Kirby (Nintendo)
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Kirby (カービィ Kābii?) is a fictional character in a series of video games published by Nintendo. He has been the star of a number of namesake games developed by HAL Laboratory, and has also become a popular anime character in recent years.
Kirby has appeared in over twenty games since 1992. The core games of the series are platformers that follow a loose timeline matching the release order. They typically begin with an evil force threatening his home of Dream Land (Pupupuland プププランド) on the planet Popstar, most often the greedy King Dedede or mysterious Dark Matter. No matter the odds, Kirby sets off to defeat it. The main games always have Kirby with the same basic abilities- he can walk, run, jump, float, and inhale and spit out or devour his enemies. Following Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby was able to gain the abilities of the enemies he swallowed, such as Fire, Sword or Fighter.
In the various side games, Kirby sometimes diverges from his platforming style, his round shape allowing him to be the ball in Kirby's Pinball Land, or rolling around in Kirby's Tilt 'n' Tumble. He retains his signature Copy Abilities, which can often be used for special effects.
All of Kirby's games keep to the same basic idea behind Kirby's creation- that his is a series for beginners, rather than being intended just for children. As such his games can be beaten by a player of nearly any age, but offer deeper challenges for more experienced gamers.
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[edit] Main Game Series
[edit] Super Smash Bros. Series
In 1999, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory released a 4-player fighting game called Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64 video game system. The game featured eight of Nintendo's mascots (another four characters could be unlocked by various means) duking it out in stages based on each of the eight main characters' series, plus a ninth stage that could be unlocked. The game reached critical acclaim, and a sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee, was released shortly after the launch of Nintendo's next system, the GameCube.
In Super Smash Bros., Kirby retains his ability to float (in the form of a five-use multi-jump) and the ability to inhale and swallow other players, allowing him to copy their normal B-button special moves to use. He also has a number of strong combo attacks. In addition to his special ability to inhale and copy his opponents, Kirby also has his Final Cutter and Stone abilities from the previous Kirby games. Interestingly, Kirby's ability to create a force field shield was given to all characters. For a character of his size, Kirby is quite agile and powerful, however his major drawback was his lack of weight, making him relatively easy to knock off the stage with more powerful techniques, such as Smash attacks and charge moves.
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Kirby gains the new ability to swing a Hammer, in addition to his previous abilities. His throws still inflict decent damage, especially when he teleports with the opponent and crashes him/her down. However, he was now much lighter and had noticably less attack power.<ref name=kirby> Super Smash Bros. Melee Kirby bio IGN. URL Accessed May 28, 2006.</ref> Kirby is voiced by Makiko Ohmoto in Super Smash Bros.,<ref> Super Smash Bros. credits GameFAQs. URL Accessed May 28, 2006.</ref> and again in Super Smash Bros. Melee.<ref> Super Smash Bros. Melee credits GameFAQs. URL Accessed May 28, 2006.</ref> As seen in the trailer for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Kirby will be making a return appearance. His rival Meta Knight will also be a playable character. In Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, Kirby can use his moves from Super Smash Bros. Melee by defeating and swallowing a scaled-down version of Master Hand, the final boss from both Super Smash Bros. games.
[edit] In Anime and Manga
Kirby stars in his own anime titled Hoshi no Kābī (Kirby of the Stars). It is currently licensed in North America by 4Kids Entertainment and the Canadian company Nelvana under the title Kirby: Right Back at Ya!; it aired on 4Kids TV, formerly the Fox Box (since 2002, now currently airing in reruns), via Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting (since 2001 which has done 100 episodes). It was produced by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory, Inc.
Kirby also starred in several different manga series, none of which have ever been released outside Japan. The longest running series is also titled Kirby of the Stars, and was written by Hirokazu Hikawa (ひかわ 博一 Hikawa Hirokazu).<ref>Kirby - Manga : Vol. 21. Nippon Export (2004-12-01). Retrieved on 2006-09-21.</ref> The other manga are typically one-shots based on all of the different games and have multiple artists.
