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KPR Susie artwork This article is about the series starring Kirby. For the titular character, see Kirby. For the species, see Kirby (species).
KirbyLogo2022

The series' logo, used since Kirby and the Forgotten Land

The Kirby series is an ongoing franchise of video games starring the eponymous character, Kirby, and created by Masahiro Sakurai and developed by HAL Laboratory. It is one of Nintendo's most popular and best-selling franchises, selling over 50 million units since its debut.[1] The series is known for its bright and artistic setting, cute characters, cheerful and upbeat music, and, most notably: the ability for the namesake character to inhale, swallow, and copy the abilities of enemies.

Overview[]

All the titles in the Kirby series feature a pink, spherical creature named Kirby as the main playable character, hero, and protagonist. The most recurring character in the series besides Kirby is King Dedede, the greedy, hammer-wielding, self-proclaimed ruler of Dream Land; he has appeared in almost every Kirby game usually as a rival to Kirby. Meta Knight is another major recurring character. He appears to be the same species as Kirby (though this is not known) and is a chivalrous but enigmatic warrior who assists the hero on many occasions. Depending on the situation, he sometimes fights Kirby to get the things he desires, or to prevent him from causing a much larger problem. He respects a certain code of honor, and always offers Kirby a sword when fighting with him. Bandana Waddle Dee is the fourth main character in the series, becoming one in the more recent games. He is Kirby’s best friend and is always willing to help when someone is in need. He also has strong ties with his leader, King Dedede. He wields a spear and a blue bandana to separate himself from the others.

The games' fictional setting, Planet Popstar, includes many regions of different climates and terrain, which are home to many different creatures. The areas in each game have unique names, but they fall into categories such as fiery caverns, open meadows, water-filled or submerged areas, icy mountains, and similar nature-based environments.

Gameplay[]

The Kirby series usually involves the player controlling the pink puffball, Kirby, as he saves Dream Land, Planet Popstar, or other planets from threats.

Kirby can walk, run, and jump, but also perform unique moves, like a slide attack and even inflate himself like a balloon by sucking up air to fly. In every game except Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Kirby can float indefinitely. Kirby can shoot out a puff of air to attack his enemies after flying. Kirby Super Star introduced guarding, while Kirby: Triple Deluxe introduced a dodge.

In the first game of the series, Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's main form of attack is inhaling objects or his enemies whole, and spitting them at each other. The first game also featured power-ups like Superspicy Curry and the Mint Leaf, which allowed Kirby to spit fire and air respectively for a limited time to attack his foes. The second game, Kirby's Adventure, and almost every main game after that give Kirby the ability to inhale and swallow his foes to obtain their abilities; for example, swallowing an enemy that is using a sword gives him the Sword ability, and swallowing a flaming enemy gives him the Fire ability. He can use one of these Copy Abilities at a time to give his enemies a taste of their own medicine, and players can try out more than twenty Copy Abilities in most games, sometimes even combining them. Games like Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby: Triple Deluxe give Kirby amplified abilities; in the former, he can swallow certain foes to wield huge hammers or swords, and in the latter, he can eat a special bean to greatly increase his inhale ability — in this state, Kirby can inhale entire trees and trains.

Most Kirby games involve the player moving Kirby to the right of the screen through several levels and worlds that usually follow a theme, like grass, or desert, or lava. Many enemies populate the worlds, some of which are native to one particular world, like fire enemies to lava worlds, or flying enemies to cloud worlds. Some enemies stop Kirby in his tracks, preventing him from progressing until they are defeated. These mid-bosses are usually located near the middle of the level and tend to be larger than normal enemies. They take many more hits and have many more attacks than normal enemies, but can still be swallowed after their defeat, which awards a Copy Ability. The ability that the mid-boss gives is usually necessary to solve an upcoming puzzle that will award some kind of collectible. Bosses are typically giant enemies that seem to govern the entire area. Most bosses can summon smaller enemies to fight for them, and they take even more hits and have even more attacks than mid-bosses. They cannot be inhaled, but they do open the path to the next world after their defeat. Games like Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby Super Star allowed Kirby to summon or partner up with allies that would fight alongside him. Other games, like Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, allow Kirby to travel alongside more of his kind.

