WiKirby

Difficulty: Difference between revisions

Article Discussion

Difficulty (edit)

Revision as of 23:54, 21 April 2024

4,614 bytes added ,  21 April
m
→‎Kirby's Dream Buffet: This was already correct; no need to adjust it.
mNo edit summary
m (→‎Kirby's Dream Buffet: This was already correct; no need to adjust it.)
 
(42 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{image}}
[[File:KDL Extra Game.png|thumb|Screenshot from ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'' informing the player of the [[Extra Game]], a higher '''Difficulty''' setting.]]
[[File:KDL Extra Game.png|thumb|Screenshot from ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'' informing the player of the [[Extra Game]], a higher '''Difficulty''' setting.]]
'''Difficulty''' is a term that typically refers to adjustable levels of challenge in video games. Difficulty usually comes in terms of defined parameters (such as "Easy", "Normal", "Hard", etc.), as a number rating, or as a gradual meter that can be moved up and down. Basic elements of gameplay typically affected by difficulty include the [[stamina|durability]] and/or number of enemies, the amount of [[damage]] enemies can do, the speed and behavior of enemy attacks and/or stage hazards, and the durability of the playable character(s). Difficulty can also be applied indirectly, by imposing stricter or more lenient requirements on players, such as time limits or score thresholds, or could involve setting entirely new restrictions. Another indirect means of enforcing difficulty involves encouraging players to aim for [[100% completion]] of the game, which usually involves performing optional tasks that are often more difficult than the required sections of gameplay. Players also frequently opt to apply self-imposed restrictions on their gameplay which - while not strictly enforced by the games - can significantly increase the difficulty nonetheless, with popular examples being 'no-damage runs' or [[Speedrunning|speedruns]].
'''Difficulty''' is a term that typically refers to adjustable levels of challenge in video games. Difficulty usually comes in terms of defined parameters (such as "Easy", "Normal", "Hard", etc.), as a number rating, or as a gradual meter that can be moved up and down. Basic elements of gameplay typically affected by difficulty include the [[stamina|durability]] and/or number of enemies, the amount of [[damage]] enemies can do, the speed and behavior of enemy attacks and/or stage hazards, and the durability of the playable character(s). Difficulty can also be applied indirectly, by imposing stricter or more lenient requirements on players, such as time limits or score thresholds, or could involve setting entirely new restrictions. Another indirect means of enforcing difficulty involves encouraging players to aim for [[100% completion]] of the game, which usually involves performing optional tasks that are often more difficult than the required sections of gameplay. Players also frequently opt to apply self-imposed restrictions on their gameplay which - while not strictly enforced by the games - can significantly increase the difficulty nonetheless, with popular examples being 'no-damage runs' or [[Speedrunning|speedruns]].
Line 14: Line 13:


===''Kirby's Adventure'' / ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''===
===''Kirby's Adventure'' / ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''===
Much like its predecessor, ''Kirby's Adventure'' features an Extra Game, which can only be unlocked by attaining [[100% completion]] in the main game. However, the only difference is that Kirby only has three bars of health as opposed to the full six, and the player's progress cannot be saved.
Much like its predecessor, ''Kirby's Adventure'' features an Extra Game, which can only be unlocked by attaining [[100% completion]] in the main game. However, the only differences are that Kirby only has three bars of health as opposed to the full six, the difficulty of all sub-games is raised to Level 3, and the player's progress cannot be saved.


In ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'', it is possible to save during the Extra Game. However, the addition of [[Meta Knightmare]] adds a timed run-through of the game with similar difficulty and the inability to save.
In ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'', it is possible to save during the Extra Game. However, the addition of [[Meta Knightmare]] adds a timed run-through of the game with similar difficulty and the inability to save.
Line 30: Line 29:


===''Kirby's Dream Land 2'' / ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'' / ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''===
===''Kirby's Dream Land 2'' / ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'' / ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''===
{{main|False Ending}}
{{main|Bad ending}}
All three of these games take a slightly different approach to difficulty from the rest of the series. While not featuring extra games, they each have a special requirement which must be met, or the adventure will end prematurely with a [[False Ending]]. To avoid this, Kirby must locate all of the special collectable items in the regular stages, which are usually either well-hidden or require completing a specific task to obtain before defeating the 'last' boss. This will allow Kirby to proceed to the real final level and face the true final boss to get the good ending.
All three of these games take a slightly different approach to difficulty from the rest of the series. While not featuring extra games, they each have a special requirement which must be met, or the adventure will end prematurely with a [[bad ending]]. To avoid this, Kirby must locate all of the special collectable items in the regular stages, which are usually either well-hidden or require completing a specific task to obtain before defeating the 'last' boss. This will allow Kirby to proceed to the real final level and face the true final boss to get the good ending.


===''Kirby's Block Ball''===
===''Kirby's Block Ball''===
Each regular stage has a score threshold called the 'Borderline score'. The player is challenged to exceed this score on each stage in order to access the final world and complete the game.
Each regular stage has a score threshold called the 'Borderline score'. The player is challenged to exceed this score on each stage in order to access the final stage and complete the game.
 
===''Kirby Super Star'' / ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''===
Each game on the main corkboard menu is given a difficulty rating which ranges from one star to seven. While there is little variable difficulty in the games themselves, this distinction does afford the player an understanding of which games are considered more difficult than others.


===''Kirby's Star Stacker''===
===''Kirby's Star Stacker''===
[[File:KSSS Round Clear menu.png|thumb|The various difficulties levels, as they appear in the SNES version of Kirby's Star Stacker.]]
[[File:KSSS Round Clear menu.png|thumb|The various difficulty levels, as they appear in the Super Famicom version of Kirby's Star Stacker.]]
In ''Kirby's Star Stacker'' for the Game Boy, there are five different levels of difficulty, which affect the starting gameplay speed and the initial block formation. (In the [[Round Clear (Game Boy)|Round Clear]] mode, the initial block formation is fixed for each round instead). These are, in ascending order, Normal, Hard, Very Hard, Super Hard, and Insane. Initially, only the first four levels of difficulty are available and Insane needs to be unlocked individually in each mode. The Japanese difficulties have slightly different names: やさしい (Easy), ふつう (Normal), たいへん (Hard), すごい！ (Very Hard, or literally "Cool!"), and めちゃすご！ (Insane, or literally "Super Cool!")
In ''Kirby's Star Stacker'' for the Game Boy, there are five different levels of difficulty, which affect the starting gameplay speed and the initial block formation. (In the [[Round Clear (Game Boy)|Round Clear]] mode, the initial block formation is fixed for each round instead). These are, in ascending order, Normal, Hard, Very Hard, Super Hard, and Insane. Initially, only the first four levels of difficulty are available and Insane needs to be unlocked individually in each mode. The Japanese difficulties have slightly different names: やさしい (Easy), ふつう (Normal), たいへん (Hard), すごい！ (Very Hard, or literally "Cool!"), and めちゃすご！ (Insane, or literally "Super Cool!")


In the SNES version, these are simplified to only four levels of difficulty: ふつう (Normal), たいへん (Hard), すごい (Very Hard), and めちゃすご (Insane). The main story mode initially has one level of difficulty, but upon defeating [[Gryll]], "Pro Mode" opens up, which makes the opponents more difficult.
In the Super Famicom version, these are simplified to only four levels of difficulty: ふつう (Normal), たいへん (Hard), すごい (Very Hard), and めちゃすご (Insane). The main story mode initially has one level of difficulty, but upon defeating [[Gryll]], "Pro Mode" opens up, which makes the opponents more difficult.
 
