Environment

Environmental objects are passive elements on the map, which can either help or hinder Kirby's progress when interacted with. Kirby's adventures throughout Pop Star and its surrounding planets introduce the player to a wide variety of them, and most puzzles are based off some combination of these objects.

Water
Water is usually not hazardous to Kirby as he can swim, but it is deadly to all other terrestrial and flying enemies, as they promptly explode should they be exposed to water. Likewise, aquatic-only enemies, should they somehow end up on land, become essentially useless. In certain situations, areas can be flooded with water by destroying Bomb Blocks, such as in Candy Mountain and in Milky Way Wishes.

Only Sword, Hammer, Parasol, Master, and Spear can be used while underwater, and all have severely-limited capabilities in such a situation. UFO Kirby can enter water, but in some games he is slowed down. Should Kirby have no copy ability or be using any other copy ability, he will resort to exhaling water, the aquatic equivalent to his Air Gun on dry land (the exception to this being in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, where he can both inhale and use any copy ability underwater, albeit slowed down). Should Kirby take enough damage to lose his current copy ability underwater, the Ability Star will start floating to the surface, or sinking to the floor, and since Kirby cannot inhale while underwater, in most cases the star is irretrievable and disappears after a few seconds unless Kirby happens to be close to the surface when the star is lost. Kirby cannot swallow anything already inside his mouth while in water unless he is standing on solid ground. In Kirby: Squeak Squad, Ice Kirby can freeze water if he has the relevant Ability Scroll.

In Kirby's Epic Yarn, Kirby assumes his Submarine form underwater and retains the use of the yarn whip unless the Metamortex for Dolphin is active.

In Kirby Mass Attack, water functions somewhat differently; while the Kirbys are swimming inside water, an air meter appears and depletes the longer the Kirbys are in the water; the more Kirbys there are, the bigger the meter will be. The meter can be replenished by collecting air bubbles. Murky water is also introduced; the only differences it has being that it has an orange coloration rather than a blue one, and the air meter is depleted faster while swimming in it. If a Kirby is set on fire, jumping into water or using a water bubble will extinguish the flames.

Currents
Currents are a recurring feature in water-heavy levels, such as in Olive Ocean in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, and the penultimate level in Aqua Star of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. In most cases, currents are so fast that Kirby cannot swim against it, and would be swept along at great speed should he swim along its direction. These turn water-filled tunnels into one-way routes, providing a short-cut back into the main level from a secret location without having to return through a treacherous route, for example. Sometimes they are found in conjunction with Spikes, which Kirby can avoid by swimming against the current so there is more time to respond.

In certain situations, however, currents are just gentle enough for Kirby to swim against it, albeit at greatly-reduced speed. These are especially common in Kirby's Epic Yarn, made easier still from the fact that Dolphin's surge attack can go against any current (with only one exception).

Wind
Wind, introduced in Kirby's Adventure, can both help and hinder Kirby's progress, either by blowing upwards to increase flying speed, or downwards to increase falling speed, usually into a pit or other hazard. Winds also blow sideways, usually in airship levels, decreasing or increasing Kirby's speed.

Copy Essence
A Copy Essence in an element introduced in Kirby Super Star, which gives its associated Copy Ability when Kirby moves over it. The Deluxe version is only available in Milky Way Wishes, and works very differently.

Cannon
A Cannon in Kirby games refer to a large-bored medieval cannon, so large, in fact, that it vaguely resembles a cauldron. The first forms of the Cannon require the associated fuse to be lit by Kirby himself, before racing the spark running along the fuse to the Cannon, jumping into it, and being blasted off to a side screen or secret area on the stage. Any Copy Ability with the Fire element will do the trick lighting the fuse - Master, Laser, and Triple Star work as well. Some Cannons could be considered duds, as they will rotate like a regular Cannon when Kirby hops inside, but explodes, sending Kirby flying a little ways, which is bad in enemy-infested areas as it leaves him vulnerable. Cannons are not considered to be items; they are part of the environment.

In Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra, the A.I. driving the Helpers or the second player controlling them can light the fuses for Kirby instead. Some of the fuses in these two titles, instead of ending blindly, have an attached detonator which, when destroyed or depressed in any method, lights the fuse.

There is a rotating variant that does not require lighting fuses to be fired. This is the only form present in, but not limited to Kirby's Epic Yarn, and works like Zebon from the previous games.

Switch


In the Kirby games, Kirby must activate switches for various purposes. Switches are activated by depressing it - either by stepping on it or by attacking it.

In Kirby's Adventure, switches are huge buttons which unlock secret areas in the level they were found in. Once Kirby activates a switch, they vanish for the remainder of the game.

In Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra, there are more of the kind of switches found in Kirby's Adventure. Much smaller switches open mechanical doors that block Kirby's path - these only remain depressed and keep the associated doors open for a certain time, so Kirby must move quickly and have the appropriate Copy Ability prepared to solve the switch sequence.

In Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, huge switches connect separate areas in the Mirror World via Mirror Doors to Rainbow Route once depressed. Once all such switches are depressed, a new Golden Door containing most Copy Abilities opens for Kirby in the Central Circle.

Switches are present in Kirby Canvas Curse, where they retain their properties. There are also three big switches in the game – an orange one in Rift Ruin of Iello Adventure; a green one in Cold Course of Bloo Hills; and a blue one in Frozen Fantasy of Wonder Lilane. Depressing any one of these switches removes all blocks labelled with the switch symbol of that color from the entire game, which usually allows Kirby to retrieve the Medals which the blocks formally blocked. A switch is one of the objects drawn in Paint Panic

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the huge switch features as a Sticker. In the Subspace Emissary, certain red orbs serve similarly to the Kirby Super Star Ultra function of switches.

Gate
Not to be confused with Doors, Gates are movable stone walls which block the player's progress. In almost all cases, there is a corresponding Switch or a series of Switches which activates each gate. Gates either open temporarily or permanently, and there is no way to tell between the different kinds until it actually opens and closes. However, even should the gate be the permanently-opened type, it will be closed again when the level is reset.

There are several different kinds of Gates in Kirby: Canvas Curse. They have the appearance of high-tech metal gates in-line with the techno theme of the game, and these replace the medieval stone gates in previous games. Likewise, they are activated with switches, but instead of being always three tiles wide, they can be of varying sizes. Sometimes, however, these gates have spikes on them, and they should be avoided like any other hazard until opened. There are also color-coded Gates which are always accompanied by a series of stylus-activated switches (usually 3), which cycle between red, yellow, and blue when tapped on. When the entire series matches the Gate's color, it opens.

Stake
A Stake is a blunt-ended cylindrical wooden object on the ground. It acts as a difficult-to-use Switch or Bomb Block, and can only be depressed using certain Copy Abilities, but is otherwise functionally similar.

Stakes can be activated by:
 * Stone
 * Hammer
 * Smash (Stone, Hammer, Hammer Spin)
 * Metal
 * Magic
 * Master
 * Triple Star
 * Meta Knight's attacks

Stakes are present in Kirby: Canvas Curse, though they can only be depressed by using the Stone ability. If playing as King Dedede, though, stakes can be depressed with his hammer. Also, a wooden stake is one of the objects painted in Paint Panic.

Rope
A rope is any form of cable suspending orange platforms. The rope itself usually resembles the hemp variety, but sometimes resemble vines instead. Ropes can be cut with any sword-based ability, including Sword and Cutter, but since Master and Triple Star are effective in all puzzles, those work as well. Kirby's projectiles (when using Copy Abilities), can go through the platform; e.g. If Bomb Kirby places bombs at his feet while standing on the platform, they drop right through and hit anything below.

In Kirby Super Star, Ultra, and Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, ropes are part of puzzles involving platforms. When cut, they release the platforms, which allow Kirby to go through the pit which it once covered. Enemies can fall right through the platform, however. Rope puzzles are featured in several puzzles involving treasure in The Great Cave Offensive, and are common obstacles to Kirby from accessing 1UPs and various Food.

In Kirby: Squeak Squad, sometimes Ropes hold up entire floors instead of platforms, and drop it once cut.

In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, ropes can hold up metal platforms. When cut, the platform will fall and won't break. If a character is under the platform when it falls, he will get squished and KO'd.

Lamp
A lamp is a source of light. Interchangeably, lamps can resemble either wax candles or oil lamps. Lamps are only ever present in dark rooms, and serve to light these up temporarily. Most elements cannot be seen in dark rooms, and most enemies have a dull coloration until illuminated, and are difficult to spot, but outlines of lamps can be seen against the background.

In most games, any ability with the Fire element can light up lamps, which burn for a good number of seconds and illuminates a dark area before needing to be re-lighted. In Kirby: Canvas Curse, however, lamps can be lit by simply tapping it with the stylus.

In Kirby&apos;s Epic Yarn, lamps are lit by pulling on an associated button with the yarn whip, and instead of illuminating the entire room, lamps only light up the immediate surrounding area, and slowly grow dim instead of going out suddenly. Stogues, when rolled up into yarn balls, also provide an alternative means of illumination to lamps.

