☆ <(~^.^~<) [ THE NAME YOU SHOULD KNOW ] (~>^.^~)> ☆

N1KF · 2017-04-27 07:29:34

♫ BGM ♫

25 years ago, on this very day, the video game Kirby's Dream Land was released for the Game Boy in Japan. Never did I suspect that such a date would have a major impact on my life. Why, you make ask? Let me explain!

My first encounter with the Kirby franchise was Super Smash Bros. Melee. A round, pink puffy creature with an excited greeting known as Kirby was one of the playable characters. How did I react? Did I find him funny? Cute? Weird? I don't know. That was far too long ago to reminisce about. I just don't think I was really all that interested in the video game franchise he was from.

Many years later would see me play Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Kirby, along with two new playable characters from his franchise also appeared in the game. When I first laid eyes on those new characters, I knew within my soul that I still had no interest in the series whatsoever. There was no driving force, as I had not seen what his franchise has to offer...

Until it happens.

One day, a sibling of mine came back from the store with a game cartridge. It was a pinball game. It was a Kirby game. The game was a pinball game with Kirby in it. It was Kirby's Pinball Land. With my mind curious of what pinball greatness is to come, I turned on the Gameboy Advance SP. I played the game. It was fun, I guess. But that day had no important impact on my life so just ignore this entire paragraph.

On some later date, that same sibling rented a game. This person spoke about it, and it held my curiosity. The name of the game was Kirby Super Star Ultra. Initially, I didn't care to play the game. However, eventually, I played it. The game was far above my expectations. The gameplay was great. The music was great. The writing was great. The graphics were great. The plots were...simple, but good. The game connected to me, somehow. Whenever I hear that intro music or that corkboard music, I still get chills even to this day.

After that, I played more Kirby games. Some of which were really great, and the rest a little less great. However, what was it? What was it that made the series, so...wonderful? Back then, I had not yet come across an answer to that question.

My interest in the series kept getting bigger and bigger. While I had a brief loss of interest, I got it back after getting interested in /r/kirby, the Kirby subreddit. To this day, on the Internet, I always use variations of Number1KirbyFan or N1KF unless I'm trying to hide my identity.

For my 8,500th post on the forum, let's return to that question I mentioned: What was it that makes the Kirby series, so...wonderful?

To figure out that question, let's look at the series, bit by bit, and see how it all comes together.

Table of Contents
Kirby's Dream Land

Emma333, TaskManager, Sensei1

N1KF · 2017-04-27 07:31:22

Kirby's Dream Land
Original release date
1992, April 27 (JP)
Kirby looks a bit more pale than usual!

♫ BGM ♫

This is a cool game to start off the series. Cool, but really short. It most of the recurring elements that appear for future games. One of the most important of these is a philosophy series creator Masahiro Sakurai called "Kirbyism". It's the idea that it's best to reach players of all types by just making your games simple. The game is simple in multiple ways:

Gameplay

The gameplay is simple. Many old games favored those who were more experienced. Platform games tended to take after Super Mario Bros. and include lots of bottomless pits. So, Kirby's Dream Land gave players the option to float over pits and enemies, as well as including a generous six-hit health bar (which is even higher in later games). Enemies can be defeated by inhaling them. Bosses are immune to this, but they drop stars and projectiles, which you can inhale and spit from a safe distance.

Visuals

The visuals are simple. Like the Kirby's Adventure intro shows, Kirby's just a circle with stubby arms, feet, and a face. There are also the simple Waddle Dees, Waddle Doos, Bronto Burts, Shotzos, Lololo, Lalala, etc.

Audio

The soundtrack is simple, which makes it very catchy. Of course, that's kind of a requirement since Gameboy music can only handle like three or four very basic sounds at once.

Story

The story is simple. At the very beginning of the game, it's shown that the selfish King Dedede steals all the food in Dream Land and you need to beat him up to get the food back. That's all you need to know. Unless you read the manual, but nobody takes the plots in old video game manuals seriously anymore.

Conclusion

The simplicity (in addition to the silly visuals, music, and character names) also helped to give to give the game a very childlike vibe, even more so than games like Super Mario Bros. (Though, Kirby's a lot less childish ) This is important for the series's identity which I will discuss more later.

There isn't much to discuss about this game. It's kind of like the pilot of a TV show—it's short and very basic, but gets the job and gives us an interesting glimpse into what the future may hold.

What? You expected me to analyze the whole series in one go? I'm not that crazy.

Sensei1

Onjit · 2017-04-27 07:51:26

cool thread

congrats on 8500 posts

i'm sure your parents would be proud of you

(two of those statements were sarcastic, one of them was sincere... can you figure it out?)

Master1, TaskManager, Koya, Swarth100, Raphe9000

Doomsdaytoy9000 · 2017-04-27 08:09:15

Actually I don't know cause I've never played a Kirby game

Norwee · 2017-04-27 08:23:38

N1KF wrote:

The simplicity (in addition to the silly visuals, music, and character names) also helped to give to give the game a very childlike vibe, even more so than games like Super Mario Bros. (Though, Kirby's a lot less childish cool) This is important for the series's identity which I will discuss more later.