===''Kirby Super Star'' / ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''===
Each game on the main corkboard menu is given a difficulty rating which ranges from one star to seven. While there is little variable difficulty in the games themselves, this distinction does afford the player an understanding of which games are considered more difficult than others.


===''Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble''===
===''Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble''===
Line 56: Line 55:


===''Kirby: Squeak Squad''===
===''Kirby: Squeak Squad''===
The extra game in this mode is a time trial, which changes the game very little, but encourages the player to complete the game as fast as possible by presenting a time-based leaderboard.
''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]'''s [[Extra Game]] presents an optional challenge to the player - collecting all the [[Treasure Chest]]s in the game in the fastest time possible.


===''Kirby's Epic Yarn'' / ''Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn''===
===''Kirby's Epic Yarn'' / ''Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn''===
Due to the inability for Kirby and [[Prince Fluff]] to be defeated, ''Kirby's Epic Yarn'' is often seen as by far the easiest game in the series, with critics often lambasting the game for this design choice. However, the game can become more challenging if the player opts to earn a gold medal in each stage, which requires them to complete the stages with a certain number of [[bead]]s collected. Getting hit, while never fatal, will always result in the loss of beads, which often cannot be retrieved again afterward. Additionally, a number of extra stages require meeting a certain bead threshold during boss fights to unlock.
[[File:KEEY Devilish Mode gameplay screenshot.png|thumb|150px|Kirby running away from a [[Devil]] during [[Devilish Mode]] in ''Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn''.]]
In ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'', a slightly different approach to difficulty is taken with that Kirby and [[Prince Fluff]] do not use a [[health]] system at all, and taking damage will instead only cause either character to lose beads and get knocked back. Obstacles that are normally regarded as fatal hazards including [[bottomless pit]]s and [[crusher]]s will only cause either Kirby or Prince Fluff to be carried by [[Angie]] back to the stage, dropping several beads along the way.


''[[Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn]]'' adds a new difficulty selection called [[Devilish Mode]], which formally rectifies this complaint by giving Kirby a [[Life Piece|life meter]] and rewarding the player for taking as few hits as possible from the [[Devil]]s that hound Kirby when traversing the stages and fighting the bosses.
As such, an optional challenge that the player can take is to get a gold medal on all stages, which requires them to collect many beads while not taking damage as much as possible. Notably, unlocking all the extra stages in each level requires reaching a bead threshold much higher than a gold medal during boss stages, which awards the player with an [[Area Patch]] for the first extra stage if done so.
 
The 3DS port ''[[Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn]]'' adds a difficulty option called [[Devilish Mode]], which increases the difficulty by employing a [[Life Piece|life meter]] and having a [[Devil]] spawn to hound Kirby throughout the stage with different attacks. By not taking as much damage as possible, the player is rewarded with Life Pieces which contribute to unlocking new furniture.


===''Kirby Mass Attack''===
===''Kirby Mass Attack''===
Each stage grades the player at the end depending on how well the Kirbys were handled. A bronze medal is awarded if no Kirbys were lost. A silver medal is awarded if no Kirbys were KO'd. A gold medal is awarded if no Kirbys were harmed.
The player's performance on each stage is graded with a colored star at the end depending on how well the Kirbys were handled. A bronze star is awarded if no Kirbys were lost, while a silver star is awarded if no Kirbys were KO'd. Lastly, a gold star is awarded if no Kirbys were harmed throughout the stage. Having gold stars on all stages is required for [[100% completion]], which presents a further challenge to the player. Additional difficulty comes from collecting all the [[Medal]]s and Rainbow Medals in every stage, with the latter being mandatory to unlock [[Necro Nebula]] and complete the main story.


