Kirby (series)
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The Kirby (星のカービィ Hoshi no Kābī?) series is a fantasy video game series developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo, and produced by Nintendo. The gameplay of a majority of the games in the series consists mainly of action, platformer and puzzle-solving elements. The series is known for its bright and artistic settings, simplistic gameplay, cute characters, upbeat cheerful music, and the in-game ability to inhale enemies, thereby gaining a power characteristic of them. As of July 2007, the Kirby series includes a total of eighteen games, with a 19th game currently in development.
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[edit] Overview
All of the games in the Kirby series feature a pink spherical creature named Kirby as the main playable character and hero. Kirby frequently saves the world he resides in from various powerful antagonists, the most recurring one being King Dedede, the self-proclaimed ruler of Dream Land (a region of Popstar). King Dedede has been in every Kirby game except for Kirby & the Amazing Mirror. Another major character of the series is the engimatic Meta Knight, a chivalrous warrior that often assists Kirby, but depending on his intentions, will fight against Kirby to get things as he desires.
The games' fantasy world of Pop Star includes many regions of different climates and terrains, which are home to many different creatures. Each game features uniquely-named areas, but all games features typical locations such as fiery caverns, open meadows, water-filled or submerged areas, icy mountains, and similar nature-based places. Most games in the series also contain a castle, which more often than not belongs to King Dedede.
The main Kirby games feature a mixture of basic side-scrolling platform gameplay, unique puzzles, and a number of hidden items that either unlock more parts to the game or are simple incentives to collect, and are usually required to collect to achieve a 100% completion rate in the game. These elements have remained constant throughout most the series, with each game having its own unique twist to affect gameplay. There are also several unique 'side' games in the series, which involve a variety of different gaming genres such as pinball, puzzle, racing, even a game based on motion-sensor technology. A number of these side games take advantage to Kirby's unique ball-like appearance.
Nearly every platform Kirby game involves traversing through a number of areas, each containing around one to six stages, and defeating the boss enemy of each area along the way. Kirby's signature method of dispatches enemies found the stages is by using his incredible ability of inhaling with extreme power, literally sucking the enemies into his mouth. If Kirby inhales the correct enemy, he can acquire a special ability from them, which Kirby can then use to attack further enemies. Each of these abilities are unique, such as breathing fire, wielding a sword, launching sparks in every direction, or even donning a fighter's headband and attacking enemies with direct hand-to-hand combat.
In the platform games, several of the bosses have a special item on their person, which must be taken from them by defeating them. These special items usually relate to the final boss of the game, most often used to create a special weapon that is required to defeat the final boss. In some games, the special weapon can be used in the game regularly after defeating the final boss with it.
[edit] History
The first game, Kirby's Dream Land was released in Japan and the U.S. in April 1992. A simple game, consisting of only five levels, it introduced not only the main protagonist Kirby and the main antagonist King Dedede, but also Kirby's ability to inhale enemies and objects. The game features a second adventure, known as the "Extra Game", which features stronger enemies and half the normal amount of vitality. It is one of only two games where Kirby was shown on screen as colored white, rather than pink; indeed the North American box art also showed a white Kirby, although the Japanese box art had the correct pink coloring.
The second game, Kirby's Adventure, was first released in the U.S. in May 1993. Kirby's Adventure introduced the concept of 'copying' the abilities of enemies, and as one of the last games created for the Nintendo Entertainment System, featured astonishing graphics and sound that pushed the hardware's capabilities to the limit. It was re-released in 2002 on the Game Boy Advance, retitled as Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, featuring greatly updated graphics and sound.
After Kirby's Adventure, the Kirby series received a number of 'side' games. Kirby's Pinball Land, released in November 1993, is a pinball game featuring Kirby as the pinball. (Since this was a Game Boy game, Kirby again appeared white on the screen, although he was pink in the box art.) Kirby's Dream Course, released in the U.S. in February 1995, is a unique golf-based game that features an isometric graphic design. Kirby's Avalanche, released in February 1995 only in the U.S. and Europe, is a puzzle game known to be a cloned version of the Japanese game Puyo Puyo.
Kirby's Dream Land 2, released in Japan and the U.S. in March 1995, continued using the ability-copying idea first featured in Kirby's Adventure, but lowered the number of abilities down to seven. To make up for this, the game introduces three animal friends: Rick the Hamster, Coo the Owl, and Kine the Ocean Sunfish. Pairing up with any of these three friends alters how Kirby's abilities work, effectively raising the number of unique abilities from seven to twenty-eight. Also introduced was Gooey, a dark-colored blob-like creature, who could be found in a bag. The game was slated to be remade for the Game Boy Color as Kirby's Dream Land 2 DX, but, like Metroid II: Return of Samus DX, it was cancelled.
Kirby's Block Ball, released November 1995 in the U.S., was a variation of the game Breakout, featuring multiple levels, a number of Kirby's copy abilities, and various enemies in unique boss battles.