Kirby has a set amount of health in the series' games, and food can be found in random areas that will restore his health after he touches an enemy or is hit by an attack. Losing all health results in Kirby losing a life, but 1UPs can also be found in levels. Other hazards, like pits or being crushed, instantly KO Kirby. Invincibility Candy can be found, which stays true to its name and prevents Kirby from taking any damage for a short time. Touching enemies hurts them instead, but instant-death hazards are still effective. Items like Keys and Crackers allow Kirby to pass hazards or attacks enemies without an ability. Levels usually take place in many rooms, and going through Doors allows Kirby to progress. Some doors cannot be reentered after Kirby goes through them the first time. The Warp Star is a large star-shaped item that Kirby can ride to get too far away areas very quickly. In main Kirby games, it steers itself and damages any enemies and breaks through any obstructions in its way. Other objects, such as trolleys and cannons, also serve as a means of transport for Kirby.

List of Kirby games[]

For a text-only reference list of these titles, see List of Kirby games.

Main Series[]

Title Notes Platform Release Date North America Box Art
Kirby's Dream Land N/A Game Boy August 1, 1992 KDL Boxart
Kirby's Adventure Nintendo Entertainment System May 1, 1993 KA Boxart
Kirby's Dream Land 2 Game Boy May 1, 1995 KDL2 Boxart
Kirby Super Star Known as Kirby's Fun Pak in PAL regions

9 Games in 1 Game Pak. The Spring Breeze sub-game is a short remake of Kirby's Dream Land.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System September 20, 1996 KSS Boxart
Kirby's Dream Land 3 N/A Super Nintendo Entertainment System November 27, 1997 KDL3 Boxart
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Nintendo 64 June 26, 2000 K64 Boxart
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror Game Boy Advance October 18, 2004 KatAM Boxart
Kirby: Squeak Squad Known as Kirby Mouse Attack in PAL regions Nintendo DS December 4, 2006 KSqSq Boxart
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Known as Kirby's Adventure Wii in PAL regions Wii October 24, 2011 KRtDL Box art
Kirby: Triple Deluxe N/A Nintendo 3DS May 2, 2014 KTD Box art
Kirby: Planet Robobot Nintendo 3DS June 10, 2016 Planetrobobot
Kirby Star Allies Nintendo Switch March 16, 2018 KSA Boxart
Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch March 25, 2022 KatFL box art

Spin-offs[]

Title Notes Genre Platform Release Date North America Box Art/Logo
Kirby's Pinball Land N/A Pinball Game Boy November 27, 1993 KPL Boxart
Kirby's Dream Course Golf Super Nintendo Entertainment System February 1, 1995 KDC Boxart
Kirby's Avalanche Known as Kirby's Ghost Trap in PAL regions

Not developed or released in Japan.

Puzzle Super Nintendo Entertainment System April 25, 1995 KAv Boxart
Kirby's Block Ball N/A Breakout Game Boy May 4, 1996 KBB Boxart
Kirby's Toy Box Only released in Japan. Various Broadcast Satellaview February 8, 1996 (Japan Only) KTB screen
Kirby's Star Stacker N/A Puzzle Game Boy July 14, 1997 KSSt Boxart
Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble Puzzle Game Boy Color April 9, 2001 KTnT Boxart
Kirby Air Ride Racing Nintendo GameCube October 13, 2003 KAR Boxart
Kirby Slide Puzzle Game Boy Advance e-Reader November-December 2003 KSlide
Kirby: Canvas Curse Known as Kirby: Power Paintbrush in PAL regions Platformer Nintendo DS June 13, 2005 KCC Boxart
Kirby's Epic Yarn N/A Wii October 17, 2010 KEY Boxart
Kirby Mass Attack Nintendo DS September 19, 2011 KMA Box Art
Kirby Fighters Deluxe Considered a stand-alone game based on the Kirby: Triple Deluxe sub-game Kirby Fighters. Fighting Nintendo 3DS eShop August 29, 2014 KFDLogo
Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe Considered a stand-alone game based on the Kirby: Triple Deluxe sub-game Dedede's Drum Dash. Rhythm Nintendo 3DS eShop August 29, 2014 DDDD Logo
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Known as Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush in PAL regions Platformer Wii U February 20, 2015 Kirby Rainbow Curse NA Box
Team Kirby Clash Deluxe Considered a stand-alone game based on the Kirby: Planet Robobot sub-game Team Kirby Clash. Action Role-Playing Nintendo 3DS eShop April 12, 2017 TeamKirbyClashDeluxe Logo
Kirby's Blowout Blast Considered a stand-alone game based on the Kirby: Planet Robobot sub-game Kirby 3D Rumble. Platformer Nintendo 3DS eShop July 6, 2017 BlowoutBlast Logo
Kirby Battle Royale N/A Fighting, Action Nintendo 3DS January 19, 2018 3DS KirbyBattleRoyale pkg png jpgcopy-656x601
Super Kirby Clash Action Role-Playing Nintendo Switch eShop September 4, 2019 93ADEFE4-ECBE-41D4-B200-6795FDD3763E
Kirby Fighters 2 Fighting Nintendo Switch eShop September 23, 2020 KF2 Logo
Kirby's Dream Buffet Action, Racing Nintendo Switch eShop August 17, 2022 KDB Logo US

Reissues[]

Note that this list does not include basic rereleases from the Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online.

