Acquisition #136: Kirby Mass Attack (DS)

OK, folks. Raise your hands if you're at all surprised that I picked up Kirby Mass Attack. No one? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Actually, I'm guessing some of you may be surprised that it took me this long to add it to my collection--especially given my blossoming admiration for the Kirby series.

How does Kirby Mass Attack compare to the other Kirby games I've played--and loved--over the last few years (Kirby's Adventure, Kirby Canvas Curse, Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Return to Dream Land)? As of now, I'd say it stacks up with the best of them.

Granted, I've only completed Kirby Mass Attack's first three or four stages so far, but they've been more than enough to make me fall head over heels in love with the game as a whole.



I especially love all of the different things you can do with your raucous pack of Kirbys, such as tossing them around with a flick of the stylus and sending them scurrying toward enemies with simple tap.

Speaking of which, watching them beat the crap out of hapless foe after hapless foe is a bit disconcerting, but it's also kind of invigorating. (It helps, of course, that said hapless foes often are doing their best to bring down as many of your brain-dead Kirbys as possible, so it's not like they didn't have it coming.)

I also love the game's jaunty soundtrack, which seems to fit both its graphics and gameplay to a tee.

And then there's Kirby Mass Attack's box art. I know I was a bit ambivalent about it when it was first revealed, but now I positively adore it (despite the fact that the illustration's largest Kirby is of the angry variety).

Have any of you played this one? If so, what do you think of it?

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

Speaking of Kirby Mass Attack ...

Did you know that the European box art for Kirby Mass Attack combines elements of the game's Japanese and North American covers? If not, well, you do now.

Specifically, the game's Euro art, which can be seen below, combines the "circle of Kirbys" illustration that fills most of the Japanese cover and the stylized logo that's front and center on the North American cover.

Did the designers at Nintendo of Europe produce the ultimate piece of Kirby Mass Attack box art, or do you prefer the covers that were made for the Japanese and/or North American versions (both of which can be seen and commented on here) of the game?

Although I'm still quite fond of the game's North American box art, I'd be lying if I said I couldn't see the appeal of its European and Japanese counterparts.

More like Angry Kirby Mass Attack, amirite?

I don't know how many of you are aware of this, but for some strange reason Nintendo of America's designers are seemingly unable to produce a piece of Kirby box art without making the little pink blob look angry.

In fact, I'm pretty sure "angry Kirby" has shown up on all North American Kirby game boxes with the exception of Kirby's Epic Yarn.

Well, it seems that trend will continue with the upcoming DS title, Kirby Mass Attack (Atsumete! Kirby in Japan). Here's the cover of the Japanese version of the game, which hit the streets a few weeks ago:

And here's the cover of the North American version, which will be released on Sept. 19 (pre-order it here):

Although I generally roll my eyes at Nintendo of America's obsession with turning Kirby's smile into a frown, I'll refrain from doing that in regards to the cover art above--which I find quite captivating despite the main character's furrowed brow.

10 reasons to love (or at least look forward to) Nintendo's next Kirby title

Thanks to the headline above, you probably expected to see a post full of bullet points, didn't you? Sorry to disappoint.

So, where are the 10 reasons to love (or at least look forward to) Nintendo's next Kirby title that are promised in said header? Why, they're on the just-revealed cover art that will appear on each copy of Atsumete! Kirby, a DS game that will be released in Japan this August.

"Atsumete" apparently is Japanese for "gather," by the way. That certainly makes sense when you consider that the game "has players guide up to 10 Kirbys through a stage using the stylus," according to andriasang.com.

Every Kirby game except one (Kirby's Twinkling Kids, aka Kirby's Super Star Stacker) has made its way from Japan to the US thus far, so I have to imagine Atsumete! Kirby will follow in its predecessors' footsteps.

Here's to hoping the art that graces the cover of the North American version of the game is as cute as its Japanese counterpart.