Nintendo Explains The Star Allies Behind Kirby Star Allies, New Copy Abilities

Kirby Star Allies is the fastest selling Kirby game ever, but why Star Allies? Speaking to Nintendo Dream, Kirby Star Allies’ General Director, Shinya Kumazaki, explained that the word “Allies” was used to convey the idea of friendship in a new and cool fashion for the Japanese market yet, at the same time, easily understood internationally.

Nintendo Dream: Please tell us the meaning hidden in the subtitle Star Allies.

Kumazaki: Star Allies can also mean Star Friends in Japanese. While we had also thought of mainstream titles that are easier to understand like Friends or Deluxe, we chose this because we’re putting emphasis on a title that can be understood well worldwide.

The word “Allies” is a bit unfamiliar in Japan, but it can be conveyed like a mainstream title overseas; in Japan itself it also sounds like a new word worthy of a new Kirby game, so we’ve decided that this title is fitting for this game that is released simultaneously worldwide.

Kumazaki also shed some light on how they made the new copy abilities, such as Spider and Artist.

Nintendo Dream: Regarding the new Copy Abilities, please tell us what kind of concepts were proposed.

Kumazaki: We had many reasons when choosing new abilities, but the biggest ones are those that Kirby had never done before, and new actions we want people to enjoy.

Specifically for the Festival one, we implemented it as an anniversary-limited (at least for now!) festive ability specifically made to liven up the 25th anniversary, where you can enjoy dancing with friends. As for other abilities like the Staff, Spider, and Artist, you can enjoy a new way of controlling Kirby and friends that no other abilities had. As each of them has its own appeal that you can even make an action game of its own, and it’s also fun to use any move, we made these new Copy Abilities fitting of a new Kirby.

The interview also covered a lot more about Kirby Star Allies, including the character choice and so on, which is really worth a read. You can read the full translated interview here.

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