Kirby: Squeak Squad
Encyclopedia
Kirby: Squeak Squad, known in Europe as Kirby: Mouse Attack and in Japan as , is a 2006-07 platforming
video game developed by Flagship and Natsume (the latter as seen in the end credits) and published by Nintendo
and HAL Laboratory
for the Nintendo DS
handheld video game console
.
Unlike the previous Nintendo DS title, Kirby: Canvas Curse
, Squeak Squad is a traditional platformer which uses the face buttons instead of the touch screen to control Kirby.
; however, these are limited to only Sword, Fire, Ice, Spark, and Bomb. Mixing abilities is achieved by dragging one ability over another with the stylus. If the two are compatible with each other, they will combine and produce a new ability (example: Fire + Sword = Fire Sword). This can only be done if the scroll (mentioned below) for a certain ability is found. However, if they are not compatible, they will combine to create a random bubble.
As another aspect of the storage and mixing ability, Kirby can acquire subparts of a bonus power item and then mix them to create that bonus item. For example, collecting 3 mini-Kirbys will grant the player an extra life, while collecting 3 small stars will generate a large star that can be used for destroying large enemies. Kirby can also store health-restoring items as well.
Returning copy abilities include Beam, Bomb, Cupid, Cutter, Fighter, Fire, Hammer, Hi-Jump, Ice, Laser, Magic, Ninja, Parasol, Sleep, Spark, Sword, Throw, Tornado, U.F.O., and Wheel. New abilities are Animal, Bubble, Ghost, Metal, and Triple Star. Many of the copy abilities feature multiple attacks, a recurring trend also seen in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
.
A new concept to Kirby games introduced in this game are the Copy Scrolls, which power up any power that Kirby has when chosen. Examples include Hammer growing to nearly double its normal size if charged up, Tornado and Wheel taking the elemental properties of the terrain they pass over, and Spark building up energy that can be released in a similar fashion to the way the Plasma ability from Kirby Super Star worked.
Each level contains one or more treasure chests (usually each level contains 2 small red chests and a large blue chest, although boss levels only contain one big blue chest), with the ultimate goal of the game to collect all the chests; the chests include keys needed to unlock secret levels and worlds, the ability to change Kirby's color, portions of a jigsaw puzzle picture, and more additional game content; these are awarded when the player successfully completes the level with that chest. The player will need to make sure they have enough space in Kirby's stomach to store the chests, removing unneeded items or combining similar items to make space. The larger chests are generally more difficult to obtain, and require Kirby to face a member of the Squeak Squad in a mini-challenge of sorts. If the opponent gets the chest, they will attempt to escape into their own small hideout, but if the player is fast enough, they can follow them into this hideout and attempt to beat them and retrieve the chest. If the player fails to obtain any chests, they are free to go back to any previously completed level to try to retrieve the chest again; chests already recovered can be collected again, but it will contain an item in a bubble.
The game supports multi-card multiplayer and single-card download play for 3 special mini-games based on the Squeak Squad.
"Early afternoon in Dream Land... It's so peaceful even the clouds are drowsy. And now it's Kirby's favorite time of day:snack time! Today's yummy snack is a sweet, fluffy slice of strawberry
shortcake
! Time to dig in... WHOA! The cake Kirby was about to eat has suddenly vanished! That scrumptious, berry-topped slice of mouth-watering goodness... No doubt about it! This must be the work of King Dedede! Well, there's no time to waste! Gotta get that cake back! And that's how Kirby's latest fantastic adventure begins..."