Title Type Original game(s) Platform Release Date North America Box Art
Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom) Remake Kirby's Star Stacker Super Famicom November 30, 1997 Japan

September 5, 2023 North America (Nintendo Switch Online)

KSStSt Boxart J
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land Remake Kirby's Adventure Game Boy Advance December 2, 2002 KNiD Boxart
Kirby Super Star Ultra Remake Kirby Super Star Nintendo DS September 22, 2008 KSSU Boxart
3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure Remake Kirby's Adventure Nintendo 3DS November 17, 2011 TM 3DSDS 3DClassicsKirbysAdventure CMM small
Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Compilation Kirby's Dream Land
Kirby's Adventure
Kirby's Dream Land 2
Kirby Super Star
Kirby's Dream Land 3
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Wii September 16, 2012 KDCol US Box art
Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn Enhanced port Kirby's Epic Yarn Nintendo 3DS March 8, 2019 DnAaIvCU8AAHS5f
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe Remake Kirby's Return to Dream Land Nintendo Switch February 24, 2023 KRtDLD Boxart NA

Real World[]

Title Platform Release Date Box Art
Kirby Board Game

The only board game in the series. Only released in North America.

Board game November 2003 KBG 1
Kirby of the Stars: Magical Tower of Medal Land

The first arcade game in the series. Only released in Japan.

Arcade 2007 Medalland
Kirby's Gourmet Race

Only released in Japan.

Arcade 2022 Kirby's Gourmet Race logo jp

Web games[]

Title Release year
Quick Draw (Flash version) 2002
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land Kirby Mini-Game 2002
Kirby Air Ride Jigsaw Puzzle! 2003
Speed Eaters (Flash version) 2004
Speedy Tea Time (Flash version) 2006
Kirby Shuffle Puzzle 1 2008
Kirby Shuffle Puzzle 2 2008
Kirby Star Ride 2008
Waddle Doom 2008
Kirby's Epic Patchifyer 2011
Kirby Smashifyer 2011
Kirby: Triple Deluxe Match-Up 2014
Hypernova Yourself 2014
Kirby's Quick Draw 2015
Kirby: Planet Robobot Jigsaw Jumble 2016
Robobot Yourself 2016
Kirby Star Allies Jigsaw Jumble 2018
Choose your buddy 2018
Kirby of the Stars Photo Frame 2018
Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn Jigsaw Jumble 2019

Canceled titles[]

Title Platform
Kid Kirby SNES/Super Famicom
Kirby Bowl 64 Nintendo 64
Kirby's Air Ride Nintendo 64
Kirby Family Game Boy Color
Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble 2 Nintendo GameCube
Kirby GCN Nintendo GameCube

List of Super Smash Bros. games[]

Kirby characters also appear in Nintendo's fighting game series, Super Smash Bros.

Title Platform Release Date (NA) Box Art
Super Smash Bros. Nintendo 64 April 26, 1999 SSB Boxart
Super Smash Bros. Melee Nintendo GameCube December 3, 2001 SSBM Boxart
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii March 9, 2008 SSBB Boxart
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 3DS October 3, 2014 Boxart-3ds
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Wii U November 21, 2014 Boxart-wiiu
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Switch December 7, 2018 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate US boxart

List of amiibo products[]

Kirby series amiibo

Kirby series amiibo

These are not games but are amiibo figures used to provide extra functionality to compatible Nintendo Switch, 3DS, and Wii U games, including those outside the Kirby series. Common amiibo functionality in the Kirby series includes giving the player items, Copy Abilities, or power-ups.

The first Kirby game to support amiibo functionality was Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.

Title Release Date Compatible Games Image
Kirby (Super Smash Bros. series) amiibo figure November 21, 2014 North America Compatibility chart
Japan Compatibility chart
European Union Compatibility chart
Amiibo KirbyAmiibo Kirby P
King Dedede (Super Smash Bros. series) amiibo figure February 20, 2015 North America Compatibility chart
Japan Compatibility chart
European Union Compatibility chart
Amiibo DededeAmiibo Dedede P
Meta Knight (Super Smash Bros. series) amiibo figure


Released exclusively at Best Buy at launch in the United States. Released exclusively at Best Buy and Future Shop at launch in Canada.

