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Feature 33 Facts

078 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

ONM74.feat_kirby.indd 76 9/5/11 2:22:26 PM Feature 33 Kirby Facts

THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT KIRBY The complete lowdown on gaming’s hungriest character

or nearly two decades, Kirby has been a cult favourite among Nintendo fans. F Although he’s never really reached the same heights as and Link, Kirby’s adventures have always had their own unique appeal. As we approach his 20th anniversary next year, the greedy pink blob is set to star in his 19th and 20th games. First he’ll be arriving in Kirby: Mass Attack on DS (reviewed next month), then in December he’ll turn his attention to the in Kirby’s Adventure Wii. Created by ’s HAL Laboratory studio in 1992, the Kirby series – unlike those of Link and Mario – has never really been picked apart in great detail and obsessed over. Until now, that is. We raided the Nintendo vaults to br ing you thirty-three factoids about Kirby that ’ll blow your mindbox.

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What’s pink and A Twinkle Pinky In The Brain yellow and red all It’s Knight Time 1 In Our Eyes 2 Kirby’s colour was the subject over? These guys. 3 That , he’s an odd Kirby very nearly didn’t exist. of much debate during Kirby’s one. One minute he’s Kirby’s He was originally a placeholder sprite for Dream Land’s development. Sakurai was deadliest rival, the next his staunchest a game HAL Laboratory was working on adamant from the start that Kirby should ally. What’s perhaps more intriguing is called Twinkle Popopo. While designer be pink, whereas just what’s under that mask (Pictured was refi ning the main thought he should be yellow. Eventually above). It seems Meta Knight is a character he made a basic design so that pink was decided upon, but when member of Kirby’s species, although development could continue. Over time, Nintendo Of America started advertising instead of being pink with black eyes, though, he grew fond of the little guy. the game, they made him white. Jokers. he’s blue with white eyes.

And Breathe Out Cheer Up, Mate Sounds Good To Us 7 In most games, Kirby can 8 If you want a perfect example 9 Although he doesn’t say much, breathe in for as long as you of what sells in different Kirby does have a voice actor. hold the inhale button. He must be a countries, you need only take a look at Makiko Ohmoto has been the voice of little worse for wear in The Amazing the box art of recent Kirby games. Some Kirby ever since he fi rst spoke in Super Mirror, however, because it’s the only bright spark at Nintendo decided that Smash Bros on N64. Not only has she game in which his inhale ability is limited. cute and cuddly sells in Japan, while voiced every game since, she was also Keep holding the button and eventually mean and nasty is more likely to do well Kirby’s voice in the animated series Kirby will get tired, meaning you have to in the US and Europe. That’s why Kirby Kirby: Right Back At Ya!, which is currently get near enemies before trying it. always looks happier on Japanese covers. available on the Wii Kirby TV Channel.

The Air Up There Playing For Keebs The One You 13 Kirby has the ability to inhale 14 Everyone loves Kirby, but how 15 Haven’t Played air and fl oat in the sky for many gamers have a similar Reckon you’ve played every as long as he wants, but you may be love for Keeby? He’s a yellow version of Kirby game to date? Kirby’s Toy Box says annoyed at how slowly he moves when Kirby who appears in the two-player otherwise. It was a downloadable game he does this. This was a deliberate action mode of Kirby’s Dream Course. He’s the for Nintendo’s system, which by the development team to encourage equivalent of , and just as rubbish. was used to beam time-limited games to He wasn’t always experienced players to challenge There are a few other games in which a Japanese SNES owners. Kirby’s Toy Box going to be a themselves by staying on foot. “As long second player can play as a yellow Kirby, consisted of eight mini-games that were rosy-cheeked pink as you kept fl ying, anyone could reach but since he’s never name-checked we available at different times of the day, blob, you know. the goal,” says Iwata-san. can’t say for certain if that’s Keeby, too. including pinball and baseball.