At the end of the game's first world (after defeating King Dedede), Kirby finds out that the Squeaks- an infamous group of treasure-thieving mice- are the ones behind the robbery. Kirby follows the thieves on a journey that takes him all over Dream Land. At the end of World 6, a battle ensues between Kirby and the leader of the Squeaks, Daroach. Kirby wins the battle, and is about to get the treasure chest supposedly containing his cake when Meta Knight swoops in and snatches the chest away. Kirby chases Meta Knight to the end of World 7, where a duel between the two rivals ensues. Meta Knight is defeated and gives up the treasure chest, which Kirby is about to open when the Squeaks fly in and grab it from him. Daroach opens it, but the chest does not contain Kirby's cake, but dark-colored cloud that ensnares Daroach and flies off into outer space. Kirby follows, eventually encountering and fighting Daroach, now aptly named Dark Daroach, for the second time at the end of the game's eighth world. Once beaten, the darkness lets go of the Squeak leader and floats away in the form of a small, black-colored star. Kirby follows the star; it eventually transforms into its true form, a star named Dark Nebula. It is revealed that Meta Knight was only trying to keep Kirby or anyone else from opening the chest and releasing Dark Nebula. Kirby defeats it and heads back to Dream Land, while still wondering where his cake went to. The Squeaks then send him back his cake as an apology for the trouble they caused, and he begins to eat it.
, and three scores of 7, 7.5 and 7.5 out of 10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly
. Criticisms concerned the lack of originality in the title when compared to the previous Kirby game on the Nintendo DS, Kirby: Canvas Curse
. Television show X-Play
gave the game a 3 out of 5, criticizing the game for weak minigames and unnecessary use of the touchscreen. The British Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game, on its European release, a score of 70%. Even though reviews were mixed, however, Kirby: Squeak Squad has managed to sell over 1.7 million copies, with one million copies sold in Japan alone. It has a score of 71 on Metacritic
. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ds/kirby?q=Kirby%20Squeak%20Squad.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game developed by Flagship and Natsume (the latter as seen in the end credits) and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and HAL Laboratory
HAL Laboratory
is a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
handheld video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
.
Unlike the previous Nintendo DS title, Kirby: Canvas Curse
Kirby: Canvas Curse
Kirby: Canvas Curse, known in Europe as Kirby: Power Paintbrush and in Japan as , is a 2005 platforming video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console...
, Squeak Squad is a traditional platformer which uses the face buttons instead of the touch screen to control Kirby.
Gameplay
As in most of his games, Kirby is able to copy the abilities of certain enemies by inhaling and swallowing them. There are also interactive environments, with obstacles that are passable with copy abilities (examples include freezing water to get across with the Ice ability, or cutting down tall tufts of grass with his Sword or Cutter ability). Kirby is also able to collect and store copy abilities and items in his stomach, which is represented on the touch screen. A special power, "Bubble", can be used to create such abilities from the monsters on the screen. The player can combine certain abilities, similar to Kirby 64: The Crystal ShardsKirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, known as in Japan, is a platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64...
; however, these are limited to only Sword, Fire, Ice, Spark, and Bomb. Mixing abilities is achieved by dragging one ability over another with the stylus. If the two are compatible with each other, they will combine and produce a new ability (example: Fire + Sword = Fire Sword). This can only be done if the scroll (mentioned below) for a certain ability is found. However, if they are not compatible, they will combine to create a random bubble.
As another aspect of the storage and mixing ability, Kirby can acquire subparts of a bonus power item and then mix them to create that bonus item. For example, collecting 3 mini-Kirbys will grant the player an extra life, while collecting 3 small stars will generate a large star that can be used for destroying large enemies. Kirby can also store health-restoring items as well.
Returning copy abilities include Beam, Bomb, Cupid, Cutter, Fighter, Fire, Hammer, Hi-Jump, Ice, Laser, Magic, Ninja, Parasol, Sleep, Spark, Sword, Throw, Tornado, U.F.O., and Wheel. New abilities are Animal, Bubble, Ghost, Metal, and Triple Star. Many of the copy abilities feature multiple attacks, a recurring trend also seen in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, known as in Japan, is a Kirby video game released in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. It is Kirby's last game for the system and is the only Kirby title where Kirby's nemesis King Dedede does not make an appearance. The game has been re-released in Europe for Club...
.
A new concept to Kirby games introduced in this game are the Copy Scrolls, which power up any power that Kirby has when chosen. Examples include Hammer growing to nearly double its normal size if charged up, Tornado and Wheel taking the elemental properties of the terrain they pass over, and Spark building up energy that can be released in a similar fashion to the way the Plasma ability from Kirby Super Star worked.
