The Kirby universe (星のカービィ, Kirby of the Stars) refers to the Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from Nintendo's Kirby series of multi-genre video games. It was developed by HAL Laboratory, Inc., the same company that started the Super Smash Bros. series, and it revolves around the titular spherical, pink entity Kirby and his adventures around his home planet, Popstar, among other planets. The series has had many games of several different genres, with side-scrolling platformers being the most prominent.
Franchise description[]
Masahiro Sakurai, the future designer for the Super Smash Bros. series, was designing a Game Boy platformer originally titled Twinkle Popopo, and it originally had a different main character design. Sakurai created a blob placeholder sprite for the character during development, and after a while he liked the placeholder sprite better as a main character design, so the character was named "Kirby" (it was rumoured to be named after Nintendo's legal counsel John Kirby, who saved Nintendo from an infringement lawsuit involving the name Donkey Kong and its similarity to the name King Kong, but that was not the case, it was a coincidence[1]) and the game's title was made to be Kirby's Dream Land. After the game's release in 1992, Kirby and his fictional world and related properties became a mainstream video game franchise for Nintendo in the years to come.
Kirby's next appearance was in the critically lauded Kirby's Adventure for NES, which introduced his ability to inhale enemies, swallow or spit them out, and gain abilities from the enemies he swallowed; this became a Kirby trademark present in most subsequent games. It also introduced a rival figure to Kirby named Meta Knight. Alongside two more entries in the Kirby's Dream Land series, as well as various golf, puzzle, and pinball spinoffs, was 1996's Kirby Super Star for SNES. Then, aside from Kirby's appearance in 1999's Super Smash Bros. (developed by the same company as the Kirby games, HAL Laboratory), the franchise underwent a bit of a hiatus on the international side of things until 2000's Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. After Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble for Game Boy Color afterward, Kirby properties reprised their roles in 2001's Super Smash Bros. Melee.
The Kirby franchise continued its stream of releases at a seemingly annual rate with 2002's Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land for GBA, which was an enhanced remake of Kirby's Adventure, then the 2003 racing game Kirby Air Ride for GameCube, which featured a menu interface and musical score remarkably similar to those of Melee (again, both were developed by HAL Laboratory). Then there was 2004's Kirby & The Amazing Mirror for GBA (In which Master Hand made an appearance as a miniboss, and as a boss alongside Crazy Hand), 2005's Kirby: Canvas Curse for Nintendo DS, 2006's Kirby: Squeak Squad for the DS, 2008's Kirby Super Star Ultra for the DS, and 2010's Kirby's Epic Yarn. And Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede are playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
2011 saw the release of Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby: Mass Attack, and 2012 saw the release of Kirby's Dream Collection, in honour of the franchise's 20th anniversary.
In 2001 an anime series based on the Kirby franchise was produced and aired in Japan until 2003 and finished airing stateside in 2006. This series, Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, is considered an alternate universe because it does not take place in the same canonical continuity of the video games. Through 100 episodes, the show depicts a Kirby series antagonist, the sorcerer-like Nightmare, attempting to take over the Kirby universe with his demon-like army and company titled Nightmare Enterprises, and the "main" series antagonist King Dedede and his flunky Escargoon are tricked by Nightmare to defeat Kirby, a Star Warrior. Kirby is the only remaining member of the group except for the Zorro-like Meta Knight. Featuring characters seen throughout the game series, the show ends with Kirby's final battle with Nightmare. While it appears to be a kid's show, it also features darker themes, satire, parody, and self-referential humour that older viewers can pick up on. The series was highly popular and successful in Japan, but not so much in the United States, a fact commonly attributed to the poor quality of the English localization by 4Kids Entertainment.
Kirby games in general feature characters, storylines, and gameplay that are said to appeal mainly to young gamers. Sakurai has stated that this series of games is meant to accommodate those who are just starting to play video games, which includes but is not limited to children. As such, Kirby games can be beaten by a player of nearly any age; however, as is certainly the case with the Super Smash Bros. series, they are also designed to provide deeper challenges for more experienced gamers. Most Kirby games have garnered solid reviews from critics as a result of this.
List of games in Kirby franchise[]
- Kirby's Dream Land (1992, Game Boy)
- Kirby's Adventure (1993, NES)
- Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002, Game Boy Advance)
- Kirby's Dream Land 2 (1995, Game Boy)
- Kirby Super Star (1996, SNES)
- Kirby Super Star Ultra (2008, Nintendo DS)
- Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997, SNES)
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000, Nintendo 64)
- Kirby & The Amazing Mirror (2004, Game Boy Advance)
- Kirby: Squeak Squad (2006, Nintendo DS)
- Kirby's Return to Dream Land (2011, Nintendo Wii)
- Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023, Nintendo Switch)
- Kirby: Triple Deluxe (2014, Nintendo 3DS)
- Kirby: Planet Robobot (2016, Nintendo 3DS)
- Kirby Star Allies (2018, Nintendo Switch)
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022, Nintendo Switch)
SPIN OFFS
- Kirby's Pinball Land (1993, Game Boy)
- Kirby's Dream Course (1994, Super Nintendo/Super Famicom)
- Kirby's Avalanche (1995, Super Nintendo)
- Kirby's Block Ball (1995, Game Boy)
- Kirby's Toy Box (1996, Super Famicom Satellaview)
- Kirby's Star Stacker (1997, Game Boy)
- Kirby's Super Star Stacker (1997, Super Famicom)
- Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble (2001, Gameboy Color)
- Kirby Air Ride (2003, Nintendo GameCube)
- Kirby Slide (2003, Game Boy Advance e-Reader)
- Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005, Nintendo DS)
- Kirby's Epic Yarn (2010, Nintendo Wii)
- Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn (2019, Nintendo 3DS)
- Kirby Mass Attack (2011, Nintendo DS)
- 3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure (2011, Nintendo 3DS eShop)
- Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition (2012, Nintendo Wii)
- Kirby Fighters Deluxe (2014, Nintendo 3DS eShop)
- Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe (2014, Nintendo 3DS eShop)
- Kirby and The Rainbow Curse (2015, Nintendo Wii U)
- Team Kirby Clash Deluxe (2017, Nintendo 3DS eShop)
- Kirby's Blowout Blast (2017, Nintendo 3DS eShop)
- Kirby Battle Royale (2018, Nintendo 3DS)
- Super Kirby Clash (2019, Nintendo Switch)
- Kirby Fighters 2 (2020, Nintendo Switch)
- Kirby's Dream Buffet (2022, Nintendo Switch)
In Super Smash Bros.[]
The Kirby franchise is represented as one of several "standard universes" found in Super Smash Bros., with one character, one stage, and two items.
