Kirby is definitely no stranger to spin off games. Sometimes they’re standalone versions of minigames in one of the main games. In Kirby Fighters case it started off as a mini game in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, before becoming its own game on the 3DS. This year Kirby Fighters 2 was suddenly released to the world after its existence was leaked online, boasting more Kirbys (or is it Kirbi?) to duke it out in Dreamland.

Kirby Fighters bore a striking resemblance to another HAL Laboratory game; Super Smash Bros. Fighters 2 keeps leaning into that. Instead of selecting from a collection of Nintendo mascots you’ll instead have just the one - Kirby. Famous for their ability to vacuum in enemies to steal/copy their powers, each fighter represents one of Kirby's many copied forms. You choose your Kirby and depending on the mode you can bring along a partner for a 2v2 fight. While you might think it is limiting by having the majority of the characters be Kirby, there are just under 20 different forms to select from. If you’ve been waiting for Waddle Dee to be added to Smash Bros, the next best thing is having them here as Bandana Waddle Dee! Whether to control or have join in as a buddy, I still chose Gooey every single time.

While Smash Bros has the percentage number that increases/decreases, Kirby just has a hit bar. Deplete their health and they’re knocked out and turned into a ghost (depending on settings and number of fighters). When you die you have a window of time as a ghost to mess with the fight, and get a chance to recover some health and rejoin to cause a major upset. I never saw much of this as the CPU never recovered once one of them was turned into a ghost. When up against other players there is still some real potential to eke out a win after recovering your corporeal form. 

It’s easy to get acclimated to each different Kirby, especially if you’ve played nearly any other Kirby game. There is also a handy move list when you pause just in case, it is worth a look as some moves aren’t your typical Kirby moves. It took me no time at all to unleash some pain on my fellow opposition Kirbys. Although it never gets too complex, you can usually get by only using half of the moves and blocking every now and then to win. 

Instead of just brawling it out mindlessly, you can jump into the story mode; The Destined Rivals. King Dedede and MetaKnight have teamed up, and you must fight your way up a tower to take them on. You can play this solo or with a friend. You take on floors in blocks, starting with 10 floors. If you don’t have people around to join in then this mode is fine to work through, especially if you want to unlock those Fighters Ranks. 

Each time you win a fight you get to choose from three upgrades to help give your Kirby a boost. I leant mostly into the health and attack boosts. Sometimes the only decent option was a health item to help Kirby recover. 

In true Kirby fashion you do get to face off against the familiar Kirby bosses. Is it even a Kirby game if you don’t make the Whispy Woods cry? Going up against the familiar Kirby foes is hardly anything new. At this point seeing them all once again is more of a comfort thing, like a nice hot chocolate on a cold winter's day.

To unlock all the Kirbys, partners and stages, you need to keep levelling up your Fighters Rank. At first it happens often, but if you want to get everything in the game you’ll need to get to level 100. The problem here is that it will take a heck of a lot of fights to get there. Fighting through the tower won’t be enough, at least not just the once. Then it also becomes the case of if it’s worth the effort to unlock everything. At least all the copy abilities are unlockable within the first 40 ranks, but you’ll need to stick with it if you want all of the stages and secret songs.

Single-handed mode is where you face a series of tougher enemies (rival Kirby’s and partners), while a clock keeps track of your time. At the end  of each fight your health resets and you go again until you reach the boss at the end. Like the other modes it’s more Kirby brawling, I did enjoy the challenge in this over the easier fights in the story mode.

You can jump online to fight Kirby from afar, although during the time of review I have yet to have any luck getting to find a fight. If you have a friend with a copy then you shouldn’t have any issues, but if you’re hoping to just jump online and have a smash you might wind up disappointed.

Once again the dicey issue of value comes up. In Australia, Kirby Fighters 2 will set you back $30. This isn’t pocket change, I was actually surprised that this wasn’t free to play/start like some of the previous Kirby spinoff games. Even hardcore Kirby fans will struggle to find enough here to fork out that much cash, especially if chances are high you have Smash Bros or a version of the first Fighters. Although it is cheaper than Smash Brothers if you’re looking for a game in a similar vein from the same studio, or have to have every Kirby game ever. 

It always feels cruel to criticise a Kirby game, they’re an innocent pink puffball! While the main Kirby games are endlessly cute and endearing, the spin off games while still cute they just don’t have enough. Kirby Fighters 2 is a strange game, like the original. Taking away the main ability of copying multiple powers simplifies the game down, which is saying something for a Kirby game. If you need a cheaper alternative to Smash Bros with less satisfying brawling then Kirby Fighters 2 can help you and a friend fill in the time.