Nintendo revealed Super Kirby Clash in their recent Nintendo Direct, a free to play multiplayer Kirby game for the Nintendo Switch. While free to play (or as Nintendo calls them, Free to Start) games have a bad reputation, this one feels different. Super Kirby Clash is not like the company’s other free games for Nintendo Switch so far, like Tetris 99, but that works out well here. But I suppose I should stop rambling and start talking about the actual game
The 4 player game can be experience both online and in local co-op, although only tested out the online mode. Teaming up with three other players worked surprisingly well, and I encountered no issues such as lag. You are given an option of what class to give your Kirby character, and how to equip them. I went with a simple sword fighter Kirby and then went straight into a quest and was blown away by the experience. I knew this was a multiplayer action game with light RPG elements, but I expected this to be mostly a button masher and it really was not.
The game is basically a long boss rush mode, with you taking on bosses in the form of the aforementioned quests. . It can also be described as an entry level Monster Hunter type game, starring Kirby. If you have the right team with you, this is incredibly fun and you will find yourself devising strategies to use, both for yourself and with your teammates. I do need to touch on something that many will find to be a negative point though, and that is that the game has microtransactions in the form of Gem Apples that help you progress. You can still play without them, but the game becomes a lot more of a grind if you do it this way.
The thing is though, I had no issues with the grind and never used the microtransactions myself. If you put in the time to learn and figure out the game, you will enjoy it more. Utilize strategy and work as a team, and you will find yourself wanting to play the bosses a few times to try new things. If I had to describe this in one word, it would be balanced. For the majority of players, the microtransactions are not intrusive and are just there if you want a shortcut. For less experienced players, they may be tempting, but working with a good team is an equally valid choice. I never felt pressured to spend money and I like that about this game.
Super Kirby Clash is a great overall experience and I highly recommend checking it out. Have some patience and you will find yourself having a lot of fun.
All images taken from Nintendo.om