Character[]
- Kirby: Kirby is a tiny, pink, round creature with a positive disposition and several abilities and powers that are almost magical in nature. In the games and anime, he is the main protagonist and is characterized as a baby (as mentioned in the anime) and being roughly eight inches in height; his dimensions are obviously increased in size for his appearances in the Smash Bros. series of games. He resides on a star-shaped planet named Popstar in the galaxy of Dream Land, and whenever some form of evil or danger threatens Dream Land, Kirby does not hesitate to go out on a journey to defeat it. Kirby in his Smash appearance demonstrates his ability to float through the air, as well as his trademark power to inhale opponents and copy and use their B-moves as his own B-move. His B-Up and B-Down moves resemble powers he gains when he inhales enemies in his games. He is a high-tier character in the original Smash Bros.
Stages[]
Super Smash Bros. features one Kirby-themed stage that is normally available, but hidden in the game's code is several other versions of the stage that must be hacked open to be played:
- Dream Land: This stage is a small area of colourful grassland where a common boss in Kirby games, an air-spouting tree called Whispy Woods, resides in the background and slowly blows fighters off to one side of the stage from time to time.
- Tutorial Stage 64: Seen in the How to Play segment of the game, this environment is Dream Land with all the tree-background and the top and right platforms removed.
- Kirby Beta Stage 1: An early form of the above stage. For unknown reasons, it remains in the code of the game as a separate level, and includes an original tree graphic in the background seen nowhere else.
- Kirby Beta Stage 2: A modification of Beta Stage 1 that is wider and includes a lot of odd objects and features used by the developers to test game physics.
Items[]
- Maxim Tomato: One of the powerups Kirby often collects to replenish depleted health in Kirby games is this tomato-like item which restores Kirby to full health. It is normally harder to find than the other, less-effective health-replenishers. In Smash, the Maxim Tomato, perhaps contrary to its name, restores the health of the character who picks it up by 100% rather than restoring all accumulated damage which the Heart Container from the Zelda series can do. It is still a powerful healing item, however.
- Star Rod: A central plot element to Kirby's Adventure is this powerful artifact, which when inserted into the Fountain of Dreams ensure peace and good dreams for Dream Land and its denizens, and Kirby must use it to combat Nightmare in the final battle. In both that game and the Smash Bros. series, the Star Rod can be used as a bludgeoning weapon, and can also launch a star as a projectile when swung with force.
Music[]
- 10: This "track" made its first SSB appearance in Super Smash Bros.. It is a fast-paced remix of the music featured in "Gourmet Race" in Kirby Super Star for the SNES. It is heard on Dream Land. Both the music and the stage were reused in Melee.
- 20: The victory fanfare of Dream Land in an orchestration of the shortened "Stage Complete" theme heard in Kirby games when a level is completed.
In Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
While Super Smash Bros. Melee features much more content than the original game, Kirby remains the sole representative of the franchise. New content includes two new stages with a third returning from Super Smash Bros., two new items, two returning items, and a set of Trophies.
Character[]
- Kirby: Kirby is still the only playable Kirby series character. Kirby returns swinging a mallet (a power he can absorb in Kirby games from a simian enemy called Bonkers) as his new B-Forward move; however, due to a combination of minor alterations to Kirby's design and the redesigned Melee gameplay engine, Kirby suddenly becomes one of the lowest-tier characters in the game.
Stages[]
Super Smash Bros. Melee features three Kirby-themed stages:
- Dream Land: Green Greens: This stage is thematically similar to the Dream Land stage, with Wispy Woods blowing toward either end of the stage, but the layout is rather different, consisting of the ground being divided up in three by two sets of building blocks that fall from the sky to build up walls that can be broken. Some of these boxes are explosive in nature.
- Dream Land: Fountain of Dreams: A stage with a layout similar to Battlefield, this is the Fountain of Dreams that safeguards the Dream Land galaxy so long as the Star Rod is inserted into the fountain's shaft. The dreamy music heard here was reused in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land when Kirby battles King Dedede at this location.
- Past Stages: Dream Land N64: This is the original Dream Land stage from Smash, returning in Melee totally unaltered.
Kirby is the only universe in Melee to have three stages and yet not be related to the Mario series (which itself has four stages from the main series, while the Donkey Kong and Yoshi universes, while each having three stages, are considered sub-universes of Mario).
