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Now that Kirby's been around for 25 years, let's look back at his legacy 

I don't know about you, but I really love Kirby games! They're simple, fun, vibrant, and very kid-friendly. Kirby is one of Nintendo's most recognized characters, and unlike many other franchises, he has consistently starred in games (there's a Kirby game for every Nintendo system--except for Virtual Boy). There's something special about Kirby; if this was not true, he would have been gone years ago. But he keeps floating back, and his games are many times innovative and different. How did the pink puffball come to be? And why are his games so special? Let's look back at Kirby's history and find the answer to these questions. Get ready, there's a lot of territory to cover; Kirby has starred in over 20 games! He's almost as prolific as a certain mustachioed plumber we know. So without further ado, let's get into it. 

Kirby Begins

Developer HAL Laboratory wanted to created a mascot for Nintendo, but they couldn't come up with anything amazing. They settled on Kirby, who was a simple character; they decided he would be their temporary character until they came up with something better. But the developers, headed up by a very young Masahiro Sakurai, fell in love with the puffball and decided to keep him. His basic design was so that kids would be able to draw him easily, which is why the intro to Kirby's Adventure shows you how to draw him. Kirby's color was debated for a time; Sakurai wanted him to be pink while Miyamoto wanted him to be yellow. Pink became the settled color, and I'm glad it did. Kirby's pink is iconic for his character, just like Mario's red, Sonic's blue, and Pikachu's yellow. The character is intimately tied to the color. Ironically, Kirby's first game was on the colorless Game Boy, which meant that some never knew he was pink until the NES sequel. 

Kirby's Dream Land, released in 1992, introduced the world to the pink puffball. This platformer was simple and fun. This first game featured Kirby's main antagonist, a big penguin with a mallet who was called King Dedede. Kirby did not have his copy ability, though, so playing it now would be strange. We could say, then, that Kirby truly came into his own with Kirby's Adventure for NES (1993). While a late NES game, KA was astounding, with bright bold graphics and amazing music. Kirby now had his signature copy ability, and levels were intricately designed for said abilities. It was also the game which introduced us to another Kirby antagonist, a dark figure named Metaknight. It was clear that Kirby, this strange new Nintendo character, was an all-new beast (and an adorable one, at that). But while fans made up their minds about him, HAL was gearing up to release as many Kirby games as possible. 

Kirby, the King of Game Boy

How can I say that Kirby is the king of Game Boy? Simple: Kirby has more games on the GB than any other franchise. More than Mario. More than Pokemon (although Pokemon would surpass him on Game Boy Color). From 1993 to 1997, Kirby would dominate Nintendo's handheld system. Of course, Kirby got his start on the Game Boy, and that is where he would thrive. He would grace the Game Boy Color with only one game, but one which would be ahead of its time. The Game Boy was the perfect fit for Kirby as his games were often simple and easy to pick up and play. Most of his games on the handheld would not be platformers, but rather puzzle games and pinball games. 

Kirby's Pinball Land (1993) was the puffball's second GB game. The developers realized right away that Kirby could be transformed into a ball, so we have a pinball game. This game is far better than any typical pinball game because it uses areas and characters from the Kirby universe, making it adorable and endearing. Kirby's Dream Land 2 (1995) was the much improved sequel to the original. Not only was the game bigger, but it also introduced three new friends which Kirby could ride: Rick the Hamster, Kine the Fish, and Coo the Owl. This is by far one of the best Kirby games you'll ever play. Kirby's Block Ball (1995) is a ball-bouncing game in the style of Arkanoid, and yet it's much deeper than Arkanoid due to unique block patterns, enemies, boss fights, and special moves which Kirby can perform. Kirby's Star Stacker (1997) is a puzzle game in which you must line up specific characters in rows (Kirby's three friends are used). The game is simple and fun, and yet can become complex and challenging the deeper one goes. Kirby's sole game on the Game Boy Color was Kirby's Tilt 'n' Tumble (2000), which used motion control (literally tilting your GBC) in order to move Kirby. This was one of the first motion-based games for a Nintendo system, if not the first. Kirby, like Mario, was proving to be a versatile character, able to do just about anything. And by the way, all of these games were good. Anyone who had a GB in the mid-90s probably had a Kirby game. 

A Streak of Pink on the SNES

Kirby was also very prolific on Nintendo's second console, the SNES. His first game here was actually Kirby's Dream Course (1994), which was an isometric golf-type game. Originally it was not to include Kirby, but his name would help the game sell, and indeed it has become a classic over the years. Kirby's Avalanche (1995) was a puzzle game, a clone of Puyo Puyo. Developer Compile probably realized the game would do better if a famous character were attached to it. Nintendo decided on Kirby, who by now had made a good name for himself. By this point, Kirby has been around for only three years, and yet he has already become a jack of all trades. 

