Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA, 2004)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-7.5 Control-7 Challenge-7/8* Story-4
Level Design-7/6** Frustration-7/8**/8.5* Fun-7 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-7
*Final boss without full CPU assistance
**Focusing on exploration
+
More connected world than in previous games (levels/areas have a door around the mid-point (sometimes on a hidden path) which connects back to the hub world, more paths between areas)
Some abilities for traversal and exploration (missile+fireball (fast flight), sword and cutter for ropes and vines, some "block breaker" forms which break the steel blocks/hard blocks (missile, master, smash, stone, UFO), laser ability - ricochets on slopes (a few puzzles), mini form for small paths, hammer/master/smash/stone for pegs/stumps (see Yoshi's Island), fire or burning form for lighting fuses on two cannons that transport you to another room, ice form lts you not slip on ice - not required, ranged attack forms - for taking out the door stealing enemies that burrow some doors underground)
Phone item (permanent; can exit any level at any point with it, can also call on 3 CPU allies (uses battery life which can be restored with items found in levels) - these help kill enemies and heal you)
Some new forms (missile - fast flight however if you touch an enemy or wall (including the top of the screen in various segments) you explode and fall down, smash form - use the moves from smash bros Kirby, cupid - fire arrows like in an artillery game, throw enemy, master (flame sword) - air dash and charge attack) and some previous ones have one or two new moves (fire can aim up/down+balance strength and range, cutter can aim a bit, wheel form can jump) - 26 forms in total though one is only negative (sleep)
Area/level maps (these show which rooms are connected and where you are+where you've been before+area names+boss and level goal rooms however they don't show room layouts at all, zoomable with A, they also don't show minor detour paths nor do they show which room has an unopened ability gate in it+you can't place a map marker in-game) - have to find one per area
Nice art direction and overall animation
Timed invincibility power up (Kirby's Adventure NES) and some forms also give limited invincibility (fireball, tornado, wheel, stone)
Mini-bosses
MP coop mode where you can teleport to each other or explore on your own (making the allies system more useful since you can help each other open up paths, can also keep going even if player 1 dies in this mode) - check
Upgradeable life bar (4 bars via the hearts)
Minor puzzles (chain reaction blocks (some paths that open temporarily as you hit one of these forcing you to move quickly to get through the path - generally a trial & error affair, some spatial awareness challenges, at one or two points you make your CPU allies stand on door switches to progress - easy)
If you inhale two enemies with Copy Abilities then you'll start a chance wheel and get a random ability
Better post-level mini-game (vertical scrolling shooter-style without attacking, sometimes very short though)
Some good bosses (final boss has 7 phases including the fight with dark meta knight before it though 4 of them are very similar, ends with a vertical scrolling shooter fight which is pretty easy; the other ones can be trivialized by calling your allies and the mole boss is easy with the throw ability)
3 other mini-games (decent but not part of the game itself)
Decent variation
+/-
Mostly non-linear structure after the first boss (branching paths (called hidden routes) within levels, can sometimes pick between more than one new level in the hub world, can open up paths to some later areas instead of doing them in order - some areas connect to four other areas)
Basic hub area (can replay beaten levels)
Most alternate exits won't open up a new area in the hub world
Off-screen enemy respawning (mini-bosses also respawn however you can skip them when backtracking) - generally good for ability enemies but bad for others
Double-tap to run however you can tap once while moving and start running that way so it's a bit better (could've been mapped to a shoulder button though and both call functions put in a sub menu opened with one of them)
Slide move (Kirby's Adventure NES)
Move explanations via the pause menu
Lives system (pretty easy to gain extra lives, frequent checkpoints)
Death pits here and there
No item inventory (can't carry HP or battery items with you for later if currently at full stock)
Can take out chain reaction bomb blocks through thin walls while underwater
Sometimes a chest just contains a consumable item
Auto-saves after reaching a level goal or mid-level exit (one slot per game only, respawn at hub area w/ CPU allies next to you)
Can't fly in mini form
Can't stand on blocks created when freezing enemies (only push them forward)
Area 5 doesn't connect to area 6 and area 7 doesn't connect to area 8
Odd how you keep shooting the final boss during the staff roll - can't skip this (you get a score based on how many times you hit it but it's not used for anything?)