080 THE OFFICIAL NINTENDO MAGAZINE

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The Evil Awakens The Name Game A Toothless Reply 4 Kirby wasn’t always a good guy. 5 Here’s a fun fact: almost every 6 We all know Kirby has a knack In : Link’s one of Kirby’s 20 games has for munching his enemies, but Awakening he actually appears as an had at least one name change between one question remains – does he chew enemy. It’s one of a handful of Nintendo its release in Japan, the US and the UK. them or swallow them whole? We can cameos in the game, some of which This started with Kirby’s Dream Land happily answer that it’s the latter. One show characters acting differently to (Kirby Of The Stars in Japan) and episode of the Kirby cartoon (A Dental usual. Even though he’s a bad guy, Kirby continued all the way through to the DS. Dilemma) tells the story of a Demon still has the same moves here, so stay The only game to have the same name Beast who goes to drill Kirby’s mouth, away if you don’t want to be eaten. in every region was Kirby’s Block Ball. but is stunned to fi nd no teeth inside.

How Cheeky Smash Bros. A Smashing Time Weepy Crawlie gives Kirby the 10 We all know Kirby for his huge chance to mimic 11 Kirby’s one of a handful of 12 Kirby will eat anything, that eyes and red cheeks, but those Nintendo’s fi nest. Nintendo favourites who have much is already clear. What’s cheeks weren’t always like that. There starred in all three Super Smash Bros. most impressive is that no matter how was once a time (in Kirby’s Dream Land, games, and he’s retained his ability- unhealthy the thing he’s eating – rotten to be precise) when he had no cheeks at stealing powers throughout. This means pumpkins, jagged enemies, you name it all. He did get some in NES sequel Kirby’s that over the course of the series Kirby – he never seems to fl inch. That’s except Adventure, but they were only two small has been able to take on the appearance for Mariel, a nasty-looking spider from black lines – the current incarnation and abilities of no less than 43 different Kirby’s Dream Land 3 and Kirby 64. If Kirby didn’t appear until Kirby’s Dream Land 3. characters, from Mario to . tries to eat it, he’ll take damage.

We Hardly Knew Ye 16 Games get cancelled. It’s sad but true, but over the years several Kirby adventures simply never saw the light of day. Here are four Kirby games that got the boot…

Kid Kirby Kirby Bowl 64 Kirby Tilt ‘N’ Tumble 2 Kirby This SNES puzzler was being When the was A GameCube game that looked Another GameCube affair, Kirby developed by DMA Design, who announced, Nintendo showed off a bit like a top-down version of was going to be a four-player were famous for the Lemmings a snowboard-like game called Super Monkey Ball. The game was platformer similar to the games. It starred a baby version Kirby Bowl 64. It later got a name played using the upcoming Wii one. The engine of Kirby, but was cancelled. DMA change to , but was Advance as a controller, with a laid the groundwork for the eventually made it big with a little never released. Kirby’s Air Ride for special cartridge containing a tilt Subspace Emissary in Super game called Grand Theft Auto. GameCube was very different… sensor used to control Kirby. Smash Bros Brawl.

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Poyo Stick Alright mate, we What’s In A Name? Stunted Growth 17 When the animated series was can see you. Put 18 Some claim Kirby was named 19 Kirby hasn’t made as many in its design stage, Sakurai your hand down. after , the lawyer cameos as the likes of Mario insisted that Kirby shouldn’t be able to who helped stop Universal Pictures suing and Link, but he’s seen his fair share of speak. He felt that being mute would Nintendo over . In reality, appearances. One of the earliest is in make Kirby easier for people everywhere the name was already an option before Stunt Race FX for the SNES. If you race to relate to. Despite this, Kirby does say that connection was made. “Kirby is very on the Night Owl course, you drive past a few things – his most-used phrase is cute,” says Shigeru Miyamoto. “I thought various billboards featuring Nintendo “poyo”. It doesn’t mean anything in mixing this cute character with this characters – keep an eye out and you’ll particular, it just sounds cute. harsh-sounding name was very funny.” see Kirby on one.

The Real Star Food For Thought Fluffi ng It 23 This isn’t so much a fact as 24 Although most of the food in 25 Kirby’s last big success was something you need to be the Kirby games does more or obviously Kirby’s Epic Yarn, made aware of. We can all chat about less the same thing, it’s a testament to but there was a time when the woolly Kirby as much as we like, but the greatest HAL Laboratory’s attention to detail that platformer had nothing to do with Kirby character in the series by far is Gooey. it created so many different food sprites. whatsoever. It was originally being He’s a blob of Dark Matter who helps out Over the course of the entire series, Kirby developed by Good-Feel as Fluff’s Epic in Kirby’s Dream Land 2 and 3, and he has eaten 40 different types of food, Yarn, and it starred Prince Fluff – the has similar abilities to Kirby, but with a ranging from cake to lobster. What can character now controller by the second comically long tongue to slurp up items. we say? The guy likes his food. player in a co-op game.