Developer DMA Design wanted to make a Kirby prequel for the SNES. Called Kid Kirby, it featured a younger Kirby with hair (does this mean Kirby is bald?) and used the SNES mouse. However, the mouse did not sell well and the game was difficult to play with the joypad, so it was canceled. This was probably for the best since HAL was not involved with the game; it could have been the first BAD Kirby game. Instead, the hits kept coming for the pink puffball. 

In April 1995, Kirby got his own manga in Japan (which tells you how popular he already was there). The Japanese title is translated "Kirby of the Stars: The Story of Dedede in Pupupu." It was popular, running from April 1995 to October 2006, a total of 25 volumes in all. While we're talking about Japan, Kirby's Toy Box (1996) was a Satellaview game which was released only in Japan. It included ten mini-games, most of which were strange and usually had to do with balls. Two of the games were Megaton Punch and Samurai Kirby, which would both be in Kirby's next game. These were no doubt to promote this game. 

That game was Kirby Super Star (1996), which proved to be the most ambitious Kirby game yet. It was a collection of 8 games! Some were just mini-games, but others were whole adventures. Super Star was notable for being the first platformer Kirby game to be two player; a friend could now go right along with Kirby as a helper. Antagonists King Dedede and Metaknight both get moments to shine in this game as well. This is arguably Kirby's finest game, atleast the finest on the SNES. HAL decided to release one more SNES game, even though it would be very late. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997) was the third game in the Dream Land trilogy. It was a beautiful game with crayon drawing-style graphics. It was no Super Star, but it was Kirby's swan song on Nintendo's SNES. 

Kirby Keeps Flying Despite Problems

At the outset of the Nintendo 64 console, a demo of a racing game called Kirby's Air Ride was seen. However, the game was canceled and would go through some major changes before being released on the Gamecube. In 1999, Nintendo released Super Smash Bros. for the N64, a four-player fighting game featuring Nintendo's most iconic characters. Kirby was right there among them, proving he was one of the Big N's most recognizable faces. HAL was actually the developer behind the game, and it was Masahiro Sakurai's idea to use Nintendo characters for the game. Even better, Kirby could actually suck in any of the other characters and mimic their standard B attack. Kirby had come a long way in a short amount of time. 

Kirby was able to star in his own N64 game with Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000). While still a side-scrolling platformer, this game put a twist on the copy abilities: you could now combine abilities in order to come up with crazy new abilities, such as Missile-shooting Kirby and Refrigerator Kirby! The game also featured Waddle Dee, Adeleine (painter girl), and King Dedede. Sadly, this game was overlooked since it was released so late in the N64's life. However, Kirby would shine once again in Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001), which came out early in the life of the new Gamecube console. HAL outdid itself with this sequel to the Nintendo mascot fighter. It became and maintained its status as the best-selling GCN game of all time. 

Kirby's popularity was still going strong, made evident by Kirby: Right Back At Ya!, a cartoon which began airing in October 2001 in Japan. It debuted in America on Fox Kids. It ran for two years with a whopping 100 episodes! Surprisingly, the cartoon is faithful to the characters of the games, no doubt due to the fact that Sakurai's wishes were obeyed and Satoru Iwata was one of the producers. Tons of Kirby characters are seen in the show, and the quality is solid, making this one of the best video game cartoons available today. 

The Gamecube era proved to be difficult for Kirby. Three different Kirby games were canceled for the Gamecube. The first was entitled Kirby Adventure; it featured four-player simultaneous play, but doing this proved too difficult for the team (this game would later become Kirby's Return to Dream Land on Wii). The second game had Kirby moving around in 3D space, which proved to be problematic (I hope we get a 3D Kirby game one day!); and the third game had an animated Kirby, "sort of like a pop-up book," Kirby producer Shigefumi Kawase said in an interview. "We spent 11 years...making and abandoning these three games." For some reason, HAL could not find its groove with Kirby during this time. 

Kirby made it onto Nintendo's new handheld, the Game Boy Advance, in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002). This game was actually a remake of Kirby's Adventure, updating the visuals and sound of that excellent NES adventure. And yet, during the same time, another Kirby game was canceled. Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble 2 was to be a GCN game which used the GBA as a controller (similar to The Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Adventures and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles). It was changed to a different game before being canceled. Up to this point, Kirby still had no game on the GCN to call his own. 

But that all changed when Kirby Air Ride (2003) returned in all its glory. It was a simple, kid-friendly racing game, but it had several different modes and plenty of Kirby to appease those pink-hungering fans. It was not the platformer fans were hoping for, but the waiting would have to continue while HAL refocused for Nintendo's next console. Shortly after Air Ride's release, Sakurai resigned from HAL, stating there was too much pressure on him to create sequels. The creator of Kirby would later form his own company, called Sora Ltd. In 2004, Kirby starred in his first original GBA game, Kirby and the Amazing Mirror. This ambitious game was four-player multiplayer and used a map system to become the first "Kirbyvania" game. It would also be Kirby's last game on the GBA. 

