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, and Master can be used while underwater, and all have severely-limited capabilities in such a situation. UFO Kirby cannot enter water at all. 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. Should Kirby take enough damage to lose his current Copy Ability underwater, the ability star will start floating to the surface, 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.

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.

Cannon
Main article: 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 and Triple Star work as well. 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
Main article: 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 all Copy Abilities opens for Kirby in the Central Circle.

Switches work differently in  Kirby Canvas Curse. There are only three 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.

Stake
Stakes are blunt-ended cylindrical wooden objects 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

While not present in Kirby: Canvas Curse, a wooden stake is one of the objects painted in Paint Panic.

Rope
A rope is any form of cable suspending platforms, which are orange and decorated with a small yellow 5-pointed star in the middle. The rope itself usually resembles the hemp rope 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.

In Kirby Super Star, Ultra, 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.

Lamp
A lamp is a source of light. In the older titles, lamps resemble wax candles, but in Kirby: Canvas Curse and Kirby's Epic Yarn, they resemble 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'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. Yarn balls from Stogues provide an alternative means of illumination to Lamps.

In earlier games Kirby'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.

Grass

 * This section is about the common element of nature seen in the Kirby Games. For the Top Ride course in Kirby Air Ride, see here.

Grass is a common variety of plant life that appears in every Kirby game. In Kirby Squeak Squad, grass can be cut down using sword-based Copy Abilities such as 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 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 level 4-3 (Neo Star) of 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.

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 Brawl, where they can damage the player and destroy nearby Star Blocks.

Metal Block
A Metal Block is a block that resembles a grey 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 Copy Abilities: Burning, Fire, Metal, Hammer, Master, 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.

While not present in Kirby: Canvas Curse, 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 even should the hitbox or the projectile reach it.

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 has 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 Kirbies inhaling to actually move them.

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, including the player character an 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 in Canvas Curse, they are not highlighted. On Halfmoon, 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.

Blockin
Main article: 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.

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 variants, 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 and all enemies take damage upon coming into contact with spikes. 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.

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, lava can be cooled off to just rock using the Ice or Ice Sword ability, 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 Squeak Squad, can also walk over lava 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, or wait for them to stop erupting momentarily, as not even invincibility frames from, say Invincibility Candy, Burning or Hammer's spin attack can get Kirby past them.

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 or Ice Sword.

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.

The Boulder is first introduced 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. They can be tapped with the stylus to be broken into pieces, which can be likewise be broken as otherwise both hurt the player should they come into contact. In Bloo Hills where it is cold, 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 it hits 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.

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 pasively shields Kirby's head. Like regular land-based enemies, explosive coconuts explode once it comes into contact with water.

Bonkers is the only mini-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.

Bubble
''This section refers to the hazard. For the Copy Ability, see Bubble. For the enemy, see Bubbles. For further uses of the term, see the disambiguation page.''

Bubbles in Kirby: Canvas Curse are hazards which emerge from pits and fly into the air. Should the player character come into contact with one, it would entrap the player 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.

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.

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 anytime when 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.

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, and present a more dire threat.

Fan
Fans are spinning contraptions that boost Kirby in the direction it's facing. In Kirby: Canvas Curse, fans were always upwards. Once Kirby entered the air blowing from a fan, he gets stuck and needs to roll out on a Rainbow Line. By pressing the button on it, Kirby gets boosted high up, but he still gets stuck in the wind.

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.

Saw
A saw is a rotating toothed blade with an associated purple button in Kirby: Canvas Curse. The blades stop spinning once the button is pressed. 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.

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 Post
A Sticky Post is a tube-like green stick on a triangular stand, usually placed at the edge of a bottomless pit. Like Sticky Platforms, the player character becomes stuck on it once he lands. Double-tapping the character with the stylus frees him.

Reel Gate
The Reel Gate is the element that ends Kirby and Prince Fluff's Super Transformations in Kirby's Epic Yarn. It resembles a long wooden reel with coloured 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. It comes in three sizes and two colors: The largest one has the appearance of two large, green chevrons, the medium-sized one has the appearance of a green diamond, and the smallest 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 first two variants 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.

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. Hitting enemies and other players while spinning sends them flying.

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.

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, 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.