Super Star Emmisary: An Analysis on the Correlations between SSE and Kirby Superstar

[Jeff Highwind]

WARNING, SPOILERS. Diddnt have enough room for the tag in the thread title.

Spoiler

First off, did a search and all that. Diddnt find anything pertaining to this.

With all the videos and updates being released on Brawl, I've been more focused on SSE because I am a platforming junkie at heart. Lately though I've been noticing a fair amount of correlations between the breath of the SSE Gameplay and one of Sakurai's earlier works Kirby Superstar. Note that this analysis is not in any way trying to insult or demean Sakurai and/or brawl, I just felt that it was neat that he pulled the platforming portion from one of his better games and decided to analyze the links between the two.

1. Co-Op assistance:
Supplimental Reading- http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/gamemode/modea/modea07.html

The main correlation here is in the 3rd image, where Pit auto-returns to Mario. This was a mechanic from Kirby Superstar as well, when Kirby made a partner from his copy ability if it was controlled by the CPU it would do this whenever he trails offscreen. I have to admit, this is a great thing for SSE especially if doing two players because of the camera mechanics.

1a. Shielding
Just something small and trivial, but shielding uses the sphere effect from Kirby's mirror ability from Superstar.

2. SSE Map:
This is speculation more than anyting, but the overworld map for SSE looks somewhat similar to the maps from either Dyna Blade or Meta Knight's Revenge. I say Dyna Blade because of the re-explorable points, and I also include MK's revenge since it looks more similar but you couldn't backtrack. Luckily this isnt timed like in MK's revenge, despite never actually running out of time either way.

2a. Catapults, Mine Cars, and Cannons
Catapults and Mine Cars were a big part of Kirby Superstar, most notably in the Great Cave Offense. Cannons, they were used in the Superstar games as well but the models I've seen were ripped from the Donkey Kong games sadly.

3. Clear %
Most games nowadays have a clear percentage which is nothing new, but the mechanics works somewhat akin to the Treasure Hunt game in Superstar, where you had to explore nearly every door and get every spiffy treasure to get 100%. While this is cool and all, I'm not a fan of having to enter every door just to get full clear methods.

4. Boss Similarities
Fairly ye warned, Spoilers be up ahead
I will tag them with spoilers, but just warning you ahead of time.

Probably the big correlation to Kirby Superstar is some of the bosses in the game. The ones I am about to mention from SSE have either movesets exactly like from Superstar or have some impact on kirby history.

4a. Master Hand & Crazy Hand
-Yes this has been done to death, but I had to mention it. Master Hand wasn't a boss until the Kirby GBA games after the release of Melee, but he did have a fair bit of influence in Superstar. He was the hand that would mess with Kirby when you got Game Over in any of the 8 Superstar Games. Thought it may not be Master Hand himself, he does have a similar "personality" when waking up Kirby. Crazy Hand, he was just a boss in Amazing Mirror, sorry guy.

4a-1. Master & Crazy Hand's part time job
--Though visually they are different, the dynamic duo used to be a boss called the Voodoo Doctor at the end of Great Cave Offense. Back then, either one or the other would come out and didn't have their team attacks but their moves are roughly from there.

4b. Ridley
-I know this should be spoilered, but anyone browsing this part of the forum should be privy to this information unless you've been living under a rock. Ridley's Moveset is about 90% similar to Dyna Blade's from Kirby Superstar. This includes the flying from the background portion, shooting projectiles (although Dyna Blade's was air, Ridley's was fire), jumping across the screen, etc. The only thing Ridley has that Dyna Blade doesn't is that tail sweep move.

4c.

Spoiler

Galleom
-This guy's moveset is similar to Heavy Lobster's moveset from Metaknight's Revenge. Only thing he's missing is the Gel Throw and Mini Lobster Throw that Heavy Lobster had. This does disappoint me though, because Heavy Lobster would've been better to fight on the Halberd than some random dude from SSE and would've been more canon to the history of Metaknight.

4d.

Spoiler

Taboo
-I haven't seen many vids of him, but his moves have some homage to Marx from Milky Way Wishes. The most prominent of which are his beam and sweeping attacks. The thing that throws me off though is that he has 2 unique moves, the tether slam and the weird wing blast that he uses.

4d-1
--According to Super Drybones, Taboo's moveset is a combo of Marx and Dark Mind. No evidence has been noted to support this though

There are probably many more links to Kirby Superstar in the SSE gameplay, but I dont have the game yet so I just work off what I see in youtube. Feel free to discuss and even contribute if you have any info that I may have missed. Hopefully this will keep you Americans entertained until the Brawl release.

 

[Bane84]

One thing I noticed from the demo videos was at one point during the SSE, your team jumps onto this sled type thing which speeds along, then throws you off, making you land near a door. I seem to recall that this was also an element in KSS, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[kr3wman]

So, If I get this well, if you're good at kirby games (Which is really easy anyway) You'll be good at the SSE?

Doesn't seem too far fetched.

 

[Gilgamesh]

The similarities are endless, from the mine carts to the springs that shoot you forward. Even many of the enemies are very kirby-like in design.

And i love it.

 

[MRX]

Sakurai worked for a Kirby game and started as SuperStar. Not that surprising about the level designs to bosses. When I first played the game, the game reeks of Sakurai. Doesn't matter. Really like Kirby games so doesn't matter.

 

[DraginHikari]

Super Star was on of the better Kirby games that Sakuari was involved in, it's no surprise we are seeing elements from that idea. Back in those days Kirby games were considered fairly good plateformer even though the recent years haven't been the best for the pink puffball.

 

[Conda]

Kirby Superstar was the best Kirby game.

 

[entrapment]

Yes... I was pondering this because as a Kirby fan I found it to be quite similar to the old series. Thanks for posting.