Kirby Super Star, known as Hoshi no Kirby Super Deluxe in Japan and Kirby's Fun Pak in Europe, was released in the U.S. in September 1996. Kirby Super Star is essentially eight individual games in one, and features a cast of memorable characters and abilities only seen once in the series of games. The game features the concept of creating a 'Helper', or friendly enemy, to help the player dispatch enemies. These helpers can be controlled by a second-player, which is one of the game's key points to the game's popularity among fans of the series.
Released in 1997, Kirby's Star Stacker is a puzzle game that involves touching two or more similar blocks together that have Kirby's animal friends on them. The game received a sequel on the Super Famicom in 1998 in Japan as Kirby no Kirakira Kizzu (dubbed Kirby's Super Star Stacker by fans).
Kirby's Dream Land 3, released in November 1997 in the U.S., is considered a direct sequel to Kirby's Dream Land 2, as it features the return of Rick, Coo and Kine, as well as the introduction of Nago the Cat, Pitch the Bird, and Chuchu the Octopus. Similar to Kirby's Dream Land 2, Kirby's Dream Land 3 featured only a few copy abilities that are modified when Kirby pairs up with one of his now six animal friends, making the number of unique abilities in the game a total of 72. Also reintroduced was Gooey, who could now be played as a second character.
The first 3D game of the Kirby series, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards was released on the Nintendo 64 in the U.S. in June 2000. The game featured a unique compound ability system that allows two of the seven abilities in the game to be merged together, making a new compound ability. The game is believed to be a sequel to Kirby's Dream Land 3, as the ominous cloud, Dark Matter, returns.
The next game in the Kirby series took a more innovative route, as Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble became one of Nintendo's first motion-sensor-based games in August 2000. Players are instructed to tilt their Game Boy Color to move Kirby on the screen. Quickly flicking the Game Boy Color upwards would make Kirby jump into the air. Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble is currently the only Kirby game to have a special cartridge color (transparent pink).
The only Kirby game for the Nintendo GameCube, Kirby Air Ride was released in the U.S. in October 2003. The game is noted for its simple gameplay controls, designed in a way so that virtually anyone could play the game without much trouble.
After Kirby Air Ride came Kirby & the Amazing Mirror. Released in October 2004 on the Game Boy Advance, it was the second game released on that system, following Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland. This particular game featured Kirby in a maze format, unique to the series. Also unique to the series was the in-game phone, which could be used to summon up to three additional Kirbys to fight enemies as well as solve puzzles.
The next Game in the series came in the form of Kirby: Canvas Curse released on the Nintendo DS in Japan on March 24, 2005, and was then later released in North America on June 13, 2005, in Europe on November 25, 2005, and in Australia on April 6, 2006. Unlike most previous Kirby games, the player does not directly control Kirby with a directional pad, analog stick, face buttons, or shoulder buttons. Instead, Kirby is a helpless ball, and can only move when he gains momentum. while the player paints paths with the stylus to direct his movement.
This was followed by Kirby: Squeak Squad in Fall/Winter 2006, also on the Nintendo DS, which revived traditional Kirby gameplay.
An untitled Kirby platform game originally planned to be released on the Nintendo GameCube, was thought to be canceled for some time, before being "re-announced" for the Wii.[citation needed] It was later canceled.
Announced in early Fall 2007 is Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe for the Nintendo DS, a remake of Kirby Super Star. It will feature updated graphics and other new features such as in-game cutscenes and a map on the touch screen.
[edit] Fictional universe
The Kirby series has developed a considerably large universe over its many releases. The setting of the games originally was held in Dream Land, which was revealed to be a part of the planet Pop Star in Kirby’s Dream Land 3. Kirby’s adventures went on a planetary scale in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, where Kirby and friends visited other similarly-named planets in the galaxy Pop Star belongs to while collecting the shards of a crystal that Dark Matter had shattered. However, these planets have yet to make a return appearance, as all of Kirby’s further adventures have occurred entirely on Pop Star (and in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror the Mirror world, which is believed to be a parallel version of Pop Star).
[edit] Chronology
In a similar fashion to the series' simplistic gameplay, plot connections between Kirby games are kept fairly loose, with no real underlying plot or history for the series to maintain. Because of this, it is widely believed that the chronology of the main games are simply the order in which the games are created and released. Out of all the main games, the only games to have a recurring final boss are Kirby’s Dream Land 2, Kirby’s Dream Land 3, and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, all of which feature the ominous black cloud Dark Matter.
[edit] Nature of the protagonist
Kirby is a small, pink, spherical creature with large red feet, stubby flap-like arms and trademark pink cheek-blushes. His body is soft and flexible, allowing him to be flattened. He is roughly 8 inches tall and his weight is unknown, although several parts of the anime and the Super Smash Bros. games suggest that he is light enough to be carried. He hails from the planet Pop Star, where he lives in a dome-shaped house in Dream Land. His appearance has changed subtly over the years, becoming more rounded and defined, mainly in his face and larger eyes. The new design has been used in all subsequent games.