In earlier games Kirby&apos;s Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, the Light copy ability obtained from Cool Spooks serves the same purpose as lamps, but lights up dark rooms permanently and completely.

Grass
Grass is a common variety of plant life that appears in every Kirby game. In Kirby: Squeak Squad, grass can be cut down using blade-based Copy Abilities such as Cupid, Cutter, or Sword, and burnt to the ground using any ability with the Fire element.

Grass usually refers to the tall, obstructing variety, not the gentle turf Kirby treads on. Once burnt or cut down, grass may conceal food, Maxim Tomatoes, or doors to secret areas. In Kirby: Squeak Squad, the first level of Jam Jungle, the grass conceals several different kinds of Bubble items.

Blocks
Blocks are the most commonly-encountered environmental element, and are a staple of the Kirby series and its puzzles. They serve as basic obstacles, usually easily removed unless positioned in a particular way or used in combinations with other elements.

Star Block
A Star Block is a block imprinted with an upright five-pointed star in the middle. Its most common coloration is a white star on an orange background with a white border, but sometimes it appears in other colors, such as pink. Star Blocks have been featured since Kirby's own debut in Kirby's Dream Land, and have been in every non-spinoff title since.

Star Blocks are easily destroyed - simply bumping hard into them or landing onto one by jumping from up high will remove it, and they are vulnerable to almost all forms of attacks. Sometimes their removal is not in the player's best interests, however, as sometimes Star Block formations contain enemies like Flamer, Gordo, or Shotzo, or the level's floor may be entirely made out of Star Blocks. Fortunately, Star Blocks are not affected by full-screen-hitting Copy Abilities Crash, Mike, and Paint, although these do hit Switches.

In stage 3 of Neo Star in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and for HB-002 and HB-007 in Kirby's Dream Land 3, a Crystal Shard and Heart Stars are earned respectively by removing Star Blocks from a field of them to create a specific shape.

In Kirby Mass Attack, fruit is sometimes hidden behind Star Blocks, as well as Medals.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, destructible blocks in the style of Kirby are present as obstacles and platforms, though they are not as brightly colored; rather, they resemble stone or metal with many cracks within them.

Bomb Block
The Bomb block is featured in most Kirby titles. It has a bomb icon in the middle, but otherwise look identical to a Star Block. Kirby cannot inhale it, and must destroy it by means of a Copy Ability, the Air Gun move (puffing air), or by performing a sweep kick. In Kirby: Canvas Curse, the player can tap it with the stylus.

Upon its destruction, a Bomb Block always starts off some form of chain reaction, the most common being removing all adjacent Star Blocks, although more complicated puzzles feature a chain of explosions that reveal hidden areas or power-ups, or otherwise alter the stage in such a way that it halts progress in a particular direction should the player be slow e.g. blocking the path to a revealed Treasure Chest.

A well-recognized example are the Bomb Blocks in Candy Mountain, a level in Dyna Blade, the sub-game in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra, where destroying it turns most of the level into lava, but gives a trade-off in the form of a 1UP which can be picked up afterwards.

There is a variant in Kirby: Squeak Squad which looks like a transparent snowglobe with a flame icon inside of it. Instead of causing an explosive chain reaction, these simply cause a fiery inferno instead, and has the same effect as a Bomb Block otherwise.

Bomb Blocks make an appearance in the Green Greens stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where they can damage the player and destroy nearby Star Blocks. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Subspace Emissary mode, bomb blocks occasionally appear in puzzles, usually holding up platforms or trophies (which would fall if the bomb block finishes exploding).

Metal Block


A Metal Block is a block that resembles a gray ingot of iron. In certain titles they have small nibs around the central protrusion that resembles large rivets. It can only be removed by using the following copy abilities: Burning, Fire, Metal, Hammer, Master, Missile, Magic, Smash, Stone, UFO, or Triple Star.

Most of the time, they are found to be in the way of power-ups or hidden rooms, which requires the player to make a choice of returning with the appropriate Copy Ability to remove them or remembering to return later or simply pass it by altogether.

They are present in Kirby: Canvas Curse, though they can only be broken by being shot through a cannon or using King Dedede's hammer. Also, it is one of the sketches in Paint Panic.

Elemental Block
An Elemental Block is an obstacle that requires a particular Copy Ability or a combination of abilities to break. This is a different mechanic in the sense that in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, particular abilities are needed to reach Bomb Blocks arranged in a particular way, but these Elemental Blocks require the specific ability to actually break it, and is immune to all other forms of effort.

In Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, most of these do not resemble Blocks in their usual form, but are more of obstructions of various shapes and sizes requiring a specific Mix of abilities to remove so Ribbon can retrieve the Crystal Shard hidden within. They are color-coded to the particular combination required to break them.

