02-06-2011, 03:09 AM
The problem isn't having shit-tons of abilities. As TF2 has shown us, you can continue adding things as much and as often as you want.
The main problem is having each ability be about equally useful while still being fairly unique.
In KDL3 and K64, there were a sizable number of abilities. However, a few of them were of limited use, a few of average use, and a few of use in just about every situation. I mean, the lightbulb combination (Spark + Bomb, I believe) was pretty much useful in just one or two places (the original Light ability was guilty of this as well). And if I remember correctly, there were several abilities that were even of no use at all, other than a few laughs (Spark + Fire & Fire + Ice, if I remember correctly).
As for Squeak Squad, it's problem is that it didn't quite go all the way. There were only a few abilities that could be combined with others, and even then, they could be combined only with elemental powers. And neither of them were really required to be used at all, meaning you could get through pretty much the whole game without combining abilities. Of course, I kinda breezed through the game (100% within a week) and I don't quite remember everything about it that well, so I could certainly be wrong here.
Now, as far as uniqueness goes, it becomes even harder when you have many more abilities to design (as one would likely expect). For example, as much as I like the idea of Clean ability, it turns out that in execution, it's pretty much just a clone of Sword, except that it cleans certain things, too. The problem with that is, well, there aren't many things to clean (in KDL3, anyways), so it essentially becomes just Sword ability. So, having both abilities in the same game creates needless duplication (unless Clean were to be redesigned; I guess you could redesign Sword instead, but I doubt that'd meet with as much popularity).
... I write text walls on Kirby games.
The main problem is having each ability be about equally useful while still being fairly unique.
In KDL3 and K64, there were a sizable number of abilities. However, a few of them were of limited use, a few of average use, and a few of use in just about every situation. I mean, the lightbulb combination (Spark + Bomb, I believe) was pretty much useful in just one or two places (the original Light ability was guilty of this as well). And if I remember correctly, there were several abilities that were even of no use at all, other than a few laughs (Spark + Fire & Fire + Ice, if I remember correctly).
As for Squeak Squad, it's problem is that it didn't quite go all the way. There were only a few abilities that could be combined with others, and even then, they could be combined only with elemental powers. And neither of them were really required to be used at all, meaning you could get through pretty much the whole game without combining abilities. Of course, I kinda breezed through the game (100% within a week) and I don't quite remember everything about it that well, so I could certainly be wrong here.
Now, as far as uniqueness goes, it becomes even harder when you have many more abilities to design (as one would likely expect). For example, as much as I like the idea of Clean ability, it turns out that in execution, it's pretty much just a clone of Sword, except that it cleans certain things, too. The problem with that is, well, there aren't many things to clean (in KDL3, anyways), so it essentially becomes just Sword ability. So, having both abilities in the same game creates needless duplication (unless Clean were to be redesigned; I guess you could redesign Sword instead, but I doubt that'd meet with as much popularity).
... I write text walls on Kirby games.