[edit] Characteristics
Kirby is a small, pink, spherical creature with large red shoes, stubby arms and trademark pink cheek-blushes, typical of Japanese kawaii. His body is soft and flexible, allowing him to even be squished flat. He hails from the planet Popstar. His appearance has changed subtly over the years, becoming more rounded and defined. The main changes have been in his face, with his eyes becoming larger. His design in the anime series has since been used in all games after it.
[edit] Personality
Kirby generally has a positive attitude, and helps to save Dream Land through the use of his unique powers. His age is never specifically stated, though in the manual for Kirby's Dream Land he's called a 'little boy'.<ref>Kirby's Dream Land Instruction Manual Kirby's Rainbow Resort. URL Accessed Oct 25, 2006.</ref> This along with his high-pitched voice suggest he's quite young. He is also referred to as male in the animated series<ref>Kirby Kirby Kirby Website Official Kirby: Right Back at Ya! Site. URL Accessed Oct 25, 2006.</ref> , though his gender is more ambiguous in the games.
In both the games and anime, Kirby's personality is simple. He loves to eat, sleep and play. His favorite food in the games are tomatoes, while he prefers watermelons in the anime.<ref>Kirby Bio Kirby's Rainbow Resort. URL Accessed Oct 25, 2006.</ref> In the anime he is described as very kind-hearted, to the point it's considered one of his weaknesses. In the games he is more impulsive, such as how he accuses Dedede of interferring with the Dream Spring in Kirby's Adventure, without even letting the king explain himself.
Kirby is a character of few words, mainly only saying 'Hi!' cheerfully in such games as Super Smash Bros. and speaking in the stories written in some game's intruction manuals. The only game where he has speaking lines is Kirby's Avalanche, where he is depicted as rather rude and smart-alecky. However, as it 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, it is often not considered canon. The concept of Kirby being mostly mute is later supported by Masahiro Sakurai's insistence that Kirby not speak in the anime series. (See: [Kirby Anime Development])
[edit] Abilities
Kirby's signature ability is to inhale enemies with his mouth (both it and his body can expand to allow him to inhale things much larger than he is) and swallow them, or spit them back out as a star to attack other enemies. Certain enemies, when swallowed, give Kirby new powers called Copy Abilities.
In most early games, an ability wouldn't change Kirby's appearance much, aside from his color changing to orange or cyan in Kirby's Adventure, or wielding a weapon for abilities like Sword or Hammer. However, beginning with Kirby Super Star, Kirby would gain a unique hat for each one, such as a burning headdress for Fire, a frozen crown for Ice, or a backwards baseball cap for Yoyo. The hats have since become a staple of the series.
Kirby also uses his inhale to get food items to heal himself, or other special items like lollipops that grant him temporary invinciblity. (Kirby Super Star and recent games have a feature where Kirby can share his food with the second player, a motion that appears very much like kissing. It became a very popular topic to parody in the Japanese manga series.<ref>Kirby Official Manga Kirby's Rainbow Resort. URL Accessed Nov 21, 2006.</ref>)
Kirby can suck in air and make himself lighter, flying slowly by flapping his arms. He can attack enemies by quickly exhaling a puff of air. Other games have developed his powers even further, such as allowing him to block attacks in Kirby Super Star, but on a whole his basic moves have stayed the same with new Copy Abilities being added in each new game. In Kirby, Kirby is also given the ability to release his absorbed enemy as an ally.
He's also known for being a very skilled dancer. After defeating bosses or some levels, Kirby will twirl, jump and slide, often accompanied by others of his kind or helpers. The complexity of his dances sometimes depends on how well he does in a bonus game at the end of a level- getting the highest result will get the longest dance.
[edit] Relationships
Starting in Kirby's Dream Land 2 on the Game Boy), Kirby was assisted in his quest by several animal friends <ref>Kirby's Dreamland 3 character page Nintendo.co.jp URL Accessed Oct 25, 2006.</ref>, with new ones appearing later in Kirby's Dream Land 3. He can be seen in cutscenes interacting with them before each level.
