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Template:General CVG character
Template:nihongo is the main character of Nintendo's Kirby video game series created by Masahiro Sakurai and developed by HAL Laboratory. The Kirby series is one of Nintendo's many well-known game franchises, spanning nearly twenty games since 1992.<ref>Template:cite web</ref> His first appearance took place in the 1992 video game Kirby's Dream Land, where he was portrayed by a two-dimensional sprite; since Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards for the Nintendo 64, he has made several appearances in 3-D. He has been featured in other video games from Nintendo, on Nintendo's merchandising, on comic books, and even on a television show about the series. Kirby also appears in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Kirby is described in his games as a young male pink ball, who is a denizen of Template:Nihongo on the planet Pop Star.<ref>Super Smash Bros. Melee in-game trophy description.</ref> In the main game, he almost always has the same abilities; he can walk, run, jump, float, slide, and inhale, spit out or devour his enemies. Most of Kirby's games adhere to the same basic idea; that this is a series for beginners and children. As such, his games can be beaten by a player of nearly any age, but offer deeper challenges for more experienced gamers.
Kirby often journeys across the planet Pop Star, defeating antagonistic forces such as the greedy King Dedede or the ominous Dark Matter. On other occasions, he encounters the enigmatic Meta Knight. To defeat his foes, he uses his signature ability of inhaling large objects and spitting them out with great force. From Kirby's Adventure onward, Kirby was able to gain the abilities of the enemies he swallowed, aptly known as Copy Abilities. In several games in the series, he obtains a mystical weapon during the climax of the battle against his enemy; this weapon is usually required to defeat the final boss.
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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, originally titled 'Twinkle Popopo' instead of the current Hoshi no Kābī (translated as 'Kirby of the Stars'). <ref name="interview">Template:cite web</ref> Kirby is also the name of a vacuum manufacturer, which leads some to believe the name is a play on his ability to inhale just about anything. After a while, creator Masahiro Sakurai started to prefer Kirby's placeholder design over the original conception. He later stated that he envisioned Kirby as a 'game for beginners'.
As Kirby's first appearance was on the monochrome screen of the Nintendo Game Boy, his "true" color could not be represented in-game. Sakurai intended Kirby to be pink. However, Shigeru Miyamoto had envisioned him as yellow.<ref name="interview"/> Because of this ambiguity, Nintendo of America was left with some confusion when the game was ported to the West. The American box art, cartridge label, instruction booklet, and even the television commercial for Kirby's Dream Land features Kirby entirely white in color. The Japanese box art, however, depicts Kirby as pink.<ref>Template:cite web</ref>
There is a good deal of debate on the origins of Kirby's name. One widespread view is that Kirby adopted his Western name from the Kirby Corporation, a vacuum cleaner manufacturer, which would best describe Kirby's abilities. The other possible explanation is that Kirby was named in honor of Nintendo's legal counsel, John Kirby of Latham & Watkins LLP, who represented them in the courtroom during a copyright infringement lawsuit over Donkey Kong filed by Universal Studios.<ref>Template:cite web</ref> However, Masahiro Sakurai has been quoted as saying he does not remember how Kirby got his name.<ref>Template:cite web</ref>
Actor portrayal
Kirby is voiced by female seiyū Makiko Ōmoto in the Super Smash Bros. series, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, and in both versions of the anime Kirby: Right Back at Ya! since Kirby does not display extensive linguistic skills in the latter media. She considered the time doing Kirby's voice and working with others on the show and games to be a great experience.<ref>Template:cite web</ref> In a previous 1994 educational video called Mario Kirby Masterpiece, Kirby was voiced by Mayumi Tanaka.<ref>Template:cite webTemplate:dead link</ref>
Characteristics
Kirby is a small, pink, spherical creature with large red feet (or shoes), stubby arms and trademark pink cheek-blushes. His body is soft and flexible, allowing him to be flattened. He is said to be 8 inches tall,<ref name=profilejp>Template:cite web</ref><ref>Super Smash Brothers - Kirby's in-game biography</ref> and his weight is unknown, although several parts of the anime, the game Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, and the Super Smash Bros. series 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.
Personality
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 ",in the television show he is called a 'baby' where he more or less acts like a child, and is referred to as being a "jolly guy" in Kirby Super Star Ultra.<ref>Template:cite web</ref> This, along with his high-pitched voice, suggests that Kirby is young. Kirby is referred to as male in the animated series.<ref>Template:cite web</ref>
Kirby is cheerful and innocent. He loves to eat, sleep and play, especially during the day. His favorite food is tomatoes, hence the Maxim Tomatoes in the games which fully restore his health (although in the anime, his favorite food appears to be watermelon). He is said to dislike caterpillars. His other hobbies include singing, although he is tone-deaf.<ref name=profilejp /> He sometimes acts in an impulsive nature, such as when he accuses Dedede of interfering with the Fountain of Dreams in Kirby's Adventure, and then leaves to retrieve the pieces of the shattered Star Rod without even letting Dedede explain himself.<ref name = "adventure">Template:cite web</ref>
The same personality and nature is presented in the Super Smash Bros. titles. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, his trophy profile states that he is an "extremely skilled technician". Kirby, Meta Knight and King Dedede play a large role in the Subspace Emissary mode as well, which is the story mode of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Although (or perhaps because) he appears cute and innocent, many commercials and ads have showcased this as a contrast to his extreme fighting skills when he takes on the weaponry of an enemy.