The All-Star Teleporter also borrows many elements from the Kirby series, such as the background music, but is still a part of the Smash Bros. universe.
Items[]
The Kirby universe features four separate items that can be used in battle in Melee:
- Maxim Tomato: Returns from Super Smash Bros. unchanged in function, but its healing power has been nerfed down to only 50% damage.
- Parasol: A new item which often manifests as a copyable power for Kirby in his games, allowing him to attack enemies and also float down to earth slowly. In Melee, this can be used as a bludgeoning weapon, but this item's peculiar nature is revealed when the character holding it jumps up and falls down; the parasol opens up and the character floats down to earth slowly, like Peach's Up-B move, though the Parasol doesn't damage while opened.
- Star Rod: Returns from Super Smash Bros. essentially unaltered.
- Warp Star: A new item which is essentially Kirby's mode of long-distance transportation in his games. This is one of the most destructive items in Melee; when picked up, the character will ride and hover on it for a moment, launch straight up, and crash back down with lightning speed and explosive force, dealing major damage and knockback to opponents in the area of the landing zone. Warp Stars in flight can be steered either left or right to a limited degree before crashing down.
Music[]
- 11: Fountain of Dreams: An orchestrated, atmospheric version of "Gourmet Race" from Kirby Super Star. This music was later reused in the boss fight at Fountain of Dreams in Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland.
- 12: Green Greens: An orchestration of Level 1: Green Greens stage music from Kirby's Dream Land, heard in Dream Land: Green Greens.
- 29: Dream Land N64: The music for the Dream Land stage in Super Smash Bros., which is also a re-recording of the main "Gourmet Race" theme, is brought back unaltered along with the stage itself as Past Stages: Dream Land.
- 43: Kirby's Victory: The victory fanfare of Kirby is an orchestration of the shortened "Stage Complete" theme heard in Kirby games.
- 60: All-Star Intro: Remix of quiet music heard in Kirby Super Star for SNES, heard at the All-Star Teleporter.
Full Trophy List[]
- Kirby's three game trophies
- Maxim Tomato
- Warp Star
- Star Rod
- Parasol
- Whispy Woods
- Fountain of Dreams
- Fire Kirby (trophy)
- Fighter Kirby (trophy)
- Ball Kirby (trophy)
- Waddle Dee
- King Dedede
- Rick
- Gooey
- Meta-Knight
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, even more Kirby content was added, including the addition of two more characters from the series.
Characters[]
On the final character select screen (after all characters are unlocked), the Kirby characters, joined by Olimar, occupy the fifth column.
- Kirby: The pink puff reappears to reprise his role and traits from Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee as a small character who can float in the air with a long series of multiple jumps, with his Final Cutter Up-B and Hammer Forward-B intact. Like other returning characters, Kirby is given a Final Smash attack called Cook Kirby, which appears to consist of dunking his opponent into a boiling pot, and then spitting them out. When they come out of the pot, random items appear. Kirby is significantly higher on the tier list for Brawl than on Melee.
- Meta Knight: A sensational new character addition, Meta Knight is a masked-swordsman character ostensibly of the same species as Kirby, but with a dark blue body, thumbs, and facial features in white that can be seen whenever he takes his mask off. Meta Knight's roles in his various appearances in Kirby games and the anime have ranged from ally to villain. In his appearance in Brawl, his cape transforms into wings which he uses to float in midair much like Kirby and Jigglypuff, and he demonstrate a new gliding ability. Meta Knight is sometimes considered "broken" (no big disadvantages or weaknesses) by the competitive Smash community and holds the number 1 spot on the Tier List.
- King Dedede: The first main foe Kirby ever faced, King Dedede has appeared in all but one game since Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy (that being Amazing Mirror). In his Brawl debut he is considered a heavy character like Bowser and Donkey Kong. He brings several qualities he had in the Kirby platforming games with him, such as his Super Dedede Jump, and some of his various servants in the form of the Waddle Dee Toss. He also brings his hammer with him and uses it in regular combat, but it has also been upgraded to have machine-like qualities, as evidenced by the Jet Hammer move. He can Inhale just like Kirby, but can't copy enemies' abilities. His grab game in particular is fast and powerful.
Assist Trophy[]
- Knuckle Joe: Hailing from Kirby Super Star, and also a minor character in the Kirby anime, Knuckle Joe makes an appearance as an Assist Trophy in Brawl. When summoned, he hits the nearest opponent with a barrage of attacks, then randomly ends the attack with one of two finishing moves.These two moves are either Smash Punch which sends the opponent flying to the side or Rising Break which sends the opponent upward.
Stages[]
- Halberd: The Halberd has been seen in several incarnations throughout the Kirby franchise; it is where the portion of Kirby Super Star concerning Meta Knight's villainous role takes place. The stage off in a hangar located on the high seas, and as the match goes on the warehouse opens up, the Halberd takes off into the air along with the platform the players fight upon, and the Halberd flies around the backdrop of the now-floating stage. During the fight, the platform will land on the ship itself, which draws heavy fire from nearby cannons.
- Green Greens: A returning stage from Melee. The bombs now have more knockback.
Items[]
- Maxim Tomato: A returning item which still recovers 50% of damage.
- Star Rod: A returning item which function is relatively unchanged.
- Warp Star: A returning item which does the same thing it did in Melee.
- Superspicy Curry: An item that made its first (and until Brawl, only) appearance in the original Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy, which temporarily gave Kirby the ability to spew fire. It has a similar - though not really the same - function in Brawl, igniting the user in flames and allowing them to cause fire damage to anyone they touch.
