Spooky Scary Fantendo Showcase 2016/Presentations/PlayRight Games Inc./Kirby: United

DAY 2 
 
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==Kirby: United==
===Plot- A Dreamland in Crisis===
 
It was slightly overcast in Dreamland (hey, it's not always bright and sunny) when Kirby was relaxing under a tree, playing on a game system. Meta Knight is on his usual perch nearby, watching the skies for anything dangerous. As evening approaches, MK notices what appears to be a shooting star in the sky. He is shocked when, rather than dissipating in the atmosphere, it continues to rocket towards the surface, and eventually crashes onto Mt. Dedede. Meta Knight takes no chances, immediately racing off to Castle Dedede. Kirby, startled by the impact, quickly stores his game in his mouth and follows on his warp star.
They arrive to find the castle in turmoil; King Dedede and his Waddle Dee's are in a panic! Meta Knight (ever the cool one) strides confidently into the throne room, and the King and Kirby trail him cautiously.
Bandanna Dee is already there, gazing at the fallen object- a large, turquoise gem. The four heroes begin to slowly approach it, but it suddenly rises off the ground, floating before them. It almost seems alive...
They stare at it and each other briefly, when it suddenly clashes with light. Bandanna panics and throws his spear at it, knocking it back a little, but this seems to only anger it. It begins to gather energy to attack, as the heroes charge ahead into battle...!
...Everything then goes black...
Next thing he knows, Kirby awakens in a cave, completely unaware of how he got there. The cave looks almost alien, covered with geometric motifs and crystalline patterns. Even more distressing, he is no longer in his familiar, round body- instead, he is a hovering pink gem, almost like the one he fought earlier. Despite his vulnerable form, he knows he must find his friends- they could be in trouble! He ventures forth, not knowing what lies ahead... his most thrilling and daring adventure yet!
===Gameplay===
 
Full disclosure: this paragraph is all about how I came up with the idea. If you want to read about the game itself, skip to the part below. The game began as a concept for "Kirby Generations", with plenty of historic characters and locations to adventure through. But I ran into a few problems- What would set past Kirby apart from Modern Kirby? What gameplay elements should be emphasized? But the most significant was that the idea seemed too ... Unoriginal. Then I remembered that another popular idea was a Kirby RPG. But Kirby RPG itself had problems- How would Kirby's powers work in an RPG format? What sort of partners would he have? I realized the two concepts could potentially solve the problems each one had. This led me to combine the two ideas into one, producing Kirby: United. 
So, on to the gameplay itself. United is an RPG, containing strategic elements and action commands. The defining features of the game are Kirby's crystalline form; and the three helper classes. In this game, Kirby has been turned into a defenseless pink crystal; he has lost all of his abilities. They have been scattered across Dreamland (as well as other locations in the Kirby universe), manifesting as the various helpers Kirby gained his powers from. Many of them are brainwashed by the mysterious green gem, and hostile to Kirby. However, three helpers managed to escape capture and become Kirby's first helpers: Sword Knight, Burning Leo, and Wheelie. Which is perfect, because Kirby can have exactly three helpers in battle at once!
====Offense====
Let's start with the battle system- it is the most important element of an RPG, after all. Isn't that right, Color Splash? The main objective of each battle is to defeat the enemies (duh), but it is also important to protect Kirby's Crystal (hereafter referred to as Krystal). The first step in battle is to assign Krystal to one of the helpers- that helped will be tasked with protecting Krystal for the next turn. Then the player chooses the teams attacks. Each helper has an array of attacks to choose from- for example, Burning Leo can use Fire Breath or Flame Dash. These attacks can be used with no additional input. However, the helper Krystal is with has the option to use stronger attacks- like the multi-hitting Fire Wheel and the insanely powerful Inferno. These attacks use action commands, determined by the character's class. There are three classes- Elemental (power up by mashing buttons rapidly), Weapon (power up by pressing the button at the right time), and Skill (power up by pressing buttons in sequence). Rather than level up specific characters, instead all characters of a class increase in level. This is because there are a lot of helpers to find (48 in all!), so later helpers that are saved will be just as useful as earlier ones.
When helpers defeat enemies, they gain diamond shards (not to be confused with crystal shards). These serve several purposes- they fill up Kirby's Pink Meter, contribute XP to helpers, and can activate Diamond mode. When full, the Pink Meter allows Kirby to regain his normal form for a single turn, and unleash a powerful special move, such as Crash or Dragoon. XP levels up helpers by class- enemies defeated by the helper holding Krystal give up double the XP. When XP is full, it is stored as a Diamond. The Diamond can be used to level up the helper, but until it is used it grants passive boosts, such as attacking twice on a turn, or an increased critical chance.
====Defense====
We've covered so much- and that's only for offense! On the off chance that the enemy is not completely wiped on the first turn, there are a few defensive options available. But first, I'll briefly cover enemy attacks. Enemies have both standard and special attacks. Standard attacks cannot be blocked with a command, but are weaker, don't inflict statuses, and usually don't target multiple helpers. Of course, these can be blocked or dodged if the helper chooses a defensive move. The helper with Krystal has a chance of completely blocking a hit- this is determined by their critical chance. Special attacks usually do inflict statuses and almost always target multiple helpers, but can also be blocked or avoided with commands. There are three types of Special attacks, each distinguished by the way to avoid them.
*Touch Attacks travel across the touch screen, and are blocked by tapping them- if the attack was close to its target, it will be skillfully reflected back at the attacker. They usually don't travel in straight lines, but each follows a pattern. Which helper an attack is targeting is indicated by color- Red, Blue, and Green for Element, Skill, and Weapon.
*Wave Attacks are avoided by jumping or attacking (they automatically use the correct move). Countering each move requires controlling each helper with three buttons (usually B, X, and Y). These are a little harder, since the player must control all three helpers at once.
*Lastly are Grid Attacks, the most powerful and the hardest to avoid. Krystal must move the three helpers around on a grid (commonly 3x3 or 5x5) by sliding them on the touchscreen; this must be done while avoiding an onslaught of attacks from all sides. They are usually reserved for bosses.
Blocking attacks is very important, because each helper shares a health bar with all others of its class. If a helper dies faints, it will be removed from battle until the fight is over, or until they are healed by another helper. They regain 10% of their health in the next fight. This is usually just a nuisance, but if the helper was holding Krystal, the attacking enemy will capture him. At this point, the helpers have 3 turns to save him in normal battles, and only 1 in boss battles. If they fail, he is taken away from the battle, and it's Game Over. During this crisis, all helpers gain a slight increase in attack and critical.
===Map===
 