In Kirby: Canvas Curse, Elemental Blocks usually obstruct the player from Medals instead. They are both color-coded and have the icon representing the specific Copy Ability required to remove them.

Heave Ho Block
A Heave Ho Block resembles a Star Block, but has a carved-stone appearance. It cannot be destroyed, but can be moved horizontally on a flat surface by means of Kirby's Inhale - this means that whenever Kirby encounters one of these blocks, he must either go around it, or forfeit the current Copy Ability to perform the Inhale. Alternatively, should Kirby be using Stone, Smash, or Master, the Block can be moved using those abilities.

Two large examples of Heave Ho Blocks exist - one in Moonlight Mansion and one in Mustard Mountain. These are four times the size of the small ones, and hence require the efforts of all four Kirbys inhaling to actually move them. However, If Stone Kirby (or Smash Kirby's stone form and Master's down thrust) pounds the ground, the block will move somewhat; multiple pounds will eventually move the block out of the way.

In Kirby Mass Attack, Heave Ho Blocks appear in multiple levels. A Heave Ho Block can be moved by flicking Kirbys at it, which will cause it to slowly move forward.

In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Heave Ho Blocks can be super inhaled.

Electric Block
An Electric Block is a block with a bolt of electricity in the center. It is an indestructible hazard that zaps anything that touches it, be it the player character or enemies.

In Kirby: Canvas Curse, these blocks appear in levels where Kirby needs to illuminate rooms, and they are highlighted green on the in-game map.

In Kirby Super Star and Ultra, Electric Blocks feature in Mekkai, the Machine Planet in Milky Way Wishes, but since the games do not feature in-game maps of the sort as found in Kirby: Canvas Curse, they are not highlighted. On Halfmoon and Orange Ocean (Revenge of Meta Knight), rounded blue orbs with a yellow bolt of electricity can be found, and these are identical to the Electric Blocks found on Mekkai besides the appearance.

Bubble Block
A Bubble Block is a platform made out of bubbles. It pops shortly after the player character lands on it, releasing whatever that was contained inside. Most of them are empty, but sometimes they contain Stars and projectile-shooting enemies, such as Spear Waddle Dee.

The exact sound effect of a Bubble Block popping was later reused in Kirby: Squeak Squad. It can be heard when Bubble Kirby uses certain attacks.

Blockin
Blockin is an enemy that disguises itself as a Star Block, and reveals itself whenever Kirby attempts to attack the disguised block or inhale it.

Fruit Block
Fruit blocks are blocks appearing only in Kirby Mass Attack. When a Kirby is launched at it, fruit will come out of it; this can be done many times before the block disappears. Apples will come out first, while bananas, as well as watermelons, come out after several hits.

Fruit blocks first appear in Stage 2 of Green Grounds, and make many other appearances afterwards. Sometimes the player needs to do specific things to get to them; for example, in Stage 1 of Volcano Valley, the player needs to use a water bubble to cool the lava below the fruit block. They also appear in many swap blocks, along with regular star blocks.

One fruit block is related to the Checklist; it must be broken in Stage 7 of Sandy Canyon before clearing the stage in order to complete the task.

Hazards
Hazards are environmental objects serving as pure impediments. Failure to avoid them will result in a loss of health or, as with the more dangerous ones, an immediate loss of life. They are especially dangerous in Extra Game, where in certain titles Kirby's hitpoints are halved. Sometimes Hazards can be manipulated to the player's advantage by making enemies run into them, a classic example being the lava pit in the fight against Bohboh in Kirby: Squeak Squad.

Spikes
Spikes are simply sharp, pointed stakes planted along surfaces, including floors, ceilings, and walls. It is among the most commonly-encountered impediment in the games. Along with Lava and electrified surfaces, Kirby takes damage upon coming into contact with spikes, but in certain games, enemies can walk through spikes unharmed. Kirby loses his current Copy Ability if hurt by spikes and the Ability Star is destroyed should it touch spikes.

Sometimes spikes are hidden by Blocks until those are destroyed. This situation is rather more common than lava tiles being uncovered after Blocks are destroyed, for example. While Wheel Kirby can roll over lava unharmed in Kirby: Squeak Squad, he is not immune to Spikes.

In Kirby: Canvas Curse, there are certain Blocks which periodically extend spikes roughly every seven seconds. They usually feature alongside regular spiked surfaces.

