Kirby Super Star Ultra/New features

Excluding the new game modes and their content, these are the known notable changes from Kirby Super Star to Kirby Super Star Ultra.

Aesthetic changes

• Sprites have been re-designed to fit the style of more recent Kirby games.
• Most cinematics and cutscenes are captured three-dimensional models in Ultra, but the original 2D scenes can still be unlocked and viewed in the Theater.
• Several of the treasure chest items in The Great Cave Offensive have changed.
• There are more songs and sounds in Sound Test.

Ability and helper changes

• Most grab attacks are easier to activate.
• In the original, the Ninja Ability's Knife Throw would unleash a knife every time the button was pressed. In Ultra, the intervals between Knife Throws has been limited, and requires more precise timing.
• Ninja's Hide Guard now deals damage both when disappearing and re-appearing. Ninja's Dash Attack is also more effective.
• The Bomb ability's "Straight Throw" can now be performed in the air.
• Although the effect of the Stone ability remains the same, there are many more stone transformations in Ultra.
• Jet can charge up faster.
• The Jet helper, Capsule J, has been completely redesigned graphically, and is now dubbed Capsule J2.
• The Copy helper, T.A.C. has been renamed TAC. His "Steal" attack is less rapid than before, and his "Cat Magnum" attack is a new addition.
• Mirror can reflect more projectiles than before.
• Wheel's Dash now speeds up after a turn. Wheel can no longer "Brake Dash" against walls, but can do so against Whispy Woods.
• Plasma Kirby is now colored green.
• Parasol's Parasol Drill and Parasol Dive no longer make Kirby (or Parasol Waddle Dee) temporarily invincible. Parasol now automatically acts as a parachute, where as previously it had to be activated by pressing .
• Yo-yo's Break Spin doesn't last as long. Neither Break Spin nor Gazer Spiral can hit more than twice now.
• There's now a glitch with Whispy Woods that can interrupt Cutter's close-range combo.
• Beam's Beam Blast now halts Kirby's (or Waddle Doo's) descent a little bit every time it's used.
• The damage of many ability attacks has been tweaked slightly. For instance, Beam's Beam Whip has been increased from 5 damage to 8 damage.

Functional changes

• The player can now remove Kirby's ability by pressing .
• The original two minigames, Megaton Punch and Samurai Kirby must be unlocked in Ultra.