An enhanced remake titled Kirby Super Star Ultra was released for the Nintendo DS in 2008 and 2009 to commercial and critical success, selling just under 3 million copies.

Kirby can walk or run, jump, swim, crouch, slide, and inhale enemies or objects to spit them out as bullets.

While Sakurai knew a SNES Kirby game would mean bigger, more detailed characters and graphics, he wanted to hear from Miyamoto before thinking about the foundation and other important aspects.

Sakurai and Iwata traveled to Kyoto; there, Miyamoto told them he wanted cooperative gameplay, something uncommon in side-scrolling platform games.

By creating an "omnibus" collection of quick-to-beat individual scenarios, each complete with their own unique gameplay, I thought I could provide a lot of content without causing players to grow tired of any one style.

"[4] Additionally, he expanded copy abilities' possibilities so players could perform multiple actions by pressing the same button, similar to fighting games.

The omnibus format was chosen because Sakurai noted most SNES and some NES games were of considerable length, and prices were high.

Kirby Super Star served as "the antithesis to that trend," with Sakurai hoping to create sections with different stories and gameplay that appealed to both experienced and inexperienced players.

The title is a quote from the Dream Land manual that "describe[s] Kirby as a youth who came with the spring breeze," and was chosen to signify its simplicity.

This was partially due to the influence of Rare's Donkey Kong Country (1994), a game that incorporated computer-generated (CG) graphics.

Sakurai planned to include an additional game mode, Kagero Mansion, which was discarded due to time constraints.

[4] HAL also planned to add a move that allowed Kirby to create an explosion from guarding, but cut the idea.

[4] Kirby Super Star was one of the last SNES games, released just three months before the launch of the system's successor, the Nintendo 64.

In Japan, expensive sake and silverware is often sold in Paulownia boxes; the team thought the packaging would convey that the game was special.

[4][7] While noting that it seems unrelated to the game, Sakurai commented that this cover illustrated the heart of Kirby Super Star and praised Itoi's idea.

[23] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly applauded the large amount of content, simultaneous two-player mode, graphics, and Kirby's power-absorbing ability.

"[17] Reviewing the Virtual Console release, Nintendo Life praised the "impressive" musical score and "colorful" visuals.

The remake was released in North America on September 22, 2008, to critical and commercial success, selling just under three million copies worldwide.

It features a unique mechanic dubbed the "Danger Zones", stage hazards that instantly KO any fighter whose damage percentages exceed 100%.