Kirby is a character of few words and rarely speaks in-game. His dialogue is largely limited to appearances in some games' instruction manuals, and brief comments such as 'Hi' in games including Super Smash Bros. and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. The only exception is in Kirby's Avalanche, where he is depicted as rude and smart-alecky. This game, however, is an American-made spin-off of the Puyo Puyo games (similar to the Sonic title Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine) and was never released in Japan. Despite his lack of dialogue, Kirby narrates the functions of certain Copy Abilities on the pause menu in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, and Kirby: Squeak Squad. In Kirby no Kirakira Kizzu, Kirby gives short descriptions of various menu options when they are highlighted. Most of the in game talking Kirby does is in Kirby's Star Stacker, where Kirby explains the game's rules, along with brief game play descriptions (if it isn't done by Dedede). The concept of Kirby being mostly mute is supported by Masahiro Sakurai's insistence that Kirby does not speak in the anime series. Though occasionally in the anime he does say the names of his special attacks, certain foods and sometimes does repeat other words that he hears such as yuki (snow) or suika (watermelon). In the Super Smash Bros. series, when Kirby copies a foe's ability, Kirby says the name of some attacks, such as Captain Falcon's "Falcon Punch" (See: Kirby Anime Development)
Abilities
Kirby's main attack is inhaling enemies (both his mouth and body expand to allow him to inhale things much larger than himself) and swallowing them. He can also attack others by spitting enemies out as stars. Certain enemies, when swallowed, grant Kirby new powers called Copy Abilities.
In Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby did not have copy abilities. He collected power ups, such as a mint leaf, which enabled him to shoot out endless air pellets for a limited amount of time, and curry and rice, which let Kirby shoot out fireballs from his mouth until the item's effect wore off.
In most early games, an ability does not change Kirby's appearance drastically, 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 gains a unique hat for each ability, such as a burning headdress for Fire, a frozen crown for Ice, or a backwards baseball cap for Yoyo and Wheel. While this would be overlooked in later games not designed by Masahiro Sakurai, such as Kirby's Dream Land 3 and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, the hats have become a staple of the series.
In Kirby Super Star, Kirby could sacrifice an ability to create a 'Helper', an allied version of the enemy he had devoured. The new Helper would be controlled by the game or a second player. This feature has not yet been included in later Kirby games, although it was included in Kirby Super Star's remake, Kirby Super Star Ultra.
Kirby also uses his powers to attain food or other special items like lollipops that grant him beneficial effects such as healing or temporary invincibility. Kirby Super Star and recent games contain a feature where Kirby can share his food with the second player in a motion that resembles kissing. It became a popular topic to parody in the Japanese manga series.<ref>Template:cite web</ref>
Kirby can suck in air and make himself more buoyant, flying slowly by flapping his arms. He can attack enemies by quickly exhaling a puff of air. This technique is known as the air gun. Whilst in most games he can float indefinitely, this ability is limited in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and Super Smash Bros. Other games have developed his powers even further, such as allowing him to block attacks in Kirby Super Star. As a whole, however, his basic moves have remained the same, although more Copy Abilities are added in each new game. In a future game announced for the Wii, Kirby is again given the ability to release his absorbed enemy as an ally. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Kirby displays an ability called "Cook Kirby", that was taken from Kirby Super Star and other recent games, as his Final Smash Attack. For this power, Kirby acquires a chef's hat, cooking utensils, and a boiling pot. All objects, including Assist Trophies, Pokémon, and players within a limited range are sucked into the pot. Various items rain from above into the pot, and players fly out.
Species
Kirby's species has been a common topic of debate in his fandom. Unlike many other video game mascots, such as Link being Hylian, Kirby's kind has never been given an official name. However, while Kirby is the one most often emphasized, he is not the only member of his kind. This is evidenced by similar looking characters seen in the ending of Kirby's Dream Land and the remake Spring Breeze in Kirby Super Star and potentially Meta Knight and the end boss of Meta Knightmare Ultra, Galacta Knight, in Kirby Super Star Ultra, who looks nearly identical to Kirby aside from color and facial differences. In Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land and Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, different colored Kirbies appear as other players in multi-player games. In the case of the latter, they are the result of Kirby being divided into four by Dark Meta Knight.<ref name = "katam">Template:cite web</ref>
In general, members of the species all look similar, but sometimes have different colored skin, eyes, and shoes. They are commonly referred to as Kirbys, just as 'Yoshi' in the Mario series is the name of both the species and character. As a name, however, 'Kirby' refers to only one character. Terms like creampuffs or puffballs are also used to describe the species, referring to their soft, round appearance. In the English manual of Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, the term Kirbys is used at points, to illustrate the feature of having four differently colored versions of Kirby active in the game simultaneously. Another common term is Dream Landers, a term used in the instruction manual for Kirby's Adventure.<ref name="adventure"/> This term, however, also refers to anyone who lives in Dream Land, including characters like King Dedede. The biography of Kirby in Super Smash Bros. Brawl says Kirby is a citizen of Dream Land.<ref>Template:cite web</ref>
Kirby's race is not called Star Warrior, Warpstar Knight or any variation thereof. Star Warrior is a term used in the anime series to describe a group of legendary warriors from many races.<ref>Template:cite web</ref> The terms Warpstar Knight and Warpstar Warrior have only ever been used in advertisements, and have never appeared in any game or the anime.