Kirby Innovates But Also Plays on Nostalgia

With the advent of the Nintendo DS, the Big N jumps into the touch screen arena before it was even a thing. Suddenly games focused on touch screen game mechanics, but not very many knew how to do it well. Along came Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005), a DS game which used touch controls in the best way possible. It was simple and fun: you drew paths for Kirby to roll on. That was it. And yet, HAL had made the most innovative Kirby game and a prime example of what a touch-based game should be. Sadly, this mechanic would not be revisited for ten years. Kirby: Squeak Squad (2006) for DS was a more regular Kirby adventure. Kirby faced new foes here: a pack of villainous mice. Similar to Kirby 64, abilities could be combined on the touch screen to give Kirby new abilities. 

Kirby had now been around for 16 years, so HAL played the nostalgia card by releasing Kirby Super Star Ultra (2008) for DS, which was a port of one of Kirby's best games. It included everything in the original and then added even more modes and extras! March 2008 saw the long-awaited release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii, a massive game which became Sakurai's masterpiece. The game featured King Dedede and Metaknight as playable characters, and the Halberd was one of the stages, paying homage to Kirby Super Star. 

Kirby's next few games would be different. Kirby's Epic Yarn (2010) for Wii was co-developed with Good Feel. Kirby's copy ability is absent; instead he can uses his yarniness to do all sorts of neat things to the environment. While the game is very easy (you can't die), it's super charming and about as different a Kirby game you'll ever play. Kirby Mass Attack (2011) for DS features not three, or four, but ten Kirbies! HAL does an excellent job of creating unique puzzles around this multi-Kirby platformer. Kirby's Return to Dream Land (2011) for Wii was a four-player platformer similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Players controlled Kirby, Waddle Dee, Metaknight, and King Dedede. This was the game which had been canceled way back during the Gamecube days. It was resurrected and became the ultimate multiplayer Kirby adventure. 2012 marked Kirby's 20th anniversary, so HAL released Kirby's Dream Collection for Wii, which featured six classic Kirby games, a museum, and three episodes from the Kirby cartoon. 

Pink is Still in Fashion

25 years later, Kirby is still going strong. In 2014, Kirby: Triple Deluxe was released for the 3DS. Featuring new abilities, the main draw of the game was Hypernova Kirby, in which Kirby can suck up anything in sight. It also had some standard Kirby mini-games and an extra mode where you can play as King Dedede. The same year saw the release of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U. Sakurai and his team outdid themselves with these massive games. In the 3DS version, a pea-green Game Boy stage pays homage to the GB Kirby games; in the Wii U version, there is a huge level which was inspired by the Great Cave Offensive in Kirby Super Star. It's great to see these awesome Kirby games get some love. 

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (2015) for Wii U was the spiritual successor to Canvas Curse. It played the exact same except the graphics were now in an adorable clay aesthetic. HAL made a big deal of Kirby: Planet Robobot (2016), the second 3DS Kirby game. Not only was it a bigger game than Triple Deluxe, but it was also released with four amiibo! This is very telling because Nintendo only releases amiibo for their biggest franchises, so Kirby is right up there with Smash Bros, Animal Crossing, and Mario Party! Planet Robobot proved to be an excellent game, even featuring an adventure mode with a playable Metaknight once the main adventure was finished.

But 2016 held another surprise for Kirby. In August, the Kirby Cafe opened in Tokyo, Japan. This adorable Kirby shop featured entrees which looked like Kirby characters (let's remember that Kirby DOES love to eat), plus had Kirby accessories for those who weren't hungry. This tells you how popular Kirby is in Japan! Yet after just three months, the place closed. Perhaps it did not get enough business, but this is certainly not the end for Kirby. Perhaps the cafe was just an experiment. Or maybe Kirby is gearing up to do something even bigger. 

Where Will Kirby Go Next? 

In honor of Kirby's 25th anniversary, Nintendo is releasing two Kirby mini-games (expanded into little games) on the 3DS eShop. Both of them are enhanced versions of the two mini-games from Planet Robobot. One is a team-based fighter and the other is an actual 3D Kirby game (which truly excites me!). Here's hoping we see a big 3D Kirby game in the future. Speaking of which, HAL is also bringing us another 3DS Kirby game later this year. I'm sure Kirby fans are excited to see what new things HAL brings to Kirby this time. 

As we've seen, Kirby games are simple, yes...but time and time again the formula has been shaken up. Kirby has been innovative, puzzle-based, action-oriented, race-crazy, very hungry, and always adorable. He's one of the simplest characters in gaming, but he's still deeply profound and engaging. Sakurai and HAL made something truly unique. Only time will tell what Kirby will do next, but here's hoping he keeps moving in new directions. 

Be sure to share your favorite Kirby memories below!