===''Kirby's Return to Dream Land''===
===''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' / ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe''===
[[File:KRtDLD Helper Magolor screenshot 3.jpg|thumb|250px|In ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'', enabling "Helper Magolor" allows [[Magolor]] to step in and rescue Kirby and his friends if they fall into a [[bottomless pit]].]]
An Extra Mode is present which can be unlocked after clearing the Main Mode. This playthrough makes a number of changes to the game, including making enemies more aggressive and greater in number, decreasing the maximum stamina of the playable characters, and increasing the power and giving new moves to [[Boss]]es and [[Mid-Boss]]es. In addition, a new boss called [[HR-D3]] is inserted after the defeat of [[Metal General]] EX at the end of the [[Egg Engines]] level.
An Extra Mode is present which can be unlocked after clearing the Main Mode. This playthrough makes a number of changes to the game, including making enemies more aggressive and greater in number, decreasing the maximum stamina of the playable characters, and increasing the power and giving new moves to [[Boss]]es and [[Mid-Boss]]es. In addition, a new boss called [[HR-D3]] is inserted after the defeat of [[Metal General]] EX at the end of the [[Egg Engines]] level.
In ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''{{'}}s Story Mode, there is an easier difficulty setting which can be enabled at the start of the game, called "[[Magolor|Helper Magolor]]". With this option enabled, Magolor will accompany Kirby and friends on their adventure in Story Mode. Helper Magolor will do the following for the team:
*Give all player characters a special potion that doubles their maximum [[health]].
*Rescue anyone who falls into a [[bottomless pit]] (if multiple fall at once, the ones who fall later will [[Space Jump]] to where the first one was picked up by Magolor).
*Appear during boss and mid-boss fights to give Kirby an [[Ability Star]] if he does not have a Copy Ability equipped (if Kirby loses his Copy Ability and is unable to recover it, Magolor will give that specific ability back).
*Appear during boss and mid-boss fights to give Kirby a [[food]] item to help recover his [[health]].
*Appear during the [[Goal Game]] to give all players 1-3 food items depending on what number they land on.
Having Helper Magolor enabled also causes certain stage hazards to move slower and Super Ability timers to last longer.
Magolor will also appear during the [[Festival]] dance whenever it happens, though this is purely cosmetic. Helper Magolor cannot be enabled for the remainder of the [[Another Dimension (level)|Another Dimension]] level due to his act of betrayal in the "Let Me Explain Everything" cutscene that plays prior to said level. If enabled sometime before the cutscene starts, then only the doubled health will stick around for the duration of the level.
In addition, ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'' makes its Extra Mode more challenging by adding more enemies and other hazards to the stages that were not present in the original Extra Mode, as well as replacing most food and all Maxim Tomatoes outside of boss stages with Point Stars and normal food, respectively.


===''Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition''===
===''Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition''===
Line 73: Line 88:


===''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' / ''Kirby: Planet Robobot'' / ''Kirby Star Allies''===
===''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' / ''Kirby: Planet Robobot'' / ''Kirby Star Allies''===
Each of these games feature most of their more difficult content in unlockable extra modes which feature different characters than [[Kirby]]. In the main games, the player is encouraged to find the hidden collectables or press hidden [[Big Switch|switches]] to unlock extra stages which tend to be more challenging than the main stages.
Each of these games feature most of their more difficult content in unlockable extra modes which feature different characters than [[Kirby]]. In the main games, the player is encouraged to find the hidden collectibles or press hidden [[Big Switch|switches]] to unlock extra stages which tend to be more challenging than the main stages.


In ''Kirby Star Allies'', there is an option accessible from the Settings menu called "Display tips", which is on by default. When this is active, the game will offer clues to the player on how to solve certain puzzles in the Story Mode, and will also give tips on the game's loading screens. Turning this off will remove most of these clues and the loading screen tips. If turned on, these tips will disappear automatically once [[Fortress of Shadows - Jambastion]] is reached.
In ''Kirby Star Allies'', there is an option accessible from the Settings menu called "Display tips", which is on by default. When this is active, the game will offer clues to the player on how to solve certain puzzles in the Story Mode, and will also give [[List of Kirby Star Allies loading screen tips|tips on the game's loading screens]]. Turning this off will remove most of these clues and all the loading screen tips. If turned on, these loading screen tips will start to appear less frequently after reaching the [[Fortress of Shadows - Jambastion|Fortress of Shadows Jambastion]].


