Kirby Fighters Deluxe was already a pretty inspired move, backporting Smash Bros. conventions into modern Kirby's engine, so it's neat to see what all that looks like expanded. Some of the more fun movesets from Star Allies have been nerfed - probably a necessity for competitive balance, but I do miss Bandee's rapid-fire spear toss. Most of the game assets are pulled together from Star Allies or Fighters Deluxe, so this is more a refining of ideas, plus Wrestler Kirby (always a fan of grappler abilities). The highlight for me is definitely the story mode, and more specifically its nature as a rogue-lite. This isn't the first game that's done this - I know at least Soul Calibur III experimented with this mechanic - but it's always neat to see. I like the mental exercise that goes into thinking through builds to best complement your chosen moveset, trying to play the odds with upgrades and deciding if you want to go for a strong upgrade NOW or take a rarer niche upgrade and hope you'll see plenty more of that strong upgrade down the line. And it's a little thing, but I'm glad to see Meta Knight and Dedede's friendship built upon - that's such an unexplored character dynamic for this series.

Reviewed on May 28, 2023


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