Kirby has a positive attitude, and helps to save Dream Land through the use of his unique powers. His age is never stated, although in the manual for Kirby's Dream Land he is called a 'little boy' and in the show he is called a 'baby'. This, along with his high-pitched voice, suggest that he is young. He is referred to as male in the animated series.
Kirby is also cheerful and innocent. He loves to eat and sleep, especially during the day. He can be impulsive, such as how he accuses Dedede of interfering with the Fountain of Dreams in Kirby's Adventure, without even letting Dedede explain himself.
Kirby is a character of few words, mainly only saying 'Hi' cheerfully in such games as Super Smash Bros., Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, and speaking in the stories written in some games' instruction manuals. However, he rarely speaks in-game. The only exception is in Kirby's Avalanche, where he is depicted as rude and smart-alecky. However, this is an American-made spin-off of the Puyo Puyo games (similar to the Sonic title Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine) and never released in Japan. He does, however, narrate the functions of certain Copy Abilities on the start menu in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, and Kirby: Squeak Squad. Most of the in game talking Kirby does is in Kirby's Star Stacker, where Kirby explains the game's rules, along with brief gameplay descriptions (if it isn't done by Dedede). The concept of Kirby being mostly mute is supported by Masahiro Sakurai's insistence that Kirby not speak in the anime series.
[edit] Other incarnations
There are a number of other Kirby media creations that have been licensed by Nintendo, but are not officially acknowledged as part of the series canon.
[edit] Anime
The Kirby series was made into an anime in October 2001, originally titled Hoshi no Kirby, which was produced by Warpstar Inc., a company formed between a joint investment between Nintendo and HAL Laboratory, Inc. The show is about the adventures Kirby has with his friends after he crash lands on the planet Pop Star, in the country of Dream Land. Kirby is actually a legendary Star Warrior destined to save the planet from destruction by the evil Nightmare. The greedy ruler of Dream Land, King Dedede, orders up fearsome monsters from Nightmare's company, Nightmare Enterprises. He uses them to attack Kirby and the people of Dream Land, but Kirby uses his signature abilities to inhale and copy an enemy's power to save the day.
The show is only based on the game series, taking characters and concepts rather than copying any of the games word-for-word. It is to be taken as an alternate universe, having no direct connection to the game timeline. Being mainly self-contained, it can be easier for those unfamiliar with the game series to understand it.
The series is rife with satire and parody, some of it self-referential in nature. Homages to old movies are common, as are references to modern popular culture, politics and news events, so adults as well as children can find aspects they can relate to and enjoy.
It is currently licensed in North America by 4Kids Entertainment under the title Kirby: Right Back at Ya! and was seen on 4Kids TV. The show was distributed by 20th Century Fox, Nelvana Enterprises, and HAL Laboratory, Inc. It ended in Japan in 2003 with 100 episodes, and the series finished airing in 2006 in the United States.
[edit] Comics and manga
Kirby also stars in several manga series, none of which have been released outside Japan. The longest running series is also titled Kirby of the Stars (a rough English translation of Hoshi no Kirby), and was written by Hirokazu Hikawa.
Other Kirby manga are typically one-shot comedy 4koma based on the games, and have multiple artists. They usually have recurring themes and running gags, despite having different creators.
Kirby also appears in a few German comics, which feature him as a detective and King Dedede as his friend. His other friend is one of a few blue fish who works at a bar known as the Blue Fish Bar, who is also one of Kirby's informants. His animal friends also appear in the German comics as pets of a female Kirby look-alike with red glass slippers, ostensibly one of Kirby's girlfriends. In one comic, he meets Lolo, Lala, and Lulu, the stars of the Adventures of Lolo series. The German comics were meant to let German Kirby fans know of Kirby games that would be released there.
[edit] Cancelled games
In the lifetime of the Kirby series, several video games have been in development that, for various reasons, were ultimately abandoned. Such titles include Kirby’s Air Ride and Kirby Bowl 64 on the Nintendo 64 (the former eventually being released on the Nintendo GameCube as Kirby Air Ride), and Kirby’s Tilt 'n' Tumble 2 on the Nintendo GameCube, which was supposed to use a combination of motion-sensor technology and connectivity to the Game Boy Advance via the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable. Another game that was canceled was a game that was supposed to be released on the Wii, but never did.
[edit] Kirby in other video games
Kirby appears in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64, a crossover fighting game that features several popular Nintendo characters, such as Mario and Link. Kirby also appeared in the game's sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee. The third iteration of the Super Smash Bros. series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, introduces the inclusion of Meta Knight and King Dedede as playable characters. Kirby has also had cameos in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, EarthBound, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and a number of other Nintendo games.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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