February 20, 2015 North America Compatibility chart
Japan Compatibility chart
European Union Compatibility chart
Amiibo Meta KnightAmiibo Meta Knight P
Kirby (Kirby series) amiibo figure June 10, 2016 [2] North America Compatibility chart
Japan Compatibility chart
European Union Compatibility chart
KirbySeriesKirbyAmiiboKirby Kirby amiibo box
Meta Knight (Kirby series) amiibo figure June 10, 2016 [2] North America Compatibility chart
Japan Compatibility chart
European Union Compatibility chart
KirbySeriesMetaKnightAmiiboKirby Meta Knight amiibo box
King Dedede (Kirby series) amiibo figure June 10, 2016 [2] North America Compatibility chart
Japan Compatibility chart
European Union Compatibility chart
KirbySeriesKingDededeAmiiboKirby Dedede amiibo box
Waddle Dee amiibo figure June 10, 2016[2] North America Compatibility chart
Japan Compatibility chart
European Union Compatibility chart
KirbySeriesWaddleDeeAmiiboKirby Waddle Dee amiibo box

Other media[]

These are not necessarily games but are directly related to Kirby nonetheless.

Music[]

All music releases have only been sold or made officially available in Japan unless otherwise noted.

Soundtracks[]

Compilations[]

Narrations[]

Manga and comics[]

Books[]

Real-World Events[]

Kirby fans gum world record

A photograph of the PAX Prime event

  • On September 1, 2012, Nintendo hosted an event at PAX Prime in Seattle, Washington. To celebrate Kirby's 20th Anniversary, the company wanted to break the Guinness World Record for the most people in a room blowing a chewing gum bubble simultaneously. Altogether, 536 fans showed up to participate, setting the new record.[5]
Kiddyland

Kirby Pupupu Picnic promotional artwork

  • A collaboration between Japanese toy store Kiddyland and Nintendo began on August 22, 2015, using special events and exclusive Kirby-themed products to promote the store. The collaboration incorporates a campaign on social media outlet Twitter, photo opportunities, and original stickers given out to customers making purchases of 1500 yen worth of Kirby merchandise. Participating Kiddyland venues also offered an exclusive line of Kirby-themed merchandise including tote bags, hand towels, clear file posters, 'marshmallow seal' stickers, and plush charms. These goods range in price from 380 to 1000 yen. The "Kirby Pupupu Picnic" event was held at the Kiddyland stores in Harajuku and Umeda from August 22 to September 18, 2015.[6]
Kirby Cafe

Kirby Café promotional artwork

  • On August 5, 2016, a Kirby-themed café chain named Kirby Café opened in Japan. It served food patterned after Kirby series staples, such as Kirby himself, King Dedede, Waddle Dee, Meta Knight, Whispy Woods, Planet Popstar, Maxim Tomatoes, Invincible Candy, and the Star Rod. Additionally, Kirby Café locations contained a shop section that offers Kirby-themed merchandise and the café's very own soundtrack.[7] Though the café was closed later that year, it reopened in 2018.

Trivia[]

  • The first 27 years of the Kirby series took place during the Heisei Era in Japan. The last Kirby game to be released during this period was Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn.
  • The Kirby series has a history of releasing a game as one of the last first-party Nintendo games on a specific platform in the North American market. Kirby's Dream Land 3, released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, released on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, are two examples in which the series claimed the last first-party Nintendo game on their respective consoles.
  • Every five years, a Kirby game based on an art form is released, starting with Kirby: Canvas Curse in 2005, then Kirby's Epic Yarn in 2010, and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse in 2015.
    • However, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn broke this tradition by releasing it in 2019.
    • No art-related game was released in 2020, likely due to the early release of Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn.
  • Excluding console add-ons and systems that predate the series, the only Nintendo system that has not had an exclusive Kirby game is the Virtual Boy.
  • HAL Laboratory's BOXBOY! series was developed by staff members who regularly work on Kirby projects. The series' director is Yasuhiro Mukae, who was previously a designer for Kirby: Triple Deluxe. He considered using Kirby as the main character of BOXBOY!, but abandoned the idea because having Kirby produce boxes for gameplay he thought would look too unusual.[8]
  • The StreetPass Mii Plaza game Puzzle Swap contains many Kirby-themed puzzle panels. These include panels based on Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's 20th Anniversary, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kirby Fighters Deluxe, Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe, and Kirby: Planet Robobot.
Masahiro-sakurai-autograph

The autographed Kirby plate hangs on 84's wall.

Artwork[]

Gallery[]

External links[]

References[]

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