Lava
Lava is a common hazard in the games. It is usually seen in fire-themed levels, like Vocal Volcano or Mustard Mountain. Along with Spikes and electrified surfaces, Kirby and all enemies take damage upon coming into contact with lava. Kirby loses his current Copy Ability if hurt by lava and the Ability Star is destroyed should it touch lava. Lava is more dangerous than spikes, as it sets Kirby on fire and immobilizes him on the ground until the fires go out by itself.

In Kirby: Squeak Squad and Kirby's Return to Dream Land, lava can be cooled off to just rock using the Ice, Water, or Ice Sword abilities, allowing Kirby to safely travel across it. These rock surfaces, however, are highly fragile - performing any vigorous jumping and/or bumping that would destroy Star Blocks will likewise disrupt such a surface and turn it back into lava. Alternatively, Wheel Kirby can roll over lava unharmed, and with the Ability Scroll, pick up the fire element in the process. Metal Kirby, only in Kirby: Squeak Squad, can also walk over lava unharmed.

In Kirby's Epic Yarn, hitting lava makes Kirby or Prince Fluff jump up and fall off the screen, which could be a reference to the dying sequence in Super Mario Bros. and its sequels. If not using a Metamortex, Kirby or Prince Fluff will wave their arms as if flailing, which may be a reference to New Super Mario Bros. or Super Mario World, in which during the dying sequence, Mario or Luigi will wave his arms.

In Kirby Air Ride, it is possible to walk on the patch of lava in City Trial mode completely unharmed.

Vent
Vents are pillars of fire which tend to erupt from lava or other sources of fire. They are harmful to Kirby, and destroy the ability star should one come into contact with them.

In Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, vents are only found in Mustard Mountain, where they effectively act as walls. They erupt from floors, walls, and ceilings. The only way to get past these vents is to avoid them, wait for them to stop erupting momentarily, or use certain abilities, say Invincibility Candy, Tornado, Burning, Hammer's Giant Swing attack, and Master's Drill Rush to name a few.

In Kirby: Squeak Squad, vents are much smaller, and no longer act as walls i.e. should Kirby be invincible or somehow be immune to the effects of fire, he can walk right through them. Otherwise, the vents can be permanently extinguished using Ice, Ice Bomb, or Ice Sword.

In Kirby's Epic Yarn, vents are extremely rare. They take on the form of leather pouches that spew red yarn for flames, and have a button hanging off the neck of the pouch. By using a Yarn Whip on the button, Kirby or Prince Fluff can seal the pouch for a limited time.

Boulder
A boulder is a large, round rock. Most of the time, they fall from ceilings, and Kirby needs to get away from it before being squashed, but sometimes they are static and are merely in Kirby's way.

Boulders are first introduced in Kirby's Dream Land 3. Here, they will fall from ceilings and start rolling towards Kirby. Sometimes a gap is present and it will get stuck, preventing it from moving. They will hurt Kirby if he touches one, even if it isn't moving. In some levels, they will often block passageways or items.

In Kirby: Canvas Curse, they are initially found attached to ceilings, and break once they hit the ground, but in later levels they would roll towards the player character. They can be tapped with the stylus to be broken into pieces, which can likewise be broken, as otherwise, both hurt the player character should they come into contact with them. In Cold Course, boulders take on the appearance of huge chunks of ice instead.

In Kirby: Squeak Squad, boulders come in various shapes and sizes, but still fall from the ceiling, same as before. This time, however, the large ones continue rolling until they hit a wall or another boulder. Sometimes, boulder drops can be controlled by means of a Switch, and hence can be used against enemies. In the fight against Big Metalun, the vibration from it walking around dislodges smaller boulders with effects not unlike explosive coconuts, but these break once they hit the ground.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, they still drop from ceilings, and are a common sight in underground areas. They do damage, the amount of which depends on the difficulty.

Icicles and Stalactites
Icicles are a common threat in the Kirby series. the hang down from ceilings in cold places and drop when Kirby comes near. In some games, the player is able to destroy icicles before they drop. In Kirby: Canvas Curse, some icicles can grow back almost immediately after crashing to the ground. Giant icicles exist in Kirby Mass Attack. Ice Dragon and Magolor Soul use these hazards for attacks.

Stalactites appear in a few games, taking the role of icicles in caves or canyons. In Cool Cave of Kirby's Epic Yarn, Kirby and Prince Fluff must use falling stalactites as stepping stools to continue through the level. Fatty Puffer uses stalactites for an attack.

Explosive Coconut
Strange plant life have been known to inhabit Dream Land, such as palm trees that spawn explosive coconuts.

An explosive coconut is an item (not one Kirby can grab anyway) that drops on Kirby from some palm trees when he gets under them. It is vulnerable to all forms of attack including the Air Gun, and gives no ability when inhaled. These palm trees are common in tropical island areas, like Float Islands. In an area with large numbers of them, Parasol is very effective, as it passively shields Kirby's head. Like regular land-based enemies, explosive coconuts explode once it comes into contact with water.