Each level contains one or more treasure chests (usually each level contains 2 small red chests and a large blue chest, although boss levels only contain one big blue chest), with the ultimate goal of the game to collect all the chests; the chests include keys needed to unlock secret levels and worlds, the ability to change Kirby's color, portions of a jigsaw puzzle picture, and more additional game content; these are awarded when the player successfully completes the level with that chest. The player will need to make sure they have enough space in Kirby's stomach to store the chests, removing unneeded items or combining similar items to make space. The larger chests are generally more difficult to obtain, and require Kirby to face a member of the Squeak Squad in a mini-challenge of sorts. If the opponent gets the chest, they will attempt to escape into their own small hideout, but if the player is fast enough, they can follow them into this hideout and attempt to beat them and retrieve the chest. If the player fails to obtain any chests, they are free to go back to any previously completed level to try to retrieve the chest again; chests already recovered can be collected again, but it will contain an item in a bubble.
The game supports multi-card multiplayer and single-card download play for 3 special mini-games based on the Squeak Squad.
Plot
The following paragraph is text from the game's introduction:"Early afternoon in Dream Land... It's so peaceful even the clouds are drowsy. And now it's Kirby's favorite time of day:snack time! Today's yummy snack is a sweet, fluffy slice of strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
shortcake
Shortcake
Shortcake is a sweet biscuit .Shortcake is typically made with flour, sugar, baking powder or soda, salt, butter, milk or cream, and sometimes eggs. The dry ingredients are blended, and then the butter is cut in and mixed until the mixture resembles cornmeal...
! Time to dig in... WHOA! The cake Kirby was about to eat has suddenly vanished! That scrumptious, berry-topped slice of mouth-watering goodness... No doubt about it! This must be the work of King Dedede! Well, there's no time to waste! Gotta get that cake back! And that's how Kirby's latest fantastic adventure begins..."
At the end of the game's first world (after defeating King Dedede), Kirby finds out that the Squeaks- an infamous group of treasure-thieving mice- are the ones behind the robbery. Kirby follows the thieves on a journey that takes him all over Dream Land. At the end of World 6, a battle ensues between Kirby and the leader of the Squeaks, Daroach. Kirby wins the battle, and is about to get the treasure chest supposedly containing his cake when Meta Knight swoops in and snatches the chest away. Kirby chases Meta Knight to the end of World 7, where a duel between the two rivals ensues. Meta Knight is defeated and gives up the treasure chest, which Kirby is about to open when the Squeaks fly in and grab it from him. Daroach opens it, but the chest does not contain Kirby's cake, but dark-colored cloud that ensnares Daroach and flies off into outer space. Kirby follows, eventually encountering and fighting Daroach, now aptly named Dark Daroach, for the second time at the end of the game's eighth world. Once beaten, the darkness lets go of the Squeak leader and floats away in the form of a small, black-colored star. Kirby follows the star; it eventually transforms into its true form, a star named Dark Nebula. It is revealed that Meta Knight was only trying to keep Kirby or anyone else from opening the chest and releasing Dark Nebula. Kirby defeats it and heads back to Dream Land, while still wondering where his cake went to. The Squeaks then send him back his cake as an apology for the trouble they caused, and he begins to eat it.
Reception
Kirby: Squeak Squad received a score of 7.5 out of 10 from Nintendo PowerNintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
, and three scores of 7, 7.5 and 7.5 out of 10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
. Criticisms concerned the lack of originality in the title when compared to the previous Kirby game on the Nintendo DS, Kirby: Canvas Curse
Kirby: Canvas Curse
Kirby: Canvas Curse, known in Europe as Kirby: Power Paintbrush and in Japan as , is a 2005 platforming video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console...
. Television show X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
gave the game a 3 out of 5, criticizing the game for weak minigames and unnecessary use of the touchscreen. The British Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game, on its European release, a score of 70%. Even though reviews were mixed, however, Kirby: Squeak Squad has managed to sell over 1.7 million copies, with one million copies sold in Japan alone. It has a score of 71 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ds/kirby?q=Kirby%20Squeak%20Squad.
External links
- Kirby: Squeak Squad official American site
- Kirby: Squeak Squad minisite (Japan)
- Kirby: Squeak Squad at NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's E3 site