20 KIRBY: 20 of My Favorite Copy Abilities

Image by Sirometa

It was until Kirby's second game, Kirby's Adventure on the NES that Kirby gained the ability to replicate the powers of inhaled foes. This became known as the Copy Ability. Swords, yo-yos, beams, wheels, the abilities Kirby can play around with are a large part of what make his side-scrolling escapes so much fun. In honor of Kirby's 20th anniversary, here's a list of 20 of my favorite Kirby Copy Abilities.

01. Mike 

Most heroes use some sort of bomb to dispose of every enemy on the screen. Kirby steps up to a microphone and belts out a mean tune. Exactly, what that tune is, well, who knows? It's been speculated that Kirby is tone deaf. No matter. As long as it kills everyone in sight, that's all I care about. The Crash ability is similar but I prefer the Mike.

02. Parasol

Mary Poppins might have made floating with an umbrella popular, but she has nothing on Kirby. Not only can Kirby float with the Parasol, it also sports offensive capabilities. The Penguin mostly uses hims umbrellas for weapons when hey are closed. Kirby uses his for a weapon when the thing is fully open. How's that for being adept?

03. Bomb 

This ability is about as old-school as it gets. The classic cartoon bomb can be hurled at enemies to explode upon impact. A good weapon to have in Kirby Super Star, it was made even more useful when you could aim it in Kirby's Return to Dream Land.

04. Wheel 

The first time I got the Wheel I fell in love. How can you not love this power? It lets you move fast as well as run straight through enemies. I'm especially fond of the sound effects it makes in Kirby's Adventure.

05. Needle 

The Needle ability let's Kirby unleash his inner porcupine. A simple press of the button and Kirby's body is covered with needles just waiting to inflict harm on any oncoming foes from all directions. Like all Copy Abilities in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Needle was enhanced. You could fire off needles by shaking the Wii Remote, turn the needles on Kirby's helmet into a giant drill that stands straight up, and use a rolling attack.

06. Fighter 

Debuting in Kirby Super Star, the Fighter ability sees Kirby dawning a red bandanna similar to Ryu's. That is already cool in and of itself but the quickness of Kirby's attacks as a Fighter are what make it such an awesome ability. Further

07. Hammer 

Mario and Luigi are no strangers to using hammers as a weapon and neither is Kirby. Originally the Hammer was one of those not-so-common power ups, probably because of how powerful it was. It was certainly worth dropping whatever power you had to pick this one up in earlier Kirby games. Even in more recent titles like Kirby's Return to Dream Land, its still one of the best close range weapons to have.

08. Cutter 

This is another projectile based weapon, but the blade would actually return to you once thrown. It was a common, nifty ability to have in Kirby's Adventure and it really came into its own in Kirby Super Star with extra attacks like the Cutter Drop. Cutter was improved even more in Kirby's Return to Dream Land where it could be charged and thrown in different directions.

09. Double-Bladed Laser Sword 

Say what you want about Star Wars Episode I, but Darth Maul's double edged Lightsaber was 10 different kinds of awesome. So getting to use it in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards was quite a treat. It even makes the same humming sound Lightsabers make. This unique sword is formed when the Spark and Cutter abilities are combined.

10. Beam 

Appearing for the first time in Kirby's Adventure, the Beam is one of the most common Copy Abilities, present in just about every game where Copy Abilities are used. Its basic function is that of an electrified chain whip. The Beam's uses were expanded even further in Kirby Super Star when it could be charged and fired off for long range attacks.

11. Stone 

Squashing unsuspecting enemies flat is one of my favorite methods of attack in the Kirby games. If you transform into stone on a slope, you'll slide down, striking any foes in your way. While Mario and Luigi could turn to stone in a few of their adventures, there was a limit to how long they could remain in that form. Kirby's time as solid object is unlimited. Stone is worth having just to see the different statues Kirby can turn into. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land the number is rather high.

12. Spear 

One of the newer Copy Abilities, the Spear is one of the greatest weapons in Kirby's wide arsenal. It is an excellent weapon to have for quick, successive strikes at close range, and for long rang attacks, it can be thrown. You can also strike upwards and downwards with it. Charging the Spear up allows Kirby to fly with it like a helicopter for a short time and any enemies that touch the spinning Spear are toast.