Bonkers is the only mid-boss who throws explosive coconuts around as projectiles. In most games, he only throws out one coconut at a time, but in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra, he may occasionally throw three consecutively.

Crets in Kirby: Squeak Squad send these down on Kirby occasionally. Beanbons, Big Beanbons, and Giant Beanbons in Kirby Mass Attack can fire explosive coconuts if left alone for a long enough period. Explosive coconuts appear in the New Challenge Stages in Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition as well. It appears in the Fighter Combat Chamber and the Smash Combat Chamber EX, as Bonkers' attack.

Big switch wall
Big Switch Walls are found in several stages, like Paletto Polis and Collapse Castle. These walls block pathways to medals, and can only be terminated by hitting a big switch of the respective color; orange walls are destroyed by the orange switch in Rift Ruin, green walls by the green switch in Cold Course, and blue walls by the blue switch in Frozen Fantasy.

Boost Panel
Boost panels are flat, gray boards that lay on the ground in certain stages. Touching a boost panel will cause Kirby to speed in the direction the panel's arrows face. This may impede the player's progress if the panel is facing backwards.

Bubble
Bubbles in Kirby: Canvas Curseare hazards which emerge from pits and fly into the air. Should the player character come into contact with one, it would entrap the player character and bring the character up with it. Bubbles can be popped with a tap from the stylus. While they can be used as an elevator, player-drawn Rainbow Lines can do the same, which makes bubbles more of an annoyance as they can drift in random directions. Bubbles cannot be blocked using Rainbow Lines.

Bumper
Bumpers are objects which bounce the player character about when hit, much like buttons and spring pads in Kirby's Pinball Land, or any Pinball machine. They come in two shapes - the pad variant, which is attached to surfaces, and the rounded button variant, which is free-standing. Each of the button ones start off containing a Star, and the blue decorative star in the middle glows brightly. They relinquish the star when the player character bounces into it and the central star stops glowing. They also will explode if hit enough times by the player.

Clamp
The Clamp is a simple mechanical claw that picks up the player character when run into, before moving in a predetermined path. The clamp can be deactivated to drop the player character at any time after being prompted by a series of three arrows appearing beside its central purple button.

Checkpoint
In Kirby: Canvas Curse, a Checkpoint is a device resembling a switch attached via a blue and white string to a large white balloon with a large yellow star on it. Once the player character passes over it, the balloon glows white and four yellow stars encircle it. Checkpoints are spawn points which the player reappears in should all HP be lost, and their use is optional.

Cracked wall
Cracked walls are simple obstructions which can be cleared with a few taps from the stylus. While easy to remove, their presence is not always immediately obvious, as their coloration blends in with the rest of the level. Cracked walls take on different looks for different levels.

Drop block
Drop blocks aren't Blocks in the traditional sense, as they are activated by standard Switches - no other Block is interacted with like this. They do not exist individually, but rather in a mass which drops down once the corresponding Switch has been activated, opening up a previously-covered route and potentially covering a previously-accessible one.

Energy beam
Energy beams are hazards in Kirby: Canvas Curse. There are two variants - one that resembles Ray Beams, and the other, Electrical Beams.

The Ray Beam variant resembles a laser beam, and acts as a barrier or hazard, but the beam can be blocked with Rainbow Lines. The electrical variant, however, cannot be blocked with Rainbow Lines, but the player can tap on the source Topper with the stylus to get rid of them.

Fan
Fans are spinning contraptions that boost Kirby in the direction it's facing. In Kirby: Canvas Curse, fans always point upwards. Once Kirby entered the air blowing from a fan, he is held in the vortex, but can get out of it by following a Rainbow Line. By pressing the button on the fan, Kirby gets boosted high up for a moment, but he still held in place by the vortex.

Inflatable bomb
Inflatable bombs are balloon-like bombs that appear in some stages or Kirby: Canvas Curse. They attempt to loosely follow Kirby, and will explode if they touch him. If the player taps one wih the stylus, the bomb will inflate a little bit. Inflatable bombs will explode if tapped thrice with the stylus. The explosion will hurt Kirby whether it was intentional or not, so the player should be cautious. Inflatable bombs appear as a part of the Room Guarder portion of Mad Mechanism.

Mine
Mines are found in numerous levels. They float in the air or underwater and stick to Kirby when he touches them. Mines will begin beeping once Kirby has come close enough, and will quickly turn red and explode. The explosive can be removed from Kirby if the hero bumps into a wall. Mines appear as a part of the Room Guarder portion of Mad Mechanism.

