On Wednesday, Nintendo surprise-launched Kirby Fighters 2 on Nintendo Switch. The company had accidentally leaked the game on Tuesday.
Kirby Fighters 2 stars the king of copies, Kirby, and his usual frenemies like King Dedede and Meta Knight. Players battle each other on a variety of different stages, Super Smash Bros. style. But unlike Nintendo’s signature fighting game, Kirby Fighters 2 features health bars instead of percentages.
Players can pick from a variety of characters. There are 17 Kirby copies, each featuring a different ability from his games — including the new “wrestler” Kirby. Players can also select Gooey, Waddle Dee, and others from Kirby lore.
The game features several different modes, including a standard battle mode as well as online and local play. Players can battle on teams or solo on numerous stages, some of which feature retro graphics from past Kirby games.
Kirby Fighters 2 also has a story mode, where Kirby and a buddy character climb a tower, fighting predetermined battles. As Kirby and his pal climb, players can select items to improve their stats. There’s also an endurance mode called “single-handed mode” where players can battle waves of enemies and earn special cosmetics.
Players who already have save data from either Kirby Star Allies or Super Kirby Clash can earn special cosmetics inside Kirby Fighters 2.
The original Kirby Fighters Deluxe was a spinoff of the Kirby Fighters minigame inside Kirby: Triple Deluxe for the 3DS.
Kirby Fighters 2 is out now on the Nintendo Switch eShop for $19.99.