- Dragoon: The legendary air machine from Kirby Air Ride that makes its first appearance in Brawl, Dragoon is actually 3 separate items that one must obtain in order to use its power. When all three pieces are obtained, the user that obtains them can ride the machine and attack opponents by locking on - the knockback from the Dragoon is so great that it is almost always a One-hit KO.
Music[]
- Meta Knight's Revenge - A jazz remix/medley of the different music tracks from the "Revenge of Meta Knight" segment of Kirby Super Star. It is the theme of the Halberd stage. This song is also played during Meta Knight's Classic Mode credits.
- Legendary Air Ride Machine - A redone version of the theme played in Kirby's Air Ride when one has successfully completed either the Dragoon or Hydra. It is used on the Halberd stage.
- Gourmet Race - A heavy metal remix of song played in the first & third rounds of the Gourmet Race mini-game from Kirby Super Star, with a few parts of the them being second round theme. The theme has been featured in most Kirby games since Kirby Super Star, as well as in both previous Super Smash Bros. games. It is used on the Halberd stage.
- Butter Building - A techno styled medley of various Kirby themes, including the Butter Building level theme from Kirby's Adventure and the Kirby's Dream Land theme. It is used on the Halberd stage. This song is also played during Kirby's Classic Mode credits.
- King Dedede's Theme - A song featured in most Kirby games when Kirby battles King Dedede, including the series' first game, Kirby's Dream Land. This song is completely redone. It is used on the Halberd stage. This song is also played during King Dedede's Classic Mode credits.
- Squeak Squad Theme - A remix from the DS title Kirby Squeak Squad, this was the song used when battling the members of the Squeak Squad. It is used on the Halberd stage.
- Vs. Marx - A remix of both the Vs. Marx theme from the Milky Way Wishes segment of Kirby Super Star as well as the song played during the scene right after defeating Marx. It is used on the Halberd stage.
- 0² Battle - A complete remix of the final boss theme from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It is used on the Halberd stage.
- Boss Theme Medley - Featuring many songs from the entire series, this is a medley of many different boss battle themes from across the Kirby series. It is used on the Halberd stage.
- Checker Knights - Taken directly from Kirby's Air Ride, this was the song played on the Checker Knights track, as well during various minigames. It is used on the Halberd stage.
- Forest/Nature Area - Taken directly from the Game Boy Advance game, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, this was the song of the Forest & Nature area of the maze. It is used on the Halberd stage.
- Frozen Hillside - Another song taken directly from Kirby's Air Ride, this was the music track played on the Frozen Hillside racetrack. It is used on the Halberd stage.
- Green Greens (Melee) - Taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Green Greens stage.
- Fountain of Dreams (Melee) - Taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Green Greens stage.
- Kirby and King Dedede's victory theme - A whimsical orchestration of the shortened "Stage Complete" theme heard in general Kirby games.
- Meta Knight's victory theme - A "rock remix" of Kirby's victory theme.
Trophy[]
- Kirby
- Cook Kirby
- Meta Knight
- Galaxia Darkness
- King Dedede
- Waddle Dee Army
- Maxim Tomato
- Dragoon
- Warp Star
- Superspicy Curry
- Star Rod
- Knuckle Joe
- Beam Kirby
- Needle Kirby
- Sword Kirby
- Sleep Kirby
- Wing Kirby
- Fighter Kirby
- Fire Kirby
- Ice Kirby
- Plasma Kirby
- Tornado Kirby
- Waddle Dee
- Waddle Doo
- Gordo
- Dyna Blade
- Blade Knight
- Bonkers
- Bronto Burt
- Cappy
- Golem
- Kracko
- Scarfies
- Sir Kibble
- Walky
- Wheelie
- Hydra
- Bomber
- Bugzzy
- Combo Cannon
- Halberd
- Apples
Stickers[]
- Kirby (Kirby & The Amazing Mirror)
- Kirby (Kirby 64)
- Kirby (Kirby Air Ride)
- Cook Kirby
- Cupid Kirby
- Needle Kirby
- Acro
- Big Switch
- Blipper
- Bonkers
- Box Boxer
- Boxy
- Bronto Burt
- Candy
- Cell Phone
- Chef Kawasaki
- Daroach
- Dyna Blade
- Gordo
- Hot Head
- King Dedede & Kirby
- King Dedede (Kirby: Squeak Squad)
- King Dedede (Kirby Super Star)
- Maxim Tomato
- Meta Knight
- Meta Knight Ball
- Nruff
- Perara
- Squeaker
- Starman (Kirby: Squeak Squad)
- Treasure Chest
- Waddle Dee
- Waddle Dee Ball
- Whispy Woods
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U[]
All veterans of the Kirby series have returned for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
Characters[]
- Kirby: Kirby, the hero of Dream Land, returns as playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. His side special move, the Hammer, is now upgraded as he can move while charging his hammer, similar to King Dedede's Jet Hammer. His Final Smash, Cook Kirby, is now replaced by a new Final Smash, the Ultra Sword, straight from Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
- Meta Knight: The mysterious masked swordsmen, Meta Knight, returns as playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Meta Knight now have a brand new design and no longer glides when using the Shuttle Loop.
- King Dedede: The King of Dream Land himself and the antagonist of Kirby, King Dedede, returns as playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. He now has a more cartoonish look and his side special has been modified to consistently throw out Gordos. As with Kirby, he has obtained a new Final Smash, Dedede Burst.