Movable block
Like Drop blocks, Movable blocks aren't blocks in the traditional sense, as they are activated by purple stylus-activated Switches - no other Block is interacted with like this. This kind of block moves from its original position in the direction of the arrow on its button and stops when it can move no more, and the direction of its arrow changes so it can be moved in another direction. It is found within Static Fields where the player has no direct control over the character, and serve to deflect the character's movement in some way.

Orbiter
Orbiters are strange objects found only in Wonder Lilane's Spectacle Space. Orbiters merely float in space; if Kirby gets near one, he'll start orbiting around it. He can pull away from its orbit by riding a rainbow line away, dashing repeatedly, or using the Burning ability. Orbiters exist to let the player regenerate paint to create rainbow lines in the stage's massive second room.

Parachute bombs
A few levels contain bombs attached to yellow paracutes. These bombs simply drift down from the sky, exploding if they make contact with the terrain or Kirby. The player can make them explode by tapping them with the stylus. Parachute bombs appear as a Room Guarder in Dreamy Darkness. Bombs with purple parachutes are painted (and created) by Drawcia during the final boss battle.

Post
A Post is a dashed vertical line on a triangular stand. It stops the player character moving if he was originally not moving too quickly i.e. not dashing. Most of the time, they guard against the player from dropping into bottomless pits in tricky platforming sequences and allow the player to catch a breather and let the Rainbow Ink replenish. Tapping the player character with the stylus causes him to dash across and free of the Post.

Saw
A saw is a rotating toothed blade in Kirby: Canvas Curse. Most of them have an associated purple stylus-activated button, which stops the blade once tapped on. The blades move with varying speeds; several are slow enough to easily pass by, while others move so fast that is is impossible to get past without getting hurt. In Mag Mount and Volatile Volcano, saws take the form of spinning bars of fire (this version later reappears in Kirby's Return to Dream Land). Also, a single bar of electric sparks appears exclusively in Silent Seabed.

Star Spinner
A Star Spinner is a beneficial device. Each one starts off with a glowing central yellow star. When the player character rolls across it for the first time, the Spinner releases several Stars, and its central star stops glowing. After doing this, it no longer does anything interesting. Interacting with a Star Spinner does not affect the direction of movement or speed of the player character in any way.

Static Field
A Static Field is an area that appears to be covered by a sparse matrix of multi-colored pixels. Such an area cannot have Rainbow Lines drawn inside, but other means of interaction with the Power Paintbrush i.e. other uses of the stylus besides drawing including tapping on the player character and objects remain intact. Essentially it takes away direct control over the movement of the player character, and the player must make use of other means and other environmental features to navigate such an area.

Sticky cloud
While clouds appear in many games as platforms, sticky clouds are exclusive to Kirby: Canvas Curse. Appearing only in the tutorial and Growth Grasses, sticky clouds hang in the air and trap Kirby if he touches one. They can be dispelled by a touch with the stylus or a copy ability.

Sticky Platform
A Sticky Platform is a platform with the top surface covered with green adhesive, with green directional arrows. Should the player character land on one, he will become stuck to it. The direction the player ball would be facing is determined by the direction of the arrow. Double-tapping the character will propel him in the direction of the arrow and away from the sticky surface.

It provides place for the player character to remain static, as otherwise some form of entrapment in the form of deep depressions or constant drawing of Rainbow Lines is required to do the same.

Suction pipe
Suction pipes appear in many levels. Their sole purpose is quickly transport Kirby to another point in the level. Kirby can only enter them through one side, so once he's gone through, he can't return the same way.

Button
There are four different kinds of Buttons, each serving a different purpose. The first kind is red, appears to be made of plastic, and has four discontinuous pieces of string visible. This one is always attached with a string to some other object, which can be manipulated by pulling on the button with Kirby's yarn whip. Red buttons are always attached to objects that collapse when Kirby pulls the button, but a short time later return to their original form.

The second kind is made of blue plastic, and has only one discontinuous piece of string visible. When Kirby pulls on a blue button, the object it's attached to will collapse, and stay collapsed, unlike objects with red buttons.

The third kind appears to be a light brown (wood?) button with a green squiggle on it. When Kirby pulls it, he turns into his Top form and rolls it up until it is fully rolled up. Usually the button is used to bring a bridge up. Other times it used for different things. Like in the boss battle with Capamari, this kind of button is on his cap, and Kirby pulls the button to unravel his cap. Also in Evergreen Lift, Kirby pulls the button to bring the lift up.