{{clear}}
{{clear}}


===''Kirby Fighters Deluxe'' / ''Kirby Fighters 2''===
===''Kirby Fighters Deluxe'' / ''Kirby Fighters 2''===
[[File:KF2 Single-Handed Mode difficulty select.jpg|thumb|250px|The difficulty select screen for [[Single-Handed Mode]] in ''Kirby Fighters 2'']]
In the single-player mode of ''[[Kirby Fighters Deluxe]]'', there are four selectable difficulties of Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard. These paths increase the difficulty of each opponent fought, alongside giving [[Kracko]] and [[Team DDD]] more attacking options.
In the single-player mode of ''[[Kirby Fighters Deluxe]]'', there are four selectable difficulties of Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard. These paths increase the difficulty of each opponent fought, alongside giving [[Kracko]] and [[Team DDD]] more attacking options.


Line 91: Line 107:
===''Kirby and the Rainbow Curse''===
===''Kirby and the Rainbow Curse''===
Much like in ''Kirby's Epic Yarn'', this title grades the player based on how many [[Point Star|stars]] were collected, with each stage giving out a medal ranging from bronze to gold. Collecting medals, along with other qualifications, allows the player to unlock [[Challenge Mode]] stages, which vary in difficulty.
Much like in ''Kirby's Epic Yarn'', this title grades the player based on how many [[Point Star|stars]] were collected, with each stage giving out a medal ranging from bronze to gold. Collecting medals, along with other qualifications, allows the player to unlock [[Challenge Mode]] stages, which vary in difficulty.
If the player loses four lives in a row in the same stage, they will get the option to skip to the next stage.<ref>''Kirby and the Rainbow Curse'' digital manual, section 9</ref>


===''Team Kirby Clash Deluxe'' / ''Super Kirby Clash''===
===''Team Kirby Clash Deluxe'' / ''Super Kirby Clash''===
Line 96: Line 114:


===''Kirby Battle Royale''===
===''Kirby Battle Royale''===
[[File:KBR CPU Difficulty.png|thumb|200px|The CPU difficulty selection menu in ''Kirby Battle Royale'']]
Much like ''Kirby Air Ride'', this title has CPU players whose difficulty can be adjusted. Changing CPU difficulty affects their behavior across different battles (they will actively picked up downed players and throw them into hazards on higher levels, for example). In Dedede's Cake Royale, the CPU difficulty gradually increases with each league, with easier CPU opponents in the Beginner's League and the hardest in the Platinum League. The game also keeps an [[Medal#Kirby Battle Royale|achievement system]] which encourages the player to perform certain challenging feats in the various games.
Much like ''Kirby Air Ride'', this title has CPU players whose difficulty can be adjusted. Changing CPU difficulty affects their behavior across different battles (they will actively picked up downed players and throw them into hazards on higher levels, for example). In Dedede's Cake Royale, the CPU difficulty gradually increases with each league, with easier CPU opponents in the Beginner's League and the hardest in the Platinum League. The game also keeps an [[Medal#Kirby Battle Royale|achievement system]] which encourages the player to perform certain challenging feats in the various games.