Assist Trophies[]
- Knuckle Joe: Knuckle Joe returns as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Like in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he attacks the opponents with his Vulcan Jab, then finishes them with either his Rising Break or Smash Punch.
- Nightmare: Nightmare, the final boss of Kirby's Adventure and it's remake, Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, appears as a brand-new Assist Trophy. Nightmare engulfs the stage in darkness, forcing all combatants to fight blindly.
Common Enemies[]
- Bronto Burt: Appears as an enemy in Smash Run.
- Gordo: Appears as an enemy in Smash Run, as well as apart of King Dedede's moveset.
- Parasol Waddle Dee: Another enemy in Smash Run.
- Plasma Wisp: Another enemy in Smash Run. Also appears in the Master Fortress as a shadow version.
- Shotzo: An invincible, yet stationary mini-cannon that fires spherical bullets to attack players in Smash Run.
- Tac: A cat-like burglar that steals power-ups from players in Smash Run.
Items[]
- Maxim Tomato: A returning item which once again recovers 50% damage.
- Star Rod: A returning item which function is relatively unchanged.
- Warp Star: A returning item which functions the same as it did in Melee and Brawl.
- Superspicy Curry: A returning item that ignites the user in flames, allowing them to cause fire damage to anyone they touch.
- Dragoon: A returning item, but has a new target screen.
Stages[]
3DS Version[]
- Dream Land: New to the 3DS version, this stage is based off of Kirby's debut game of the same subtitle on the Game Boy. It takes players from Green Greens to the inside of Castle Dedede and the boxing ring of the final battle.
Wii U Version[]
- The Great Cave Offensive. New to the Wii U version, this stage is based off of The Great Cave Offensive subgame in Kirby Super Star.
- Halberd: A returning stage from Brawl, appearing exclusively in the Wii U version.
Downloadable[]
- Dream Land (64): A returning stage from the original Super Smash Bros. The first returning stage to ever be downloadable content, Dream Land (64) is available on both versions of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
Music[]
- Green Greens: A remix of the music played in Green Greens in Kirby's Dream Land. It plays in Dream Land.
- Green Greens Ver. 2: The first level of Kirby's Dream Land and a reoccurring theme in subsequent games. Plays in Dream Land in the Nintendo 3DS version and The Great Cave Offensive in the Wii U version.
- The Legendary Air Ride Machine: The opening, introductory theme that plays in Kirby Air Ride, which is also played when the Dragoon/Hydra was completed. It was initially heard during Rosalina's reveal trailer. It plays in Smash Run in the 3DS version and on Halberd in the Wii U version.
- Float Islands: The music from the 3rd level in Kirby's Dream Land, plays on the new Dream Land Stage. Sourced from the original game.
- Bubbly Clouds: The music from the 4th level in Kirby's Dream Land, plays on the new Dream Land Stage. Sourced from the original game.
- Castle Lololo: The music from the 2nd level in Kirby's Dream Land, plays on the new Dream Land Stage. Sourced from the original game.
- Mt. Dedede: The music from the final level in Kirby's Dream Land, and the basis of King Dedede's Theme, playing on the new Dream Land Stage. Sourced from the original game.
- Green Greens (Melee): A returning track from Melee. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
- Meta Knight's Revenge: A returning track from Brawl. It plays on Halberd.
- Gourmet Race: A returning track from Brawl. It plays on Halberd.
- King Dedede's Theme: A remix of the music played when fighting against King Dedede in Kirby's Dream Land. It plays on Halberd.
- King Dedede's Theme Ver. 2: The second remix of the music played when fighting against King Dedede in Kirby's Dream Land. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
- Ice Cream Island: A remix of the Ice Cream Island theme, boss theme, "level clear" theme, and an arrangement of the Kirby Dance from Kirby's Adventure. It plays on Dream Land (64).
- Butter Building: A remix of the Butter Building level from Kirby's Adventure. It plays on Halberd.
- Butter Building Ver. 2: The second remix of the Butter Building level from Kirby's Adventure. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
- Dream Land: An arrangement of the Gourmet Race theme from Kirby Super Star. It plays on Dream Land (64).
- The Fountain of Dreams: An orchestral arrangement of the Gourmet Race theme from Kirby Super Star, originally from Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland. It plays on Dream Land (64).
- The Great Cave Offensive: An arrangement of the Crystal Field theme, Mystery Paradise theme, a remix of the Green Greens theme, and a heavy remix of the "Trees in the Depths of Earth" theme. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
- Vs. Marx: A remix of the music when fighting against Marx in Kirby Super Star. It plays on Halberd.
- Planet Popstar: The theme played in the first level of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It plays on Dream Land (64).
- 02 Battle: A remix of the theme played while fighting against 02, the hidden boss in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It plays on Halberd.
- Forest Stage: A hidden alternate music for the Celestial Valley racetrack in Kirby Air Ride, which is a remix of the forest areas in Kirby's Adventure. It plays on Dream Land (64).
- Celestial Valley: The theme played in the Celestial Valley racecourse in Kirby Air Ride. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
- Frozen Hillside: The theme played in Frozen Hillside, a racecourse from Kirby Air Ride. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
- Forest/Nature Area: An orchestral remix of the music played in forest areas in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
- The Adventure Begins: The music of the first level, and certain levels played in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
- Through the Forest: The music played in certain forest levels in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
- Floral Fields: The music played in the first levels in Kirby: Triple Deluxe. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
- The World to Win: The music played during the battle against the final boss Queen Sectonia in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, played from the last portion of the fight. It plays on Dream Land (64).
