Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble

"This was the first game in the Kirby series to make use of motion controls. These controls were possible because the game pak itself contained a tiny motion-sensing device! This enabled a player to move Kirby by tilting his or her Game Boy Color system. Five minigames that also made use of these motion controls accompanied the main game."

- Summary

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble, known in Japan as コロコロカービィ (Koro Koro Kābī, meaning Roly-Poly Kirby), is a Game Boy Color game featuring Kirby. It uses a tilt sensor allowing the user to "roll" Kirby by tilting the Game Boy Color. Due to the limitations of the sensor, the controls are reversed on Game Boy Advance SP models since the cartridge slot is on the other side, though there are some alternative ways to get around it, such as tilting it the opposite way the player normally would (as said in the trivia), or playing the game upside down. There was a cancelled sequel called Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble 2, which was planned for the GameCube.

Plot
The game starts with Kirby napping on a cloud. He awakens as Waddle Dee is walking with a bumper. He then notices King Dedede walking by with a larger bumper. To find out what they are up to, Kirby jumps on the Warp Star only to find, once again, "A Dream Land without its stars." It's up to Kirby to get them back.

Gameplay
The game uses accelerometers to control Kirby. The goal is to guide Kirby to the finish by tilting the Game Boy in the direction where the player desires to move him. The game uses a "pop" action, when the player jerks the Game Boy vertically. This makes Kirby jerk up into the air, which transforms all on-screen enemies into stars. Popping a second time will turn the stars into clocks, and popping a third time will turn the clocks into Pep Brews.

There are also numerous stars in each of the levels. To play a sub-game, Kirby must find a Blue Star and clear the stage. To complete the game 100%, the player must collect the Red Star in each stage.

The stages in Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble are littered with bumpers, pits, hills, and other hazards. As such, the player will often need to use careful movement and timing rather than brute force to succeed.

Bosses

 * Orbservor - Seen in Worlds 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7.
 * Kracko - Seen in Worlds 3 and 6.
 * King Dedede - Seen in World 8.

Compatibility
As with all Game Boy Color games, the Game Boy Advance can play it as well. Because the sensors are calibrated for the cartridge to be played upright, the Game Boy Advance SP and Game Boy Player have some problems. While they can both boot the game, the controls are reversed on the SP because the cartridge slot is on the bottom instead of the top. Since the sensors are inside the cartridge, the only way to play it on the Game Boy Player is to pick up and tilt the GameCube itself, which is impractical.

Sequel
Nintendo originally had plans to release a sequel to Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble on the GameCube, but it ended up being quietly cancelled.

Trivia

 * Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble was the only Kirby game released for the Game Boy Color.
 * When played on a Game Boy Advance SP, the game card is upside down, so tilting is reversed: Left is right, and up is down. If the player desires the original control scheme, however, there are alternatives such tricks with the Gamester or other third-party accessories.
 * Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble and Kirby's Avalanche are currently the only games in the series that have an announcer announce the title on the title screen.
 * While the names of the eight levels are never mentioned in-game, an issue of Nintendo Power revealed the names of the first two: Big Sky Country and Tilt 'n' Tunnel.
 * If the player remains on the title screen long enough, a stream of multi-colored moons and stars will beginning flowing. A small sprite of Kirby will appear as well. Tilting the Game Boy will change the direction and speed of the stream, allowing the player to blow Kirby around any direction he/she likes.
 * If the player pauses the game and waits for a few seconds, Kirby will fall asleep. Shaking the Game Boy will awakening him and cause him to look around before he dozes off again.
 * The game WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! contains a minigame called Tilt-n-Tumble, a reference to Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble.
 * Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble was nearly rebranded as a Pokémon game in its releases outside of Japan.
 * One of the foods in the Japanese version of the game is onigiri which was changed to a hamburger in the North American version.