13. Yo-yo 

The Yo-yo is one of those abilities I wish was used in more Kirby games. This Copy Ability hasn't made an appearance outside of Kirby Super Star. The yo-yo tricks Kirby pulls off with this ability are absolutely sick. And the Break Spin? Well, we all knew Kirby could break dance but using it as an attack? Too cool, too cool. I also really like the Yo-Yo ability for the hat Kirby wears.

14. Ninja 

OK, who doesn't like ninjas? Yeah, that's what I thought. You put ninjas in something and you've got win. Ninja is one of the fastest Copy Abilities of the Kirby series, but to get the best use out of it, you have to deal as many attacks as you can at a time because the kunai aren't all that strong when used solo. When using the Ninja ability, Kirby can also stick to walls.

15. Cook 

What's for dinner? Any poor saps that happen to be on the screen when Kirby uses the Cook ability, that's what. With this power, Kirby cooks enemies and turns them into food to resort energy. This ability is worth using just to see the Kirby play the role of a chef. But in a way, its kinda stomach churning. I mean, he's cooking foes and eating them. My word, sometimes I think Kirby needs professional help.

16. Hi-Jump 

It may not seem like a good ability but the Hi-Jump is pretty entertaining to screw around with. Any foe in the path that Kirby jumps through will be struck. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land you can control the direction Kirby Jumps in and use the Rocket Dive attack to come crashing down into enemies below.

17. Spark 

Kirby emits electrical sparks that damage foes that come near him. It was a cool ability in earlier games but in Kirby Super Star, under the title of Plasma it was given the added ability to form a force field around Kirby that could shock enemies. It can also be charged up and thrown as a projectile. Both of these abilities returned in Kirby's Return to Dream Land along with added functions. Given everything that can be done with Spark, it can be considered a game breaker.

18. Explosive Ninja Stars

Ninja stars are cool. Just throwing them makes you ten times more awesome. But you know what's better than ninja stars? Ninja stars that explode. Appearing only in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, the Explosive Ninja Stars are formed when Cutter gets combined with Bomb. Kirby is quick to throw this projectile and they explode on contact. Enemies hit with this weapon freeze in their tracks and explode a second later. If the weapon has a downside it's that you can't see the path that the Explosive Ninja Stars are thrown so you have to line yourself up with your target.

19.  Drill 

Combine Stone with Needle and you get the super cool Drill ability, another Copy Ability exclusive to Kirby 64: The Krystal Shards. You can either hold onto the Drill and travel forward with it or let go and watch it keep moving to drill through enemies in its path. Abilities like this one make me sad that combined abilities were never revisited in the Kirby games.

20. Sword 

My favorite Copy Ability in the entire series. The Sword allows Kirby to show off his master sword skills. And masterful they are. The strikes dealt from the sword are quick and deadly. Even in Kirby's Adventure, the Sword was a valuable ability to have. In Kirby Super Star it was given numerous homages to The Legend of Zelda series. If Kirby is at full health, he can fire off Sword Beams. Furthermore, the cap Kirby wears is very similar to Link's. Kirby can also charge the sword to unleash a Spin Attck, a move Link has been using since A Link to the Past. The Sword is just so freaking awesome to have and I love using it.

20 KIRBY
20 KIRBY Why We Love Kirby

20 KIRBY: Why We Love Kirby

I've been a fan of Kirby and his adventures for almost as long as the little guy has been around. There's no one specific reason why Kirby and his games have been a hit with fans, kids and adults, so let's take a look at some of the things that make Kirby and his world so endearing to us all.

Kirby's Design

Just look at him. He's so cute! How can you not love him? Kirby was super adorable in 1992 and his cute factor has only gone up since then. I recently bought a Kirby plush and every time I look at it, it makes me smile.

The Music

Green Greens. Rainbow Resort. Coo the Owl. Peanut Plain. Pop Star. If you're looking for some of the most catchy, upbeat, feel good music in gaming, look no further than a Kirby game. Of course the music can also be dark and edgy when it needs to be as evidenced with themes like Nightmare and Machine Passage.

Meta Knight

Clad in armor, hiding his face behind a mask, Meta Knight is Kirby's most famous rival. While he isn't a villain, his actions and motivations put him at odds with Kirby at times. He also has a deep sense of honor. In most duels with Meta Knight, you are presented a sword and he will not attack you until you pick it up. Defeating Meta Knight reveals that he has a face just like Kirby's hinting that he may be of the same species, whatever that is.