 

[Jeff Highwind]

One thing I noticed from the demo videos was at one point during the SSE, your team jumps onto this sled type thing which speeds along, then throws you off, making you land near a door. I seem to recall that this was also an element in KSS, if I'm not mistaken.

Ah yea the Catapults. Those were quite devious at times.

So, If I get this well, if you're good at kirby games (Which is really easy anyway) You'll be good at the SSE?

Doesn't seem too far fetched.

Not to be mean, but unless you are playing on hard or intense pretty much anyone can be good at SSE.

Super Star was on of the better Kirby games that Sakuari was involved in, it's no surprise we are seeing elements from that idea. Back in those days Kirby games were considered fairly good plateformer even though the recent years haven't been the best for the pink puffball.

No kidding, Air Ride was probably the biggest blow to the kirby franchise

Yes... I was pondering this because as a Kirby fan I found it to be quite similar to the old series. Thanks for posting.

No Prob, figured we might as well have one good thread that isnt about passing the time for brawl or new people trying to make tier threads.

 

[Link730]

the final boss, Voodoo Doctor, in great cave offensive in Kirby Superstar was much like master hand

 

[Wildfire393]

One other thing to note. There was a rock boss (I believe one of the bosses of "The Amazing Treasure Adventure" or whatever) who had two rocky hands that perform a lot of the same moves that Master and Crazy hand do: Walking across the stage on two fingers with the flick, falling flat, punching from the side, dropping things from above (only crazy hand does this). This has always been a similarity.

Also, from what I've heard, "Boss Mode" is basically the same as the last unlockable game from Superstar. You fight all of the bosses, returning to a recovery stage between them where you see who you are up against next and can use your limited supply of heals.

 

[Gilgamesh]

You're both referring to Wham Bam Rock

 

[Chexr]

I've also see the exploding blocks, the ones where you hit the bomb one and it blows up all the other blocks in a row. That was a staple in kirby too.

 

[DragoonFenix15]

Yeah, Wham Back Rock is the prototype for Master Hand. If you fight him, you'll see that there is no doubt to this

Also, All-Star mode and/or Boss Rush are exactly like The Arena from Kirby's Super Star. The fun never ends!

I'm disappointed about the Heavy Lobster ripoff though, I would have rather seen the Lobster itself as well.

 

[Jeff Highwind]

Also, All-Star mode and/or Boss Rush are exactly like The Arena from Kirby's Super Star. The fun never ends!

Yea, The cool thing about Melee's All Star was that the lobby music was the same as the lobby one from The Great Cavern Escape. I dunno what the Brawl one is, I can only hope for the lobby song again.

 

[zelazon]

I think its awesome that the idea came from kirby's superstar (the best kirby game out there) as they implemented it into brawl. I dont think any other adventure idea could have worked as well. I like it anyway.

 

[Mikau et al]

Did anyone else notice the predominant Kirbyness of the SSE plot itself?

 

[Super Drybones]

WARNING MASSIVE SPOILER

Spoiler

The Final boss is actually a combination of Marx and Dark mind

 

[Jeff Highwind]

Did anyone else notice the predominant Kirbyness of the SSE plot itself?

Tbh, I'm a little rattled:

Spoiler

King Dedede not only carjacking Wario's ride, but being a tactical genius and actually acting like a real king?! I havent been this jarred since Nightmare in Dreamland, Dedede is actually being benevolent!

 

[Brainiac_man]

SSE is officially awesome due to it's association with Superstar.

 

[Super Drybones]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Koqtl4DYNmU
This may help for your masterhand part

 

[Jeff Highwind]

All right all right i'll edit in Master Hand's part time job as the Voodoo guy's right hand.

 

[Jeff Highwind]

Bumping requesting that this be thrown in the 1p discussion forum.

 

[Firestorm88]

If you guys don't buy Kirby Superstar remake for DS, I will come to your house and cut you >=(

 

[LordLocke]

It's not too surprising- you could trace a lot back to Super Star from any of the Smash games- the fact that SSE feels like a Kirby game is about as shocking as saying the sky is blue. I wouldn't be surprised if SSE was what happened to the Kirby GCN project that kinda fizzled out and died about the time the Wii was announced.

That said, they could have definitely picked a far worse game to mimic then Super Star. My big gripe would be not how it plays, but how it's basically a huge waste of potential. You got all these unique characters from these unique worlds with unique villains and issues and problems and instead you throw them all into genericland, with the Heartless from Kingdom Hearts as the bad guys and only Bowser's army getting any other kind of villainous minion representation.

:|

 

[Xarias]

If you guys don't buy Kirby Superstar remake for DS, I will come to your house and cut you >=(

QFT

I shall play that game a million times over. KSS:DS will be freakin' awesome!

 

[Jeff Highwind]

It's not too surprising- you could trace a lot back to Super Star from any of the Smash games- the fact that SSE feels like a Kirby game is about as shocking as saying the sky is blue. I wouldn't be surprised if SSE was what happened to the Kirby GCN project that kinda fizzled out and died about the time the Wii was announced.

That said, they could have definitely picked a far worse game to mimic then Super Star. My big gripe would be not how it plays, but how it's basically a huge waste of potential. You got all these unique characters from these unique worlds with unique villains and issues and problems and instead you throw them all into genericland, with the Heartless from Kingdom Hearts as the bad guys and only Bowser's army getting any other kind of villainous minion representation.

:|

I do gotta admit some of the Primid designs were a bit skeptical. If I recall though, wasnt some of the designers of the game from Square-Enix as well? (REALLY not sure, dont have an aneurysm).

If you guys don't buy Kirby Superstar remake for DS, I will come to your house and cut you >=(

I dont have a DS.