Hair-Brained Scheme Comic Capers 29 Those Americans, they really 30 It’s an unwritten law that had no clue what was going on something’s not popular in with Kirby back in the day. As if it wasn’t Japan unless there’s a dedicated bad enough that they’d turned him to it. The fact that a Kirby series exists white, they also produced a TV confi rms that, yes, he’s popular. Kirby Of commercial that showed him with hair The Stars: The Story Of Dedede Who Lives and teeth. “No muscles, no weapons, In Pupupu started in April 1995 and nothing,” the ad declared. “All he’s got is continued for a total of 11 years. Oddly, appetite”. He looks like a complete idiot after a few issues, the changed – thankfully, the look never stuck. dramatically and his eyes became huge.

082 THE OFFICIAL NINTENDO MAGAZINE

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Now You Saw It Monochrome Kirby’s Tepid Yarn 20 As is often the case with 21 Mayhem 22 In 2001 a company called Japanese-made cartoons, there Every character in Super Smash Jaguar released a sewing were a few edits made to Kirby: Right Bros Brawl has a variety of alternative machine that could produce customised Back At Ya!. In one scene, colour schemes to help players tell each embroidery. At its 2001 Space World threatens to cut down the forest. Perhaps other apart in multiplayer games. King show, Nintendo announced that it would fearing that a cartoon character wielding Dedede has one colour change that we be releasing Kirby Family, Game Boy a chainsaw could encourage kids to try it reckon is a touch of genius; it covers him Color software that would interact with out, a lightsaber replaced said chainsaw in brown hues, making him look this sewing machine and send it Kirby for the English-language version. monochrome – like in Kirby’s Dream Land. patterns. It was never actually released.

How are Kirby You’re Upset? Snap! A First Time Slide Over Here and Pokémon HAL understood Good-Feel’s For Everything The e-Reader was a peripheral linked? You’d 26 27 28 apprehension at using Kirby in Kirby games are often designed released for the Game Boy be surprised. Epic Yarn, because they had to do the with beginners in mind, and Epic Yarn Advance that enabled players to scan in same when making Pokémon Snap – was no different. Emi Watanabe, project special cards and unlock items in games. which originally wasn’t a Pokémon co-ordinator at Good-Feel, took the role Only one Kirby e-Card was released, and game. According to HAL’s Masanobu of a fi rst-time player. “I’m not good at scanning it would result in a mini-game Yamamoto: “While I could understand playing videogames,” she says. “I would called Kirby Slide. It was nothing more how Good-Feel felt, I started thinking say things like, ‘This stage is sort of than a basic sliding puzzle, and most about how I could get them to like Kirby.” boring’ and, ‘It’s kind of hard here’”. people fell asleep before fi nishing it.

Pink or white, he Boy Oh Boy The Dream Team The King Of Copying was more popular These days Kirby games sell in When Nintendo fi rst asked the One of Kirby’s main skills is his than Resident Evil. 31 32 33 reasonable numbers, but back Good-Feel team if they wanted ability to swallow enemies and in the early ’90s the pinkster was one of to include Kirby in Epic Yarn, there was copy their powers, a technique he fi rst Nintendo’s hottest properties. In fact, if resistance when it seemed that their developed in Kirby’s Adventure. Over the you don’t count any Tetris, Mario or creation Fluff was getting the boot. course of the main series, he’s copied Pokémon games, Kirby’s Dream Land was Ebisu-san explains: “To be honest, a total of 50 different abilities, from the best-selling game for the Game Boy. I had mixed feelings when Nintendo Beam to Broom. Our favourite of them It shifted an impressive 5.13 million suggested using Kirby. But when we all is Mike, which sees Kirby grab a copies globally – for comparison, that’s tried making Kirby out of yarn, I was microphone and belt out a note that kills more than the original Resident Evil. surprised by how well it worked.” all of the enemies on the screen.

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