Kirby Fighters 2 Review
You can never have enough Kirby games, so of course we got Kirby Fighters 2. This game showcases Kirby and his friends fighting abilities. No side scrolling here, just a pure fighting game. Kirby games might be cute and seem geared toward the younger crowd but I totally enjoy this game even though I’m a bit older.
To me, it’s like Super Smash Bros without the possibility of falling off the platforms. Kirby Fighters 2 has tons of characters, moves, and settings for the fights to take place. There’s no shortage of cute characters, including our favorite Waddle-Dee.
Waddle-Dee isn’t a pushover either. He can spin his spear and take flight. Every character has their own special moves to try out and combos to take advantage of. There are also a ton of locations to pick from.
Many familiar locations make their appearance in Kirby Fighters 2, plus some new ones. Locations have built in hazards which can be turned off. But dodging huge robots or lava pits is so much fun I don’t know why anyone would turn off the hazards.
The game isn’t just about fighting each other, there’s also a story mode. You can play solo or with a friend battling your way to the top of the tower. The bosses get progressively harder as you go.
Along the way you’ll find not all characters are created equally. Certain characters, like Magalor, have a lot more to offer compared to bomb Kirby. It turns out blocking and dodging are more important than I thought. But certain characters are very simple, while others take a lot of skill to master.
Why Kirby Fighters 2?
Because you like fighting games and don’t want a side scroller or racing game. Kirby Fighters 2 is a great fighting game. In some ways I like it better than Super Smash Bros. Mainly because Kirby Fighters 2 doesn’t require too much skill. Anyone can pick it up and have fun. While Smash Bros is definitely the more advanced fighting game.
If you want a lot of characters to choose from, Kirby delivers. Kirby plays as an archer, wrestler, and even uses a yo-yo to battle. Meta Knight, King DeDeDe, Magalor, and our favorite Waddle-Dee are available as well.
The story mode is basically a long string of battles meant to unlock characters, items, and power ups along the way. For a fighting game, the story mode is actually pretty good.
How We tested Kirby Fighters 2
We tested this game with 2 players in story mode and 4 players in battle mode. We also tested it with computer players in story mode. It was best with real players and no computer players.
Comparable Games
Kirby Fighters 2 is most comparable to Super Smash Bros. In fact, Kirby Fighters is based on the same engine as Smash Bros. The jump button isn’t the same but most of the mechanics are the same. If you’ve ever played Smash Bros then you’ll Kirby Fighters 2 will be familiar.
Kirby Fighters 2 adds features such as revival. Instead of being eliminated in Smash Bros, your character appears as a ghost. If you’re able to land a strike on another live character then you will revive. Each player only has one life compared to three in Smash Bros.
The stage hazards feature in Kirby Fighters 2 are no small matter either. You’ll be dodging strikes from a large robot in the background to King DeDeDe throwing things at you depending on the stage. Stages in Kirby Fighters 2 are more diverse and numerous than Smash Bros.
Kirby Fighters 2 offers 22 different playable characters. Which isn’t as many as Smash Bros, but the Kirby characters have distinct differences. Meaning, there aren’t as many but the ones Kirby does have are a wide range. Characters come with yo-yo’s, bombs, arrows, a spear, a sword, or just their bare hands. There’s definitely a variety of range and types of attacks. Gooey mainly uses his tongue to attack.
Pros and Cons
One pro is the price. Kirby Fighters 2 is much less expensive than Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Kirby Fighters 2 almost seems like an expansion pack to Super Smash Bros fighting games.
The items, revival, and hazards add to the fun. Some may turn off the revival, but we enjoy chasing each other around as ghosts trying to revive.
The items include bombs, pom-poms, food for healing, a huge microphone, and missiles to name a few. These items definitely keep the action to a maximum. Dodging the stage hazards also keep things popping, without it being too intense.
One con is the story mode is a bit challenging. There isn’t any second chance to beat all 50 levels. You have to start all over if you fail. Choosing power ups and items along the way is great. But should you fail you lose it all and have to start over.
Another con is the character balance. After beating all 50 levels a few times we noticed not all characters are created equal. Certain characters have an easier time than others at going the distance. Waddle-Dee, Bell Kirby, Gooey, and Wrestler Kirby are fairly strong characters. We struggled to go all 50 levels with Bomb Kirby, Painter Kirby, and Hammer Kirby.
Review Summary
Our Summer Party Time review gives it 8 out of 10 stars. For a fighting game, it’s actually a lot of fun. There are many fighting styles to choose from, the story mode is compelling since you get to choose upgrades after each fight, and the extra features such as revive make it an egaging game.
For the price you can’t go wrong. Kirby Fighters 2 is definitely worth the price if you like games like Smash Bros Ultimate.
Kirby Fighters 2 Review
brought to you by: David M.
I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.