In Kirby's Dream Land 3, mysterious characters appear called Batamon. They resemble Kirby aside from a more flattened shape and different face. They are always seen walking past walls or ceilings beyond Kirby's reach, with the exception of a single stage in Cloudy Park, where Kirby can continue past the exit and come into contact with one.<ref>Template:cite web</ref>
In the original Japanese anime Kirby of the Stars, he is revealed to be both a baby Star Warrior, and, although this was unclear, perhaps one of Holy Nightmare's(NME or Nightmare in the English version) monsters that turned against him. In the American production produced by 4Kids TV, he is clearly said to be one of eNeMeE's monsters that turned against him.
Appearances
Main series
- See main article: Kirby (series)
Kirby set off on his first adventure in Kirby's Dream Land when the self-made ruler of Dream Land, King Dedede stole everyone's food and the power stars they needed to get more food. Since then, more dangerous enemies have threatened Kirby's home. His journeys have become more daunting as creatures like Dark Matter possess and control his friends against their will. Kirby maintains a brave and cheerful persona despite it all, gaining new powers and allies to aid him. Kirby's latest appearance is Kirby Super Star Ultra.
Super Smash Bros. series
Kirby also appears in the Super Smash Bros. series of games as a playable character, which is also created by Masahiro Sakurai. He was the series' sole representative in Super Smash Bros.and Super Smash Bros. Melee, but is accompanied by fellow characters Meta Knight and King Dedede in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Other media
Anime
- See main article: Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
The character Kirby is represented in an anime titled Kirby: Right Back at Ya! (Hoshi no Kābī in Japanese, named after the title of the game series). It is currently licensed in North America by 4Kids Entertainment and the Canadian company Nelvana, and was produced by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. It aired on 4Kids TV, via Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting (since 2001 which has done 100 episodes). Kirby was also in a short, still-animated educational video that was only released in Japan, designed to teach kanji to young children.
Kirby's image in the animated series is similar to his in-game image. His feet are a deeper shade of red than in the games, although most anime-related merchandise does not reflect this change. Though Sakurai said Kirby was not to speak, he allowed him to use a small vocabulary.
Only in the anime series is Kirby's background given any significance. On the show, he is a legendary Star Warrior who, according to legend, is fated to save Pop Star from destruction. No such legends are ever referred to in the games. It is also implied early in the series that he was a creation of an ancient evil entity called Nightmare. It is also said that Kirby was meant to sleep for 200 years, but was awoken too early by mistake, which is why he has baby-like qualities.<ref>Template:cite web</ref> Because of his age, he depends even more on the help of his friends to pull through tough situations.
Unlike the games, the anime contains darker themes such as war, blood, violence, and death (although not in the English version), though it still maintains most of the cheerful and surreal themes from the games. Kirby's creator, Masahiro Sakurai, was greatly involved in its creation, so it did not stray far from his vision of how Kirby should be.<ref>Template:cite web</ref>
A main trademark of the show is his warp star, which, although it appeared in some of the games, is used in almost every episode in the series. It is, apparently, his source of power. He only needs to see it to get his power, but he can't keep it safe for himself.
Manga and comics
Kirby also stars in several manga series, none of which have been released in a language other than Japanese. The longest running series is titled Kirby of the Stars: The Story of Dedede Who Lives In Pupupu, running up to 25 books, and was written by Hirokazu Hikawa (ひかわ 博一 Hikawa Hirokazu).<ref>Template:cite web</ref> 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.
A few comics published in the German Club Nintendo magazines feature Kirby as a detective and King Dedede as his friend<ref>Template:cite web</ref>. His animal friends Ricky, Cuckoo, and King appear in the comics as pets of a female Kirby look-alike, ostensibly one of Kirby's girlfriends. In one comic, he meets Lolo, Lala, and Lulu, the stars of the Adventures of Lolo series. These comics were advertisements for Kirby games that would be released in Germany.
Reception
Kirby ranked second on GameDaily's Top 10 Smash Bros. characters list.<ref>Template:cite web</ref>
See also
References
External links
- Kirby's Official U.S. homepage
- Kirby's Official Japanese homepage
- TV Tome—Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
- Kirby's Rainbow Resort - Ultimate Kirby Site
- Kirby Wiki
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