No difficulty options (ignoring your allies is basically hard mode)
-
Trial & error (one-way paths between rooms at various points in areas - you frequently run into a block type that only some forms can break and without such a form nearby so you're unable to take that path in your current run of the level (the game also doesn't show on the block or elsewhere which ability is needed or which form has it, you also might not get the right form when re-entering the level via the mid-point door which tends to have a couple of form spawners/statues in the first room), can lock yourself out of certain optional paths and not be able to retry that room until re-entering the level, some death pits where you don't expect there to be - to the right of the big star in the first level for example, doesn't make sense that a bomb explosion won't take out a steel block/hard block when a missile explosion does, can't take out hard blocks from the side with Stone form despite it creating a shockwave, cannot return to the hub while keeping the UFO form, in one room in the Moonlight Mansion area you are given the right ability for the timing puzzle there (fireball/burning form) but it's given *right after* you already screwed up the puzzle, fighter's ranged attack goes through some blocks but not others, one of the area 4 paths is a one-way path back to area 1 - have to take it if you lost your mini form at a specific moment, can get stuck and have to go back to the hub in one area 7 room if you have no alternate form or battery life, )
Some control/interface issues (not enough entry points to the levels - makes going back for alternate paths and items a bit tedious (the CPU allies could've been used here in that you could've placed one of them at crossroads to go back to and check later and then switched between them - either at will outside of boss fights or after reaching a level goal), no item explanations in-game, minor vertical movement delay when letting go of the jump button in mid-air, enemy form stars bounce away in an unwieldy way when hit or letting them go, still no form inventory, some form descriptions are incomplete, can barely aim the cutter up/downwards, fairly easy to start flying by accident - press up, dropped ability stars can bounce through one-way switch gates - means you can't reach them, can't cancel a slide move or a fireball dash, can't move while holding something in throw form - heavily limits its use and it's not useful at all vs dark meta knight though it is good against the mole boss, no mini-map (view is too zoomed in for various puzzles), can't grab dropped stars underwater)
World persistency issues - Chain bomb blocks used for puzzles generally don't reset when re-entering a room (sometimes blocks you off from alternate paths based on trial & error) while other opened paths that you'd want to keep opened do reset
The CPU allies are poorly implemented in several ways (will trigger chain reaction bomb blocks and ruin puzzles for you, can push kirby, gameplay pauses whenever a CPU ally uses an ability, will steal enemy forms from you if they can - can't make them give the ability to you or tell them not to do so (would've been best if they were used as a form/ability inventory and you could switch between them as well as choose which ones to call instead of all of them, could've also made it so that you could tell one with a block breaker ability to break hard blocks for you, there could've also been puzzles involving standing on top of them to reach higher or pressing switches all at the same time for example; currently the only use besides healing and combat help is to make them move giant blocks which requires that all of you stand and suck at it and in a couple of spots they can also stand on door switches - like Zelda: Four Swords and Alundra; also annoying how you can't use the super suck on a block or giant block while in a different form nor smoothly drop a star briefly while you and your allies move a giant block by sucking at it (easy to end up with an ally stealing the form you had in this situation))
Lose a form if you take a hit (it turns into a star that bounces away - problem is they disappear after a few seconds which can really suck if you needed that ability for a gate later on) - combined with the off-screen enemy respawning+CPU allies being able to steal+one-way paths+one-try per level visit only puzzles this system kinda sucks
Backtracking (not enough entry points to crossroads within areas, for the right ability, if you lose an ability, sometimes it's even impossible not to lock yourself out of a path when hitting a chain reaction bomb block, if you take the heart path in area 6 then you can't also get the map for that area during the same visit)
Some forms have only one ability (Beam form was simplified compared to in Kirby Super Star) and some were weakened (Spark - still alright though it could've had some secondary use like electrifying water or turning on machinery)
Some situational forms (stone, throw)
Some alternate paths aren't worth it (various paths lead to a collectible with no gameplay use (spray paint item lets you change your color - one of timing puzzle-based paths in area 9 is really tricky and then only leads to one of these), there are only 4 hearts and they're in big rooms (areas 5-6 and 8-9) so that can help you ignore the rest, music note unlocks a song in the sound test) and some are fairly hard even in the first level
A lot of segments are horizontal corridors with an invisible roof in the sky