- Victory! Kirby Series: A whimsical orchestration of the shortened "Stage Complete" theme heard in general Kirby games.
- Victory! Meta Knight: A "rock remix" of Kirby's victory theme which returns from Brawl.
Trophies[]
Both Versions[]
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3DS Version[]
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Wii U Version[]
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Masterpieces[]
- Kirby's Adventure (NES)
- Kirby's Dream Land (GB)
- Kirby Super Star (SNES)
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
Characters[]
- Kirby: As a member of the original 8, Kirby returns as a starter character once again. His pink is more subdues, and his Dash Attack is now Melee's Burning Attack again. He is also (albeit controversially) the only character who survived Galeem's attack in the Adventure Mode, being the first character available.
- Meta Knight: The masked swordsman's first unlockable appearance, Meta Knight's design is more detailed, and he gains Darkness Illusion as a new Final smash.
- King Dedede: Like Meta Knight, this his first unlockable appearance. Unlike Meta Knight, he was redesigned to look more cartoonish. Like Kirby, he can inhale projectiles, and gains yet another Final Smash: Dede-Rush.
Boss[]
- Marx: The mischievous jester from Super Star (Ultra) debuts as a boss, appearing at the end of Kirby, Rosalina and Luma's, and Inkling's Classic Mode, as well as in World of Light's Mysterious Dimension. He fights akin to his mainline counterpart, with a few new attacks.
Assist Trophy[]
Spirits[]
- Bonkers
- Daroach
- Gooey
- Gordo
- Knuckle Joe
- Magolor
- Poppy Bro Jr.
- Prince Fluff
- Kirby & Robobot Armor
- Rocky
- Susie
- Waddle Dee
- Waddle Doo
- Whispy Woods
Stages[]
Items[]
Music[]
Original tracks[]
Arrangements and remixes unique to Ultimate.
- "Staff Credits - Kirby's Dream Land": A new pop-based remix of the credits themes from Kirby's Dream Land and [[Kirby Super Star. The Sparkling Star, 1-Up, and Warp Star sound effects are also incorporated into the mix.
- "City Trial": A new arrangement of the theme played on the City Trial mode from Kirby Air Ride.
Returning tracks[]
All tracks from previous Smash games return, save Checker Knights and the original Forest/nature Area.
Source tracks[]
Compositions and arrangements directly sourced from the Kirby series with no alterations.
- "Kirby Retro Medley": A medley of various level songs sourced directly from Kirby's Dream Land, consisting of Green Greens, Castle Lololo, Float Islands, Bubbly Clouds, and Mt. Dedede.
- "Planet Popstar": "The music for the first stage of the first level in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Pop Star. Ripped directly from that game.
- Forest Stage: Ripped directly from Kirby Air Ride where it is an alternate track for the celestial valley race course. This music is a remix of the one that plays in the forest areas in Kirby's Adventure.
- "Celestial Valley": The music for the Celestial Valley race course from Kirby Air Ride. Ripped directly from that game.
- "Frozen Hillside": The music for the Frozen Hillside race course from Kirby Air Ride. Ripped directly from that game.
- "The Adventure Begins": A direct port of the music that plays in the first stage of the first level in Kirby's Return to Dreamland, Cookie Country.
- "Through the Forest": The music that plays in a forest area, the second stage of Cookie Country, sourced from Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
- "Sky Tower": The music for Stage 2 of Nutty Noon the fifth level of Kirby's Return to Dream Land. Ripped directly from that game.
- "Dangerous Dinner": The map theme for the seventh level of Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Dangerous Dinner, ripped directly from that game.
- "CROWNED": Magolor Soul's Boss Theme from Kirby's Return to Dream Land. Ripped directly from that game.
- "Floral Fields": The music that plays in the first stage of the first level in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, wikirby|Fine Fields. Ripped directly from that game.
- "Fatal Blooms in Moonlight": Queen Sectonia's battle theme from Kirby: Triple Deluxe, played during the second phase. Ripped directly from that game.
- "The World to Win": Queen Sectonia's battle theme from Kirby: Triple Deluxe, specifically during the last part of the fight. Ripped directly from that game.
- "CROWNED: Ver. 2": Ripped directly from Dedede's Drum dash Deluxe where it plays in the final level. This music is a remix of "CROWNED" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
- "Venturing Into the Mechanized World": The music that plays in Stage 1 of Patched Plains, the first world of Kirby: Planet Robobot.
- "Pink Ball Activate!": The theme of the Robobot Armor, used when Kirby mounts it in in Kirby: Planet Robobot. Ripped directly from that game.
- "Kirby Battle Royale: Main Theme": The main theme of Kirby Battle Royale!. Ripped directly from that game.
- "A Battle of Friends and Bonds 2": The second boss theme from Kirby Star Allies. Ripped directly from that game.
Games with elements from or in the Super Smash Bros. series[]
Super Smash Bros. games generally adopt many aspects from other Kirby games, notably games released before Melee.
Kirby's Dream Land[]
Kirby and King Dedede, both of whom made their debut in this game, are playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. games, Kirby having appeared in all 5 of the games. In addition, the character Whispy Woods, as well as the area known as Green Greens, also appear in the series. Whispy Woods, along with Kirby, was also featured in all three games, though he was in the background of the Dream Land and Green Greens stages. Other characters like Waddle Dee and King Dedede are trophies in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Kirby's white costume and King Dedede's black costume are also based on how they appeared in this game. King Dedede's theme music is featured in Brawl and Smash 4. The BGM of the 5 levels were added in for 3DS, then merged into a medley in Ultimate.
