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