No Black and White Morality

For a kids series, the Kirby games show that not every character is coated in simple colors. Sure, you fought against King Dedede in the first Kirby game, Kirby's Dream Land because he stole all of the land's food. But in Kirby's Adventure, the self proclaimed king had good intentions when he hid the pieces of the Star Rod. Dedede's action were also for the greater good in the Subspace Emissary mode in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.  The fact is, Dedede has helped Kirby on numerous occasions. On the flip side, not every character that appears good is good. Marx, I'm looking at you.

The Final Bosses

Many of the baddies in the Kirby games look like they sprang up from somebody's nightmares. Not only are they terrifying to look at, some of them are well versed in string pulling. How many times has Kirby been duped into doing the villain's work? Marx has done it and so has Malgor. I found it especially interesting that in the later's case, all the worlds you visit end up spelling CROWNED. Remember kids, you can't spell "crowned" without "owned."

Copy Abilities

A great clown once said "Where does he get those wonderful toys?" Kirby gets his from any mook that's touting a power-up. All Kirby has to do is inhale them, press down and he has a new toy. Swords, whips, beams, fire, ice, the list of Kirby's abilities goes on and on.

20 KIRBY
20 KIRBY: 20 of My Favorite Copy Abilities 

20 KIRBY

At the age of 19, most teenagers are holding down jobs, going to college, paying bills, and making a video game for beginners? I imagine the majority of teens were preoccupied with the other things listed, but Masahiro Sakurai was tasked with that last one. Employed at HAL Laboratory, Sakurai designed a placeholder character for the game he was working on. Said character was a cute blob-like sprite called Popopo. But as time went on, the young Sakurai favored the placeholder character over whatever was set to replace him. Eventually the name Popopo was dropped in favor of Kirby.

Just how did Kirby get his name? Some believe that the name Kirby was taken from attorney John Kirby, who defended Nintendo of America a few times in court. There's also the belief that Kirby's name comes from the Kirby brand of vacuum cleaners, which makes sense seeing as how vacuums, you know, suck stuff up and that would be Kirby's shtick. Regrettably, not even his father, Sakurai, can recall how Kirby got his name. One thing is certain though. Kirby sounds a heck of a lot better than Popopo.

[Kirby's Dream Land, GB] The game where it
all began.

[Kirby's Adventure, NES] The much-
loved Copy Ability makes it's
debut in Kirby's second outing.

On April 27, 1992, Hoshi no Kābī or Kirby of the Stars was released on the Game Boy in Japan. Sakurai saw Kirby as being pink, while Shigeru Miyamoto saw him yellow. The game's Japanese box art showed that Kirby was indeed pink, but when the game was released on August 1, 1992 in America as Kirby's Dream Land, the box art showed Kirby as being white. Ironic since the original Game Boy's color palates were black and white.

Kirby's Dream Land took gamers through five levels to defeat King Dedede who had stolen all of Dream Land's food. This unique platformer had the players control Kirby as he inhaled enemies and then spat them out as stars.  The game was quite short. Experienced gamers could breeze through the game in less than a half hour, but despite it's length, Kirby's Dream Land was a hit, selling over one million copies. Composer Jun Ishikawa was responsible for crafting the game's score and in doing so, gave Kirby some incredibly catchy, memorable tunes, chief among being Green Greens. Even on the Game Boy, these tunes still managed to resonate with gamers.

[Kirby's Dream Land 2, GB] Sakurai didn't direct
KDL2, but it still plays quite well.

[Kirby's Dream Course, SNES] Golf the likes
of which you've never seen. This is
actually one of the best spin-off titles.

[Kirby Super Star, SNES] KSS featured a ton
of different games and it's impact on
the series can be felt to this day.

Less than a year later, Kirby returned in his second adventure, but this time, Kirby's playground was the aging NES. Most gamers were getting their kicks on the SNES and Genesis, but Kirby gave NES owners one of the last great epic quests on the system. May 1, 1993, Kirby's Adventure hit the NES in America. Now having more power to work with, Kirby's world was given color. Not only that, but Dream Land had far expanded beyond the five levels that Kirby visited on the Game Boy. Kirby now had to transverse across  seven worlds to restore the Star Rod that King Dedede had broken into pieces. Without the Star Rod resting in the Fountain of Dreams, the citizens of Dream Land couldn't have dreams.