<gallery>
===''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''===
KBR CPU Difficulty.png|The CPU difficulty selection menu.
In ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'', two difficulty settings are introduced, which are selected when first starting a game file, but can be changed later anytime when outside of stages (or lowered or increased in a stage if Kirby is either defeated too many times or clears an area relatively easily). These difficulty settings are called '''Spring-Breeze Mode''' and '''Wild Mode'''. Spring-Breeze Mode is the easier of the two, giving Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee more [[health]] (400 HP in Spring-Breeze Mode VS. 250 HP in Wild Mode), reducing the number of enemies on the field in some stages, and [[Health#Handicap after losing to bosses|reducing boss health more sharply when defeated]]. Wild Mode features more and tougher enemies, but offers greater rewards. In particular, 50 extra [[Star Coin]]s are rewarded for completing a regular stage in Wild Mode, and 10 are awarded for completing a [[Treasure Road]] stage in Wild Mode.
</gallery>


=== ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'' ===
Additionally, in Spring-Breeze Mode, [[Star Bullet]]s and [[Slide]]s will curve more strongly toward targets than in Wild Mode. Spring-Breeze Mode also allots Kirby 30 extra seconds to complete Treasure Road stages (but the target time remains the same).
In ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'', two difficulty settings are introduced, which are selected when first starting a game file, but can be changed later anytime when outside of stages (or lowered or increased in a stage if Kirby is either defeated too many times or gets past an area relatively easily). These difficulty settings are called '''Spring-Breeze Mode''' and '''Wild Mode'''. Spring-Breeze Mode is the easier of the two, giving Kirby more [[health]] (400 HP in Spring-Breeze Mode VS. 250 in Wild Mode), reducing the number of enemies on the field in some stages, and [[Health#Handicap after losing to bosses|reducing boss health more sharply when defeated]]. Wild Mode features more and tougher enemies, but offers greater rewards. In particular, 50 extra [[Star Coin]]s are rewarded for completing a regular stage in Wild Mode, and 10 are awarded for completing a [[Treasure Road]] stage in Wild Mode.
 
Additionally, in Spring-Breeze Mode, [[Star Bullet]]s and [[Slide]]s will curve more strongly toward targets than in Wild Mode. Spring-Breeze Mode also allots Kirby more time to complete Treasure Road stages (but the target time remains the same).


<gallery>
<gallery>
Line 111: Line 126:
KatFL Wild Mode select screenshot.png|Wild Mode difficulty selection in the demo
KatFL Wild Mode select screenshot.png|Wild Mode difficulty selection in the demo
</gallery>
</gallery>
===''Kirby's Dream Buffet''===
In ''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]'', the player can choose from four difficulty levels for all CPUs - Sweet, Normal, Spicy, and Extra Spicy. CPUs on harder difficulties tend to play more aggressively, especially being more likely to attack non-CPU players with [[Copy Ability|Copy Food Abilities]] in [[Battle Royale]] as well as having a higher tendency to push them away in [[Race (Kirby's Dream Buffet)|Races]].
All game modes excluding [[Free Rolling]] grant an additional bonus multiplier independent of the results tally to the total [[Strawberry|Strawberries]] collected by the end of a match if the player has chosen either the Spicy or Extra Spicy difficulties:
*'''Spicy Bonus''' - × 1.20
*'''Extra-Spicy Bonus''' - × 1.25
If choosing modes in-between matches via Change Event Type, the previously selected CPU difficulty will be still carried over, and cannot be changed until the player exits to the Home Table.
{{ref}}


{{clear}}
{{clear}}
{{Navbox-Game Design}}


{{Navbox-KDL}}
{{Navbox-KDL}}
Line 127: Line 155:
{{Navbox-KEY/KEEY}}
{{Navbox-KEY/KEEY}}
{{Navbox-KMA}}
{{Navbox-KMA}}
{{Navbox-KRtDL}}
{{Navbox-KRtDL/KRtDLD}}
{{Navbox-KTD}}
{{Navbox-KTD}}
{{Navbox-KFD}}
{{Navbox-KFD}}
Line 135: Line 163:
{{Navbox-KSA}}
{{Navbox-KSA}}
{{Navbox-KF2}}
{{Navbox-KF2}}
{{Navbox-KatFL}}
{{Navbox-KDB}}
[[Category:Gameplay mechanics]]
[[Category:Gameplay mechanics]]
Retrieved from "https://wikirby.com/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/323995...470790"