Some abilities are very similar
No permanent forms or abilities gained
Pretty tough final boss without full CPU assistance (last two forms before the final one), can just barely open one path in area 9 from the other side with fire/flamethrower but then you run into a dead end right afterwards so it was useless, repeats some mini-bosses several times, the music's instrumentation is a bit distorted (the OST does make good use of stereo and has nice bass though), cook ability is barely useful and the smart bomb and magic/roulette ones are barely used at all
Level Design-7/6** Frustration-7/8**/8.5* Fun-7 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-7
*Final boss without full CPU assistance
**Focusing on exploration
+
More connected world than in previous games (levels/areas have a door around the mid-point (sometimes on a hidden path) which connects back to the hub world, more paths between areas)
Some abilities for traversal and exploration (missile+fireball (fast flight), sword and cutter for ropes and vines, some "block breaker" forms which break the steel blocks/hard blocks (missile, master, smash, stone, UFO), laser ability - ricochets on slopes (a few puzzles), mini form for small paths, hammer/master/smash/stone for pegs/stumps (see Yoshi's Island), fire or burning form for lighting fuses on two cannons that transport you to another room, ice form lts you not slip on ice - not required, ranged attack forms - for taking out the door stealing enemies that burrow some doors underground)
Phone item (permanent; can exit any level at any point with it, can also call on 3 CPU allies (uses battery life which can be restored with items found in levels) - these help kill enemies and heal you)
Some new forms (missile - fast flight however if you touch an enemy or wall (including the top of the screen in various segments) you explode and fall down, smash form - use the moves from smash bros Kirby, cupid - fire arrows like in an artillery game, throw enemy, master (flame sword) - air dash and charge attack) and some previous ones have one or two new moves (fire can aim up/down+balance strength and range, cutter can aim a bit, wheel form can jump) - 26 forms in total though one is only negative (sleep)
Area/level maps (these show which rooms are connected and where you are+where you've been before+area names+boss and level goal rooms however they don't show room layouts at all, zoomable with A, they also don't show minor detour paths nor do they show which room has an unopened ability gate in it+you can't place a map marker in-game) - have to find one per area
Nice art direction and overall animation
Timed invincibility power up (Kirby's Adventure NES) and some forms also give limited invincibility (fireball, tornado, wheel, stone)
Mini-bosses
MP coop mode where you can teleport to each other or explore on your own (making the allies system more useful since you can help each other open up paths, can also keep going even if player 1 dies in this mode) - check
Upgradeable life bar (4 bars via the hearts)
Minor puzzles (chain reaction blocks (some paths that open temporarily as you hit one of these forcing you to move quickly to get through the path - generally a trial & error affair, some spatial awareness challenges, at one or two points you make your CPU allies stand on door switches to progress - easy)
If you inhale two enemies with Copy Abilities then you'll start a chance wheel and get a random ability
Better post-level mini-game (vertical scrolling shooter-style without attacking, sometimes very short though)
Some good bosses (final boss has 7 phases including the fight with dark meta knight before it though 4 of them are very similar, ends with a vertical scrolling shooter fight which is pretty easy; the other ones can be trivialized by calling your allies and the mole boss is easy with the throw ability)
3 other mini-games (decent but not part of the game itself)
Decent variation
+/-
Mostly non-linear structure after the first boss (branching paths (called hidden routes) within levels, can sometimes pick between more than one new level in the hub world, can open up paths to some later areas instead of doing them in order - some areas connect to four other areas)
Basic hub area (can replay beaten levels)
Most alternate exits won't open up a new area in the hub world
Off-screen enemy respawning (mini-bosses also respawn however you can skip them when backtracking) - generally good for ability enemies but bad for others
Double-tap to run however you can tap once while moving and start running that way so it's a bit better (could've been mapped to a shoulder button though and both call functions put in a sub menu opened with one of them)
Slide move (Kirby's Adventure NES)
Move explanations via the pause menu
Lives system (pretty easy to gain extra lives, frequent checkpoints)
Death pits here and there
No item inventory (can't carry HP or battery items with you for later if currently at full stock)
Can take out chain reaction bomb blocks through thin walls while underwater
Sometimes a chest just contains a consumable item
Auto-saves after reaching a level goal or mid-level exit (one slot per game only, respawn at hub area w/ CPU allies next to you)
Can't fly in mini form
Can't stand on blocks created when freezing enemies (only push them forward)
Area 5 doesn't connect to area 6 and area 7 doesn't connect to area 8
Odd how you keep shooting the final boss during the staff roll - can't skip this (you get a score based on how many times you hit it but it's not used for anything?)
