Okay, so I finally got around to messing with this “544 kirby” thing today. I’d seen some buzz about it online, and, well, I’m a sucker for anything Kirby-related. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what it was at first – some kind of fan game? A ROM hack? I just knew I needed to check it out.
First, I scoured the internet for information. I found some forum posts and a couple of videos, which, thankfully, pointed me in the right direction. Turns out, it’s a modified version of Kirby Super Star for the SNES. Okay, cool, I can work with that. I’ve dabbled with emulators before, so I wasn’t totally lost.
Getting Started
- Find the ROM: This was the first hurdle. I’m not going to tell you where I got it, use your imagination. You need a clean, unmodified Kirby Super Star (USA) ROM. It has to be the USA version.
- Get an Emulator: I already had Snes9x installed, which is what most people seem to recommend for this.
- Find the Patch: Finding the actual “544 kirby” patch took some digging. Most places just talk about it, but finding the actual .ips file was work. Again, you are on your own.
The Patching Process
Once I had all the files, I needed to actually apply the patch to the ROM. I’d never done this before, so I had to watch a quick YouTube tutorial. Thank you, random internet person!
I used a program called Lunar IPS (FLIPS for some). It’s super simple. I opened the program, selected the .ips patch file, then selected my Kirby Super Star ROM. Clicked “Apply Patch,” and boom! It created a new ROM file with the 544 modifications.
Playing the Game
I loaded up the new ROM in Snes9x, and… it worked! The title screen was different, and I could immediately tell things were changed. The gameplay is… well, it’s different. It’s definitely Kirby Super Star, but with some weird tweaks and, from what I can tell, some seriously ramped-up difficulty. I spent a good hour just messing around with the different abilities and exploring the levels. Some of the changes are subtle, others are… not so subtle. I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say it’s a fresh take on a classic.
Final Thoughts (So Far)
This “544 kirby” thing is pretty cool. It’s definitely not for beginners, but if you’re a Kirby Super Star veteran looking for a new challenge, it’s worth checking out.
The process of getting it running was a fun little project in itself, and the game itself is surprisingly well-made for a fan modification. I’m going to keep playing and see what other secrets I can uncover.