Super Kirby Clash

Gameplay

In Super Kirby Clash, you take charge of a pink hero named Kirby and lead a team through over one hundred quests that involve fighting many different foes. The game is an action role-playing experience where four Kirbys appear at once. One of them is under your direct control, while the others can be handled by computer players or by real people, either on the same system or over the internet. Before heading into a quest, you pick a class for your Kirby and can buy gear to boost its abilities. To start a mission, you simply use an in-game job board.

There are four classes to choose from. The Sword Hero relies on quick sword strikes, while the Hammer Lord is slower but hits much harder. The Doctor Healmore focuses on restoring health to teammates, and the Beam Mage attacks from a distance and can stun bosses. When a boss takes enough damage, it drops four shards that trigger a special minigame. If you succeed, a huge meteor slams into the boss and deals a massive blow.

After every quest, win or lose, your Kirby earns experience points. Playing online gives you extra experience, which helps you level up and improve your stats. Each quest also costs a resource called Vigor. If you run out, you have to wait for it to recharge before you can try another quest. Between missions, you explore a small town that acts as a hub. There, you can buy equipment, pick your next quest, and enter special codes called passwords found online to receive free items. The main currency is Gem Apples, which you spend on gear and unlocking new quests. You can get Gem Apples by playing normally or by buying them through microtransactions.

Plot

The Dream Kingdom faces a sudden surge of monster attacks, and Kirby steps up to defend it. He assembles a squad of other Kirbys, calling them Team Kirby, to push back the invasion. As they battle through the kingdom, they eventually confront the one behind it all: Parallel Nightmare. After their first victory, he escapes to a region called the Empyrean. Team Kirby follows, fighting more monsters along the way. During this pursuit, they mistake Taranza for Parallel Nightmare and defeat him. Reaching the Decisive Battlefield, they find Parallel Nightmare again, but before they can fight, he summons King D-Mind. The summoned villain betrays him, flinging Parallel Nightmare away, but Team Kirby still manages to defeat King D-Mind. Peace seems to return, but the monsters come back, stronger than ever. Team Kirby fights through them again and learns Parallel Nightmare survived. They chase him into the Dreamscape, where they beat him a second time. In desperation, Parallel Nightmare calls forth a mighty warrior named Aeon Hero. Aeon Hero immediately kills Parallel Nightmare and then turns on Team Kirby. They defeat Aeon Hero as well, and finally, the land is at peace.

Development and release

Super Kirby Clash is the follow-up to Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, which itself began as a minigame in Kirby: Planet Robobot before being expanded. The game runs on the same engine that powered Kirby Star Allies. Development was a joint effort between HAL Laboratory and their longtime collaborator Vanpool. Tadashi Kawai, who previously directed Kirby Battle Royale, used what he learned from that project to shape the cooperative multiplayer features. The title brings back many classic Kirby enemies, marking the first time some of them appear in high definition. It also introduces new takes on familiar foes, like the boss Ignite Edge, a fiery sword-wielding version of Gigant Edge with a distinct look and abilities. The game was revealed and launched on the same day, September 4, 2019, during a Nintendo Direct. Later that month, a special Tetris 99 Maximus Cup event was held with a Super Kirby Clash theme. Players who scored over 100 points earned a Kirby-themed Tetris 99 background and ninety-nine Gem Apples for use in Super Kirby Clash. By December 2019, the game had been downloaded four million times. To celebrate, HAL Laboratory offered a temporary twenty-percent discount on the in-game Gem Apple currency.

Reception

Super Kirby Clash earned a "mixed or average" score on Metacritic, though many critics called it one of the best free-to-play titles on the Switch. The combat was widely praised, especially in local multiplayer. Nintendo Life's Mitch Vogel likened it to Monster Hunter, complimenting how the game handled its RPG mechanics. Online play was more divisive: Vogel noted input lag issues, while others had a better experience. Kotaku's Mike Fahey highlighted the game's charming visuals. The main criticism centered on microtransactions, with reviewers feeling the Gem Apple currency dominated too much of the experience. Still, several pointed out that no purchases are mandatory to finish the game, as the microtransactions only accelerate progress.