Kirby's Adventure[]
The Fountain of Dreams is a stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and the Star Rod weapon from the end of the game appears as an item in all three games. Meta Knight, a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, first appeared in this game (although his trophy erroneously states that he debuted in Kirby Super Star). It appears as a Masterpiece in Brawl, lasting two minutes. Kirby's blue costume comes from Ice and Freeze Kirby. In Melee, Kirby's dash attack comes from the 'Burning' ability from this game. Also, Kirby's down B, Stone, originates in this game as well. The track "Butter Building" from the game was featured in Brawl and Smash 4. Nightmare, the main antagonist of the game, is an Assist trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate. The Boss Theme and Arena(basis of All-Star Mode)'s tracks are the first to appear in Brawl's Boss Theme Medley.
Kirby's Dream Course[]
- Kirby's yellow alt is based on Keeby, the second player character of the game (who is much like Luigi in earlier Mario titles).
Kirby's Dream Land 2[]
- Rick, Kirby's hamster friends, and friendly dark matter gooey are trophies in Melee, and along with Coo the Owl, Kine the Fish and dark Matter swordsman, appear as spirits. The Nruff enemy is a sticker in Brawl. The Boss Theme is integrated into the Boss Medley.
Kirby Super Star[]
Because the creators of the game, HAL Laboratory, are also the creators of Super Smash Bros., there are quite a number of aspects from SSB that are taken from Super Star based on their ideas and resources.
- The Halberd is a stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, with the Combo Cannon boss from the game an aspect of the Brawl stage.
- The music played in Save Rooms was remixed for Super Smash Bros. Melee's All-Star Mode, which is similar to The Arena. Also, one of the Gourmet Race songs is used for Kirby's levels in the Smash Bros. series, either in original and orchestrated versions.
- Also, the final boss of the Great Cave Offensive, Wham Bam Rock, uses a stone hand to attack Kirby. The hand's patterns may be the inspiration for Master Hand and Crazy Hand. In the game's remake, Kirby Super Star Ultra, a crystalline version of Wham Bam Rock called Wham Bam Jewel appears, with some new additional moves, likely inspired by Master Hand's moves.
- Most of Kirby's special moves in the Super Smash Bros. series originated here, such as his Final Cutter, Stone, and the Hammer.
- Kirby's Final Smash in Brawl is derived from the Cook ability, which originated in this game.
- In Brawl, Kirby's dash attack is based on Yo-yo Kirby's dash attack from this game.
- It is believed that the combat mechanics of Super Smash Bros. are based on that of Kirby Super Star. This is because of HAL's platforming engines being put to use.
- Knuckle Joe first appears in this game.
- Several songs originated from this game, such as Meta Knight's Revenge and Vs. Marx.
- This game was directed by Masahiro Sakurai, which explains many of the design and gameplay similarities to the Super Smash Bros. series. In many ways, Kirby Super Star may be considered a prototypical Smash.
- Ridley, in Brawl's Subspace Emissary mode, has very similar moves to Dyna Blade from this game.
- Galleom, in Brawl's Subspace Emissary mode, has a few similar moves to Heavy Lobster from this game.
- Tabuu, the final boss of Brawl's Subspace Emmisary mode, has a similar fighting style to Marx, having a few similar move and both having generally very predictable, but very powerful attacks. Marx himself would later appear in Ultimate.
- The iconic Boss Theme was integrated into the Boss Medley.
Kirby's Dream land 3[]
- The 4 returning allies from its predecessor (Rick, Coo, Kine and Gooey) use their art from this game as Spirits. They are joined by series newcomers Nago the Cat, Chuchu the octopus and pitch the bird, who also appear as spirits. The Acro Boss appears as a a sticker in Brawl.
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards[]
Acro, Bronto Burt, Needle Kirby, Kirby, Nruff, Waddle Dee, and Kirby & King Dedede all appear as stickers in Brawl, depicting their artwork for this game. 02, the hidden final boss, has his battle theme remixed in Brawl. This is also the first game Kirby is voiced by Makiko Ohmoto. Its mini-boss theme was included in the series' Boss Mdeley.
Kirby: Right Back At Ya![]
The only known animated Kirby TV Show so far, it is where the Japanese voices for Meta Knight and Knuckle Joe originate from. Nightmare's design in the show was also used for his Assist Trophy Design. Checker Knights, originally called Strong Star Warrior, is ripped from this anime by Kirby Air Ride.
Kirby Air Ride[]
Kirby Air Ride's menu screen is based greatly off of Melee's. A lot of mechanics for the game are similar to Melee's as well, such as a star count to let the player know how many times he's destroyed another player's machine, similar to how there is a star counter to tell a player how many KOs he or she has gotten.
The sound effect heard when one selects something from the menu is a deeper version of Melee's sound effect for the same thing.
Players can unlock and choose colours for Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede, which is similar to the palette swaps from the Super Smash Bros. games.
The tracks that play in Melee's Green Greens and Fountain of Dreams play in Kirby Air Ride, with slight modifications.
In Brawl, Dragoon, one of the legendary machines in the game, appears as an item. Much like it was in this game, the player has to collect all 3 of Dragoon's parts before they are able to use it. Fellow Legendary Air Ride Machine Hydra appears as a Trophy. The Angry Scarfy spirit's art originates from here. In addition, the Cracker Launcher seems to be based on a similar item in this game. The songs for the racetracks 'Frozen Hillside' and 'Checker Knights' are in Brawl, as well as the track 'The Legendary Air Ride Machine', which plays after Kirby completes a Dragoon or a Hydra. All three songs play in the Halberd stage.
In Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, the mode Smash Run was inspired off of Air Ride's City Trial. Said mode's music is remixed in Ultimate, and is heard in SSB4's Forest/Nature Area. The opening is briefly heard during Rosalina's reveal trailer.
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror[]
Master Hand and Crazy Hand appear as the final bosses in Candy Constellation. A solo Master Hand also appears occasionally as a mini-boss. When Kirby inhales a defeated Master Hand, he gains the Smash Ability - a scaled-down version of Kirby's moveset from Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Meta Knight's side special move, Drill Rush, is derived from one of Master Kirby's attacks, which involves wielding his sword.
While Kirby's red and green palette swaps returned from Smash 64 and Melee, it has been modified to match two of his three clones from this game (with the other being identical to the pre-existing yellow costume), featuring wine red and orange feet respectively, instead of maroon and dark green. Kirby's orange palette swap is based on the Orange Spray Paint from this game.
Meta Knight's dark gray palette swap in is based on Dark Meta Knight, his evil doppelganger, from this game. While his dark gray palette swap returned from Brawl, Meta Knight received a new palette swap looking even more similar to Dark Meta Knight, including a dark gray body and a regular mask. In Ultimate, the has received an upgrade to look even more similar to Dark Meta Knight, including a gray sword and a scar on his mask.
Forest/nature Area was sourced from this game in Brawl, then remixed in SSB4.
The Golem appears as a trophy in Brawl. 2 Bosses, Moley and Dark Mind(the main villain) appear as spirits. Box Boxer, Boxy, Cupid Kirby and the Cell Phone appear as collectible stickers in Brawl.
Kirby: Canvas Curse[]
Meta knight and Waddle Dee in ball form appear as stickers in Brawl.
Kirby Squeak Squad/Mouse Attack[]
Secondary antagonist Daroach is a sticker and spirit (enhancable into Dark Daroach, his possesed form). The Squeaker and Perara enemies also appear as stickers. Its Boss them wraps up the Boss medley. The Squeak's theme is remixed in Brawl as well.
Trivia[]
- In Brawl, the Kirby series has the highest average tier ranking of any series with more than one character.
- It seems that everyone from the Kirby series makes a bigger difference in the story than everyone else. For example, Mario is simply knocked aside and Kirby becomes the hero, and he is the one who instantly destroys the Subspace Gunship with the Dragoon. The Subspace Army stole Meta Knight's ship, which is heavily used throughout the story, and he is also better represented than the other swordsmen. Also, King Dedede is the one who manages to save the day with his badges. Seeing as that HAL Laboratory made both series, they were likely making their mark to remind players that they still are in charge of the Smash Bros. franchise.
- It is also often thought that Mr. Sakurai is biased towards the series as a result. This is not proven.
- A large amount of mechanics present in Super Smash Bros. come from Kirby games, such as the system of dash attacks, grabs, aerial attacks, and even Glancing blows.
- Every Kirby stage and item that has appeared in the series so far has been based on Kirby games that were directed by Masahiro Sakurai before he left HAL Laboratory.
- This has led to the common belief that he is biased towards such content getting added to smash. This is unconfirmed.
- On the contrary, excluding collectibles, the only Kirby universe elements in Smash Bros. so far (during gameplay) that are not from a Sakurai-directed Kirby game are the Ultra Sword, Kirby's Final Smash in SSB4 and Ultimate, and Dede-Rush, King Dedede's Final Smash from Ultimate in which he turns into Masked Dedede.
- It was theorized that Woolly World was originally meant to be a stage based on Kirby's Epic Yarn.
- The series was mistakenly labelled after Super Star when sorting trophies by series in Brawl.
Kirby has debuted on several consoles through the Super Smash Bros. series before his own games, excluding Virtual Console re-releases:
- He joined the roster in Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64 in 1999, one year before Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.
- He appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the Nintendo GameCube in 2001, two years before Kirby Air Ride.
- He appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii in March 2008, over two and a half years before Kirby's Epic Yarn.
- He appeared in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U on the Wii U in November 2014, two months before the Japanese launch of Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
- Kirby's first original appearance on Wii U altogether was in NES Remix 2, released in April 2014.
References[]
|
Kirby universe | ||
---|---|---|
Characters | Kirby (64 · Melee · Brawl · 3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) Meta Knight (Brawl · 3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) King Dedede (Brawl · 3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) | |
Side Characters | Boss | Marx |
Assist Trophies | Knuckle Joe · Nightmare · Chef Kawasaki | |
Mii Fighter Costumes | Meta Knight · Marx | |
Background characters | King Dedede | |
Stage Hazards | Whispy Woods | |
Enemies | Bonkers · Bronto Burt · Gordo · Parasol Waddle Dee · Plasma Wisp · Shotzo · Tac · Waddle Dee · Waddle Doo | |
Stages | Dream Land · Fountain of Dreams · Green Greens · Halberd · Dream Land GB · The Great Cave Offensive | |
Items | Bomber · Dragoon · Maxim Tomato · Parasol · Star Rod · Superspicy Curry · Warp Star | |
Music | List | List of Music (Kirby series) |
Song | "Gourmet Race" | |
Collectibles | Trophies | Melee Trophies · Brawl Trophies · 3DS Trophies · Wii U Trophies |
Stickers | List of Stickers (Kirby series) | |
Spirits | List of spirits (Kirby series) | |
Masterpieces | Kirby's Dream Land · Kirby's Adventure · Kirby Super Star |