS game. It’s a timeless classic and I replay it multiple times per year. This is game will always be ULTRA good in my eyes.