In keeping with other Nintendo RPG's, characters can also interact with elements in the overworld. Each character has an overworld attack. These can be used to attack enemies before engaging them, which makes them enter battle with less HP, or under a status effect. This can even kill them instantly if they are weak enough. They can also be used to interact with objects, such as lighting fuses, cutting ropes, or dashing across spikes. Overworld puzzles can often be solved in this way. There is also the occasional sidequest, which requires a certain helper, or a helper with a particular attribute (blade users, flying helpers, etc). Helpers can be switched out freely in the overworld, while switching in battle takes a turn.
===Allies===
 
One more character can accompany Kirby- allies. While Kirby's helpers are just his different abilities, each ally is a separate character with their own stats and abilities. There are 12 in all, including Bandanna Dee, King Dedede, and Meta Knight. Allies are controlled more like traditional RPG's- they have no action commands, meaning they cannot power up attacks or defend. They also cannot hold Krystal, and cannot be revived if they faint. They also cannot be switched out in battle, and can only be switched in the overworld at specific places, usually checkpoints. Because choosing an ally is a greater commitment, they are stronger and tougher than helpers. Each helper can level up two times, gaining a new attack and better stats- leveling up requires a Star Jewel, found on the map or through special challenges. As mentioned earlier, each Ally has a unique mechanic and specialty; for example, Waddle Dee can leave battle for one turn, and come back with an item, while King Dedede can summon his Waddle Dees and Waddle Doos during his turn, slowly amassing an army. Learning how to use each Ally makes battle much easier, and more fun!
===Subgames===
 
When you need a break, you can play a wide variety of sub games on Kirby's game system. Most are updated versions of games from Kirby's past, found by collecting cartridges in the main campaign. Such classics include Ninja Strike, Megaton Punch, Snack Tracks X, and Kirby Epic. Each one has both a single player and co-op mode, which can be played wirelessly, even if they don't have the game! Players with a Wii U can play with their friends using 3DS's, and their is online mode for the more competitive games. 
Lastly, their are alternate modes for the main game. In fact, there are 7 different ways to play the main story! I won't give them all away here, but here's one- Swift Mode. This is essentially the time trial mode, similar to those from recent games. But there are a few extra changes to make things harder. Enemies attack faster, making countering harder. Not only that, but the player has only a limited time to choose their moves- wait too long, and you lose your turn (pausing excessively results in time penalties, so no cheating)! The characters even run automatically while in the overworld- the usual run button slows them down instead. The time pauses in shops, and the dialogue is far more concise. These extra modes (as well as the main game) have multiplayer options, and they don't need a copy of the game.
That's a lot of info, so I think I'll stop here for now. Keep in mind I conceptualized this game before Planet Robobot came out and the Switch was revealed, so the game reflects that. There might be Robobot DLC, but I haven't decided...
==Links==
Do not despair, mobile users! Here are your links.
*Intro Page
*Kirby: United launch
*2 Cents Forum reveal
*Double Deck review service
*Mini NYAN comic update
*Mystery Project Reveal!!
Category:Spooky Scary Fantendo Showcase
Category:Showcases
Category:Spooky Scary Fantendo Showcase 2016
Category:PlayRight Games Inc.