[Kirby's Dream Land 3, SNES] While a
visual powerhouse, the quality of
KDL3 is sharply divided among fans.

[Super Smash Bros., N64] Kirby takes a break
from defending Dream Land to smack around
fellow Nintendo stars. 

[Kirby 64, N64] Half the fun of Kirby's N64
adventure was seeing the wealth of different
powers you could come up with via
combinations.

A larger world meant Kirby's skillset would also have to upgraded. In addition to floating, Kirby could dash and slide into enemies. But the biggest addition to the series would be Kirby's super cool Copy Ability. If an enemy has a special power, Kirby can inhale them and take that power to use as his own. If Kirby sees an mook weilding a sword, all he has to do is suck them up, and presto! He's got a shinny new stabbing stick. The wide assortment of enemies gave Kirby a host of different powers to play with. He could turn into a Wheel to move at high speeds, use the hammer to smash foes and unlock hidden passages by pressing switches, or float with the Parasol and whack enemies with it.

He wasn't named at the time, but Kirby's Adventure was also the debut of one of the series favorite characters, Meta Knight. Meta Knight would appear various times throughout the game to send mini bosses Kirby's way or help him by giving him invincibility power ups. When you finally do battle with Meta Knight, he won't fight you unless you are armed with the Sword, since the sword is Meta Knight's weapon of choice. A cool and mysterious character to say the least.

[Kirby's Epic Yarn] Kirby's debut Wii game was appealing on
many levels, but the visuals were truly a sight to behold.

[Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Wii] It spent forever in
development, but when it finally released, Kirby's grand
return to traditional style of play was well worth the wait. 

[Kirby Mass Attack, DS] So many Kirbys, so much power.

Kirby has graced nearly every Nintendo system in existence. He's stared in more platformers on the Game Boy such as Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby's Block Ball, and on the SNES with Kirby's Dream Course, Kirby Super Star and Kirby's Dream Land 3. Kirby's father may no longer be working with HAL, but even without his involvement, the Kirby games are trucking along just fine. Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Return to Dream Land aren't just fantastic Kirby games, but are some of the best games on the Wii. Meanwhile, Kirby Mass Attack proves that Kirby still knows hot to entertain gamers on the portable scene.

For such a simple-looking character (somewhere someone is kicking them self for not having thought up Kirby's design), Kirby has given gamers a lot of great games. Sure, most Kirby games may be on the easy side, but not all games need to be difficult to be fun. Why shouldn't younger players be invited to the wonderful world of gaming? It says something that Kirby's games are still plenty appealing to older players as well. Kirby hasn't stuck around for the last 20 years due to dumb luck. Kirby might suck but if his games sucked, he'd have died out years ago.

Happy birthday, Kirby. Keep on sucking.

Downloads #12

The last time I made a post for Downloads was way back in March. That was five months ago. Hard to believe it has been that long since I purchased any games via downloading, but that's been remedied.

Kirby's Block Ball (GB)

Since it's Kirby's 20th birthday, I thought I'd do some celebrating by picking up a title I never owned. I had planned to purchase Kirby's Block Ball, but was surprised to see it priced for $2.99 on the eShop. That made the decision to grab it so much easier because I expected to pay more for it. I'm still playing through Kirby Mass Attack but I'll make some time for Block Ball.

Mole Mania (GB)

I was hoping Mole Mania would hit the 3DS Virtual Console and when I was looking through the new arrivals, to my surprise, Mole Mania was there and at a price of $2.99. I paid around $10 for my copy that I picked up years ago at Funcoland (before they became GameStops). This clever puzzle game became one of my favorite Game Boy titles and it warms my heart to see it get a digital release. I never did finish it back in 2002. Can't even remember how far I got. Maybe I'll be able to finish it this time.

Favorite Tunes #19: Racing Themes

There's something oh-so satisfying about driving at high speeds, throwing your car around a sharp turn and leaving your opponents in the dust. Be it cart racing, arcade style racing or simulation, the racing genre offers plenty of fun for gamers seeking high speed thrills. Some excellent tunage to go along with the race certainly doesn't hurt.