The fourth kind has a silvery, metal appearance, and has two pieces of string crossed at the center. This kind (called a brass button) is for Kirby to transform into the Pendulum. Most of the time, they are static elements, but in Stellar Way and Cloud Palace, they gain wings and can move about, taking Kirby throughout the levels.

Patch
Not to be confused with Patches in Kirby Air Ride, patches in Kirby's Epic Yarn are anything attached with a small red tab at the upper right corner, which allows it to be pulled off using Kirby's yarn whip. They come in several different shapes and sizes, but this does not always indicate what is behind it. Metamortex patches always cover Metamortexes; door-shaped patches always cover doors. These two always look the same. Square and circular patches can obscure just about everything but doors and Metamortexes, and their decoration varies from level to level.

In certain levels, a square, red exclamation mark can be revealed, and this turns a pre-determined element that was part of the background into a Patch, and this can be peeled off to reveal hidden objects.

Reel Gate
The Reel Gate is the element that ends Kirby and Prince Fluff's Metamortex Transformations in Kirby's Epic Yarn. It resembles a long wooden reel with colored beads at each end. The Reel takes away the extra yarn from Metamortexes, passing Kirby and Prince Fluff under it in the process. Once over it, the two cannot backtrack through it.

Boost Pad
The Boost Pad boosts the player's Air Ride Machine when activated. It is present in every course Air Ride course but Nebula Belt, and spawns in the Grass Top Ride course. There are many different kinds of boost pads, and they come in many different sizes. Only the large and medium ones are found in Air Ride courses. Small ones are found in certain Stadium events.

Most boost pads are green in color. Besides differences in size, there are two different kinds - The kind that appears as two green chevrons change the player's direction when boost is activated immediately into the direction it is pointing in, regardless of the player's original direction. The other kind, which resembles two green diamonds stacked on each other, does not change the player's direction, but simply applies the boost in his/her current direction.

The last one, only present in the Drag Race #2 Stadium, is not a Pad at all, but a vertical yellow-orange, semi-transparent energy field that boosts the player when passed through.

Since the green ones cover a certain area, there is a technique in Air Ride mode referred to as double or even multiple-boosting, whereby the Pad is activated multiple times as the player's Air Ride Machine passes over it to maximize speed gain. The efficacy of the technique is affected by the size of the Air Ride Machine - the larger the machine, the more difficult it is to perform multiple boosts using one Boost Pad.

Copy Chance Wheel
The Copy Chance Wheel is a large, semi-transparent, flashing purple question mark on a square patch with another question mark. It is present in Nebula Belt, Celestial Valley, and on top of a building in City Trial. Passing through it starts off the roulette of Copy Abilities, which flash by randomly. If none are selected, the player is given a random one at the end. Its function is similar to Mix in other games.

Grind Rail
The Grind Rail is a feature present in every Air Ride course but Sky Sands and Nebula Belt. When the player lands on any part of the Rail, the Air Ride Machine automatically moves along a pre-set course along the rail. Even when the rail bends and twists (usually), it is taken as a straight path, so should the player be following another player's Air Ride Machine on the same rail, Star Drafting applies.

Ramp
Any incline in Kirby Air Ride can be taken as a Ramp, as long as the Air Ride Machine being used has enough glide to make it so, but purpose-made ramps end at a sharp angle downwards, pretty much guaranteeing at least some air time for every vehicle capable of flight.

There are several Super Boost Ramps in City Trial that do not resemble ramps in the traditional sense. They are white, glowing squares that boost the player up to a pre-determined position. In Beanstalk Park, there are two pink, circular pads that work exactly the same as the square Super Boost Ramps in City Trial, and they bring the player up to a higher, more desirable length of track.

Spin Panel
The Spin Panel resembles a short, static vortex of energy over a circular area, and is only found in Checker Knights. Activating it sends the player's Air Ride Machine into a spin, not unlike when performing the quickspin, but the player can turn much better when spinning, and does not lose much speed. The player also gains a slight speed boost, similar to Boost Pads. Hitting enemies and other players while spinning sends them flying.

Switch Panel
The Switch Panel is a panel that activates, or sometimes deactivates some other mechanism in the course. It comes in two varieties: The large one is white in color, usually with two triangular arrows facing each other, found in Sky Sands and Frozen Hillside. The smaller variant is a pink square, found in Checker Knights and Drag Race Stadium #2.

In Sky Sands, it opens a shortcut. In Frozen Hillside, there are a total of four Panels, the first of which deactivates a laser array, the second illuminates a dark passage, the third and fourth opens up the final run and reveals additional Boost Pads. In Checker Knights and the Drag Race, the pink squares lower and raise walls, which can be used to impede other players.