In Kirby's Dream Land 3 he is also joined by a goofy looking blob called Gooey. According to the game's instruction manual, he's made out of the same stuff as Dark Matter, but isn't evil. Gooey can float and swallow enemies like Kirby does, except he uses a long sticky tongue.
A variety of 'Helpers' were introduced in Kirby Super Star. They are 'good' versions of the enemies Kirby meets in the games. If Kirby has inhaled one to obtain its ability, he can give up his power to create a new Helper to aid him. (The Helper is then either controlled by the game or by a second player.) In more recent games he is aided by multicolored copies of himself.
In Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards he travelled with a wide variety of friends. The fairy Ribbon from Ripple Star, the possibly human girl Adeleine, King Dedede and a Waddle Dee all help Kirby in his quest to find the pieces of the broken crystal and defeat Dark Matter. (The game marks the first time Dedede ever helps Kirby.) At the end of the game, Ribbon kisses Kirby on the cheek in thanks for saving her home world, causing him to get dizzy in embarrassment and fall over. She is the only character shown to have any sort of romantic affection for him, but has only ever appeared in that one game.
In the anime series, Kirby's two best friends are the siblings Tiff and Tuff. Tiff acts as a protective, almost maternal figure to him. Kirby often plays with Tuff and the other children in the village, but being much younger he can sometimes be left out. Some of the animal friends also appear, but Kirby doesn't have close friendships with them.
Kirby is generally willing to make friends with anyone, though moreso in the anime than games.
[edit] Shadow Kirby
In Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, the Mirror World is introduced, an alternate dimension of sorts that in some ways is a reflection of Kirby's own. In it there exists Shadow Kirby, who appears to be a dark version of him with a gray body and feet. He appears before you at various points in the game, and will only stare at you before retreating. However, if you attack he will leap backwards, at the same time dropping various useful items such as 1Ups, HyperCandy, and food. It is revealed in the end that Shadow Kirby wants to save his own world just as Kirby does his, and they work together towards the same goal.In Kirby Squeak Squad you can collect the 'Shadow' spray paint to make Kirby look just like Shadow Kirby.
[edit] Concept and creation
Kirby was originally named Popopo, and his model was created as a blob placeholder sprite during the development of what would be the first Kirby game. (Which was originally to be titled 'Twinkle Popopo' instead of the current 'Hoshi no Kaabii' or Kirby of the Stars.)<ref>Interview with Masahiro Sakurai Nintendo Online Magazine URL Accessed Oct 25, 2006.</ref> After working with it for a while, creator Masahiro Sakurai started to prefer the placeholder's design over the one they originally had in mind. He was later quoted with saying how he envisioned Kirby as a 'game for beginners'.
Sakurai intended Kirby to be pink. However, Shigeru Miyamoto had envisioned him as yellow. <ref>Interview with Masahiro Sakurai Nintendo Online Magazine URL Accessed Oct 25, 2006.</ref> Because of this ambiguity, Nintendo of America was left with a bit of confusion when the game was ported to the West. As a result, the American box art, cartridge label, and instruction booklet for Kirby's Dream Land features Kirby entirely white in color. The Japanese box art, however, correctly depicts Kirby as pink.
A widespread myth is that Kirby adopted his Western name from the Kirby Corporation, which is a vacuum cleaner company and would suit Kirby and his appetite; however, Kirby was actually named after Nintendo's legal counsel, John Kirby of Latham & Watkins LLP, after John Kirby saved Nintendo during a copyright infringement lawsuit over Donkey Kong filed by Universal Studios.
[edit] Actor portrayal
He is voiced by female seiyū Makiko Ohmoto in the Super Smash Bros. series, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, and in the anime Kirby: Right Back at Ya! (Kirby of the Stars).