Take It! - Auto Modellista (PS2, GCN, XB)

New IPs from Capcom seem to be rare these days but in the PS2 era they were all over the place. One such new franchise was Auto Modellista, a cell-shaded PS2 racing game that was later ported to the GameCube and then Xbox. Despite the game's stylish visuals, it received mixed reviews due to poor handling controls and bombed at retail. The game's soundtrack had some noteworthy songs thanks to Isao Abe and Tetsuya Shibata.

Industria - Rage Racer (PSone)

Rage Racer was much different from Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution that came before it. The Grand Prix mode was far more in depth, letting you earn money to upgrade your cars and even customize them. It was a pretty ambitiousness game and a major step up for the series. I remember investing a lot of time into Rage Racer in the summer of 2001. Like the first two Ridge Racers, it had some memorable tunes. I think I listened to Industria on more races than anything else.

Splash Wave Euro Remix - OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (PS2, XB, PSP)

One of my favorite racing games and my favorite OutRun title, this updated version of OutRun 2 has a lot to offer. There's a ton of cars to purchase, lots of different routes to take as you drive through the country, and plethora of different OutRun songs from nearly every game in the series, including original songs and remixes.  This remix of Splash Wave is probably my favorite version of the song, yes, even over the original.

ESCAPE ~Cavern Course~ - Mega Man Battle & Chase (PSone) 

Mega Man Battle & Chase was all set to release in the USA. There were even ads for it in magazines. Yet for reasons, unknown, Sony brought down the axe and the game wouldn't see American shores until the release of the Mega Man X Collection on the PS2 and GCN. The game could be unlocked upon completion of the first three Mega Man X titles. Battle & Chase is a Mario Kart knock off but managed to stand out from the pack by letting you steal car parts from defeated racers to add them to your own ride. The music was also fantastic, featuring completely original themes. This game is also the source of Roll's Theme song Wind, Cary My Words.

King of Island - Sega Rally 2 (ARC, DC)

One of the first games I bought for my Dreacmast. I wasn't very good at it, but I enjoyed playing it, nonetheless. There's a lot of sensational music in Sega Rally 2 like Euro Fight, Night Groovin', Searchin' For My Dreams, and of course, King of Island.

Monkey Race 2 Expert Track - Super Monkey Ball 2 (GCN)

The Super Monkey Ball games may have dipped in quality, but I'll always have fond memories of the first two. OK, so the trials those games put me through made me wanna throw my GameCube out the window at times, but they were still some sweet games. Known for their quick paced arcade style gameplay, the Super Monkey Ball titles are also famous for featuring some of the most entertaining mini games in gaming history. Seriously, many of these games are so good that they can entertain you long after you complete the single player modes, if you ever do, that is. The first two Super Monkey Ball gamers were later released for PS2 and Xbox under Super Monkey Ball Deluxe.

Sky Garden - Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)

When I first purchased my Game Boy Advance in the winter of 2002, Mario Kart Super Circuit was the first game I purchased for the system. Sadly, I no longer have it in my collection but I have a ton of fond memories of this game like shaving seconds off my time in Sky Garden. Not only did I love the design of this track, but the background music it carried quickly became my favorite track from the game. This course was one of the reused tracks for Mario Kart DS.

Strike Breaker - Gran Turismo 3: A-spec (PS2)

The Gran Turismo franchise is often praised for it's simulation racing physics and abundance of real life licensed automobiles. GT3 was a true showcase for what the PS2 could do on a visual level. Even today, the game still looks just as good as it did when it originally released. GT games usually have a lot of licensed music from some well known and underground bands, but there's also some original music crafted specifically for the games, such as the headbanging Strike Breaker.

Eight Guitars - F-Zero GX (GCN)

One of the most stunning-looking games for the GameCube, F-Zero GX is also the hardest game in the series. Few people (very few) have completed Story mode. Grand prix mode isn't as difficult, but unlocking everything without cheats approaches Battletoads levels of frustration. And for all that, I still love this game. There were some remixes and they were great but I really enjoyed the new music that was provided. Eight Guitars plays when you race on Sand Ocean.

Milky Lake - Wave Race 64 (N64)

The realistic water physics in Wave Race 64 still manage to impress. It says something when one of the earliest games for a system is still considered one of the best. Even at a mere four machines to select from, Wave Race 64 still manages to be a superb racing, probably the best water-based racing title in existence. Milky Lake was a more calming race course and so was the music. I absolutely love the flute in this song.