No difficulty options (ignoring your allies is basically hard mode)
-
Trial & error (one-way paths between rooms at various points in areas - you frequently run into a block type that only some forms can break and without such a form nearby so you're unable to take that path in your current run of the level (the game also doesn't show on the block or elsewhere which ability is needed or which form has it, you also might not get the right form when re-entering the level via the mid-point door which tends to have a couple of form spawners/statues in the first room), can lock yourself out of certain optional paths and not be able to retry that room until re-entering the level, some death pits where you don't expect there to be - to the right of the big star in the first level for example, doesn't make sense that a bomb explosion won't take out a steel block/hard block when a missile explosion does, can't take out hard blocks from the side with Stone form despite it creating a shockwave, cannot return to the hub while keeping the UFO form, in one room in the Moonlight Mansion area you are given the right ability for the timing puzzle there (fireball/burning form) but it's given *right after* you already screwed up the puzzle, fighter's ranged attack goes through some blocks but not others, one of the area 4 paths is a one-way path back to area 1 - have to take it if you lost your mini form at a specific moment, can get stuck and have to go back to the hub in one area 7 room if you have no alternate form or battery life, )
Some control/interface issues (not enough entry points to the levels - makes going back for alternate paths and items a bit tedious (the CPU allies could've been used here in that you could've placed one of them at crossroads to go back to and check later and then switched between them - either at will outside of boss fights or after reaching a level goal), no item explanations in-game, minor vertical movement delay when letting go of the jump button in mid-air, enemy form stars bounce away in an unwieldy way when hit or letting them go, still no form inventory, some form descriptions are incomplete, can barely aim the cutter up/downwards, fairly easy to start flying by accident - press up, dropped ability stars can bounce through one-way switch gates - means you can't reach them, can't cancel a slide move or a fireball dash, can't move while holding something in throw form - heavily limits its use and it's not useful at all vs dark meta knight though it is good against the mole boss, no mini-map (view is too zoomed in for various puzzles), can't grab dropped stars underwater)
World persistency issues - Chain bomb blocks used for puzzles generally don't reset when re-entering a room (sometimes blocks you off from alternate paths based on trial & error) while other opened paths that you'd want to keep opened do reset
The CPU allies are poorly implemented in several ways (will trigger chain reaction bomb blocks and ruin puzzles for you, can push kirby, gameplay pauses whenever a CPU ally uses an ability, will steal enemy forms from you if they can - can't make them give the ability to you or tell them not to do so (would've been best if they were used as a form/ability inventory and you could switch between them as well as choose which ones to call instead of all of them, could've also made it so that you could tell one with a block breaker ability to break hard blocks for you, there could've also been puzzles involving standing on top of them to reach higher or pressing switches all at the same time for example; currently the only use besides healing and combat help is to make them move giant blocks which requires that all of you stand and suck at it and in a couple of spots they can also stand on door switches - like Zelda: Four Swords and Alundra; also annoying how you can't use the super suck on a block or giant block while in a different form nor smoothly drop a star briefly while you and your allies move a giant block by sucking at it (easy to end up with an ally stealing the form you had in this situation))
Lose a form if you take a hit (it turns into a star that bounces away - problem is they disappear after a few seconds which can really suck if you needed that ability for a gate later on) - combined with the off-screen enemy respawning+CPU allies being able to steal+one-way paths+one-try per level visit only puzzles this system kinda sucks
Backtracking (not enough entry points to crossroads within areas, for the right ability, if you lose an ability, sometimes it's even impossible not to lock yourself out of a path when hitting a chain reaction bomb block, if you take the heart path in area 6 then you can't also get the map for that area during the same visit)
Some forms have only one ability (Beam form was simplified compared to in Kirby Super Star) and some were weakened (Spark - still alright though it could've had some secondary use like electrifying water or turning on machinery)
Some situational forms (stone, throw)
Some alternate paths aren't worth it (various paths lead to a collectible with no gameplay use (spray paint item lets you change your color - one of timing puzzle-based paths in area 9 is really tricky and then only leads to one of these), there are only 4 hearts and they're in big rooms (areas 5-6 and 8-9) so that can help you ignore the rest, music note unlocks a song in the sound test) and some are fairly hard even in the first level
A lot of segments are horizontal corridors with an invisible roof in the sky
Some abilities are very similar
No permanent forms or abilities gained
Pretty tough final boss without full CPU assistance (last two forms before the final one), can just barely open one path in area 9 from the other side with fire/flamethrower but then you run into a dead end right afterwards so it was useless, repeats some mini-bosses several times, the music's instrumentation is a bit distorted (the OST does make good use of stereo and has nice bass though), cook ability is barely useful and the smart bomb and magic/roulette ones are barely used at all