[edit] Species Information
Though Kirby is the most often focused on, he is not the only member of his kind, as evidenced by similar looking characters that are seen in the ending of Kirby's Dream Land and Spring Breeze in Kirby Super Star- and potentially Meta Knight, who looks identical to Kirby aside from color. In Kirby & the Amazing Mirror and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, different colored Kirbies appear as other players in multi-player games. In the case of the former, they are the result of Kirby being divided into four by Dark Meta Knight. <ref>Kirby & the Amazing Mirror Story Nintendo.co.jp URL Accessed Nov 21, 2006.</ref> In the baseball-like minigame only available through the Bandai Satellaview, there are dozens of beings that look like Kirby in the stadium watching you play, as opposed to the audience made up of familiar enemies that appears in other Kirby titles.
Aside from Meta Knight, another character appears that looks like Kirby only yellow, officially known as Keeby. (Japanese キービイ, sometimes written as Kiiby. It is a portmanteau of Kirby and kiiro, the Japanese word for yellow) He has been a reoccuring character in Kirby's side adventures. His first appearance was in Kirby Bowl, known in the US as Kirby's Dream Course. He is controlled by the second player, and apparently has the same abilities as Kirby. The reason for Keeby's appearance may have also been a nod to Miyamoto, who wanted Kirby to be yellow. While Keeby was only named as such in Kirby Bowl, it is generally assumed that he appears in the other side games that follow, such as Kirby Air Ride. Aside from not maintaining the Keeby name consistency, HAL has not yet named the other multi-colored members of Kirby's species.
In general, members of the species all look very similar to each other except sometimes they may have different colored skin, eyes and shoes. However, there has never been an official name given for his race, leading to arguments and confusion in the fandom. It's quite common for them to be referred to as Kirbies. (Similar to how Yoshi in the Mario series is the name of both the species and character). But in this case, Kirby is only the name of a single character. Often less controversial terms like creampuffs or puffballs are used, going by their soft and round appearance.
Another common term is Dreamlanders, going by the fact Kirby himself lives in Dream Land. It also meets criticism because of a lack of evidence that the species originated there, or that the majority reside there. (In addition, the Super Smash Bros. bio says Kirby is a denizen of Dream Land rather than a citizen, though the writer may have only misused the word.) Some say it would be akin to calling all humans 'Americans'.
In Kirby's Dream Land 3 however, mysterious characters appear called Batamon. They look very similar to Kirby aside from a more flattened shape and slightly different face, and are unique in that you can never directly come in contact with them. They are always seen walking past walls or ceilings beyond Kirby's reach. <ref>Kirby's Dreamland 3 Enemies Kirby's Rainbow Resort URL Accessed Nov 11, 2006.</ref> Considering it is the only Kirby-like creature to ever be given a name, it suggests Batamon is a default name for Kirby's species, or a closely related one- or perhaps just an imposter such as Anti-Kirby from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. <ref>Kirby Cameo in Zelda Kirby's Rainbow Resort URL Accessed Nov 11, 2006.</ref>
However, it can be said with certainty that his race is not called Star Warrior, Warpstar Knight or any variation thereof. Star Warrior, which is a term found solely in the anime series, is not the name of his species or any other. It is a term used to describe a group of legendary warriors that consists of many different races.<ref>Star Warrior Article Kirby's Rainbow Resort URL Accessed Nov 11, 2006.</ref>
The terms Warpstar Knight or Warpstar Warrior have only ever been used in advertisements, and have never appeared in any game or the anime.
In the anime, aside from Kirby and Meta Knight, four others that appear to be of their race appear. Four members of the Galaxy Soldier Army and likely Star Warriors, Sir Arthur, Noisurat, Dragato, and Falspar. They look very similar to Meta Knight, wearing full armor and masks. The only new information given about them is potentially long lifespan of hundreds of years, as suggested by Meta Knight saying that Kirby was meant to sleep for 200 years, and Meta Knight himself is implied to be much older.
[edit] See also
- Kirby series characters
- Kirby series enemies
- Kirby series mini-bosses
- Kirby series bosses
- List of Kirby games
- List of Kirby powers
- List of Kirby magical items
[edit] References
<references/>
[edit] External links
- Kirby's "official" U.S. homepage
- Kirby's "official" Japanese homepage
- Kirby's Rainbow Resort
- Kirby game character and game series fanlisting
- Kirby's Fan Gaming Dreamland
- TV Tome—Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
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