Kirby Mass Attack (Hands-On) (Nintendo DS) Preview

Kirby Mass Attack is no normal platform entry into the long-running Kirby series, and is instead harking back to the days when the little round, jovial character was used in numerous experimentations to get other genres successfully into homes, such as Kirby’s Dream Course (golf), Kirby’s Star Stacker (block puzzler), and Kirby’s Pinball Land (...guess...), all of which were roaring hits. After seeing one test project underperform, though, and there being a reported cancellation of the proposed DS update of Kirby’s pinball shenanigans by UK outfit FUSE Games/Silverball Studios, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory had to play it a little safer. Following two traditional platform releases that both saw huge sales across the world, it is time for HAL to dip it toe into the water once more and try something a little bit different.

This latest Nintendo DS project is all about controlling a maximum of ten Kirby characters around the colourful world simply by using the stylus. Rather than being a copycat Power Paintbrush, though, it takes an almost real-time strategy approach, except placed with a two-dimensional environment that sees players having to tap on the screen to get Kirby’s attention so that he follows the directional command. As stated, movement is not D-pad controlled, with the stylus being placed on the screen and Kirby following its lead. The aim is to collect plenty of fruit throughout each stage in order to fill up a special meter that permits another Kirby to enter the fray. Once more little pink critters have joined the ranks, the real fun can begin.

The lure of Kirby Mass Attack is definitely the variety included, from being able to get the group of Kirby characters to follow touch-screen directions, to being able to cluster them together into a special ball and draw a limited on-screen path for the newly formed protective bubble to follow, right through to flinging the little fellows into blocks to break them, onto destructible objects around a level, and even onto enemies to start bashing away at them. New pathways can be opened up, as well, plus the chance to obtain extra fruit (which imbue more points and, eventually, extra Kirby characters) by piling several little pink balls into an area or onto an obstacle at once in an effort to use the collective brute force to pull items from the ceiling, knock down trees, and even smash through otherwise impenetrable blocks. There are indeed times when the whole experience has a Pikmin feel to it, mixed in with some general RTS aspects.

Should one of your Kirby Klan (sorry…) receive too much damage during its various exploits, it changes from pink to a pale shade of blue, and if hit again starts to fly off, complete with cute little fluffy wings and a grey halo above its head. However, there are two ways to protect even a dying Kirby. First of all, should one start flying away, flinging a healthy Kirby at it drags the soul back to Earth for resurrection. The alternative is to launch Kirby through healing rings that can be found at certain points, avoiding potential death-filled situations by keeping the group in a safe bundle, smashing through enemies with a flick of the stylus whenever their protective shielding is down, or even hiding in the right spot so that rolling obstacles do not leave the whole group squashed, with the objective being to slot under the tumbling boulder’s imperfection; its large hole.