American Kirby is hardcore.

SirJosh3917

Cola1 · 2017-04-27 09:04:40

My first game was Kirby Squeak Squad. A story that starts with eating cheesecake, and ends with destroying a demonic star.

Abelysk · 2017-04-27 09:46:48

N1KF wrote:

King Dedede

What a thoughtful name!

On-topic: only thing i know about kirby is this

AlphaJon · 2017-04-27 16:58:32

I remember when I played Kirby's Adventure on the NES as a child. ALL. THE. TIME. (along with mario bros 2 and 3). Also watched the Kirby cartoon a lot.

Raphe9000 · 2017-04-27 17:20:09

I've never played a Kirby gasetygfxcrzee7y5txdggvbgvbtgtftgftvgvbbbbbbgvfb-

N1KF · 2017-04-27 17:22:04

Raphe9000 wrote:

I've never played a Kirby gasetygfxcrzee7y5txdggvbgvbtgtftgftvgvbbbbbbgvfb-

He's more than you think; he's got maximum pink!

AlphaJon · 2017-04-27 22:01:26

N1KF wrote:

Raphe9000 wrote:
I've never played a Kirby gasetygfxcrzee7y5txdggvbgvbtgtftgftvgvbbbbbbgvfb-
He's more than you think; he's got maximum pink!

Let me tell you the story of Kirby the yellow, Kirby the blue and Kirby the green. Also they can eat each other.
Edit: Oh right don't forget their way of sharing food with each other. <3

▼Reference

N1KF · 2017-04-27 22:25:35

AlphaJon wrote:

N1KF wrote:
Raphe9000 wrote:
I've never played a Kirby gasetygfxcrzee7y5txdggvbgvbtgtftgftvgvbbbbbbgvfb-
He's more than you think; he's got maximum pink!
Let me tell you the story of Kirby the yellow, Kirby the blue and Kirby the green. Also they can eat each other.

And Kirby the Red. And Kirby the White. And Kirby the Brown. And Kirby the Purple. And Kirby the Ogden...

Cola1 · 2017-04-28 01:37:41

AlphaJon wrote:

Let me tell you the story of Kirby the yellow

Keeby. His name is Keeby.

N1KF · 2017-04-28 01:54:39

Cola1 wrote:

AlphaJon wrote:
Let me tell you the story of Kirby the yellow
Keeby. His name is Keeby.

Nope. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Yellow Kirby is labelled as "Kirby" just like all the others. According to the Kirby Wiki, the only game where Yellow Kirby is called "Keeby" is Kirby's Dream Course.

HeyNK · 2017-04-28 02:12:18

Thanks, kirby wiki pro.

Evilbunny · 2017-04-28 02:25:46

lol kirby sucks

Onjit, Kirby, Sensei1, N1KF, Pingohits, drstereos

N1KF · 2017-04-28 02:51:54

Evilbunny wrote:

lol kirby sucks

...except during the spinoffs and touchscreen games

Cola1 · 2017-04-28 06:48:58

N1KF wrote:

Nope. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Yellow Kirby is labelled as "Kirby" just like all the others. According to the Kirby Wiki, the only game where Yellow Kirby is called "Keeby" is Kirby's Dream Course.

You will never make me think otherwise. Viva la Keeby!!!

Sensei1 · 2017-04-28 11:15:39

Are you going to post info about all the games? Can't wait!
I found kirby through that kirby tv channel on wii. Then I decided to try out his games from virtual console and they were so good! Super star is probably my favourite kirby game.

Anyone into kirby music can check out Hapi's kirby medleys:

N1KF

SirJosh3917 · 2017-04-28 17:38:15

n1kf i still have a gamecube and i love playing kirby's airride from time to time
isn't that nice to know

Koya · 2017-04-29 00:28:35

I've yet to play a Kirby game, mean it as no offense because I've only played 2 mario games.

Hostage · 2017-04-29 12:10:50

no more edgy version n1kf? good

N1KF · 2017-04-29 15:57:16

Hostage wrote:

no more edgy version n1kf? good

What edgy version are you referring to?

Hostage · 2017-04-29 17:09:27

N1KF wrote:

Hostage wrote:
no more edgy version n1kf? good
What edgy version are you referring to?

http://forums.everybodyedits.com/viewtopic.php?id=38467

N1KF · 2017-04-29 17:13:52

Hostage wrote:

N1KF wrote:
Hostage wrote:
no more edgy version n1kf? good
What edgy version are you referring to?
http://forums.everybodyedits.com/viewtopic.php?id=38467

When I think of edgy I think of people trying too hard to be dark and moody. I even tried to lighten the topic up with some jokes because I thought it would otherwise be too negative! How is my topic edgy?

Official Everybody Edits Forums

#1 2017-04-27 07:29:34, last edited by N1KF (2017-04-27 07:32:29)