Kirby Mass Attack (2011). Play online

Summary

Kirby: Mass Attack reshapes the classic platformer by turning Kirby into a swarm of ten tiny heroes you guide with the DS stylus. The touch‑screen lets you tap to make stars that summon Kirbys, swipe to launch a mass attack, and flick individual Kirbys as projectiles, while collecting fruit restores lost members and can max out the roster at ten. Puzzle‑heavy levels often demand a specific headcount—sometimes all ten—to clear obstacles or activate switches, and the blue‑ then grey‑turning Kirbys that float away add a tactical layer where losing too many means game over. Developed by HAL Laboratory under Mari Shirakawa’s direction, the game emphasized group management over the series’ usual Copy Abilities and sprinkled hidden medals, bonus mini‑games, and enlarging lollipops for replay value. Released after a buzz‑worthy showcase at E3 2011, Kirby Mass Attack earned an 83/100 Metacritic score and even snagged a Handheld Game of the Year nomination, cementing it as a standout DS experience.

Storyline

Kirby: Mass Attack drops you onto the sunny Popopo Islands, where the pink hero decides to take a quick nap. That moment is interrupted by Necrodeus, the Skull Gang’s ruthless leader, who swings his magical staff and shatters Kirby into ten tiny copies, each with only a sliver of his original power. All but one of the fragments are instantly knocked out, and the lone survivor is guided by a glowing star‑shaped heart that points the way forward.

The remaining Kirby rallies the nine dormant copies, and together they trek across the archipelago’s beaches, forests, and caves. Along the way they confront Necrodeus’s minions and solve puzzles, gradually restoring the strength of each split Kirby. When they finally reach Necrodeus’s intergalactic base, the ten Kirbys combine their attacks to defeat him.

Using the staff’s own power, the reunited Kirbys merge back into the single, fully powered Kirby, ending the Skull Gang’s threat to Popstar.