“ | Walky is really just a microphone... that can walk. He's a retro sort of microphone that would look at home in a radio studio. His musical notes are more harmful than tuneful, so be sure to stay out of their way! If you manage to inhale Walky, you'll get the Mike ability, letting you destroy nearby enemies with just the power of your voice.” |
— Trophy description • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U |
Walky is a regular enemy in the Kirby series. He is a living, sentient microphone that can't carry a tune for his life. He is designed to look like a traditional stage microphone. Because he is hinged between his two halves, he is able to fire out amplified sound waves. He commonly attacks by shouting a terrible cacophony as it creates three colorful music notes that can harm Kirby. He is the only regular enemy in the Kirby series that yields the Mike ability when inhaled.
In Games[]
Kirby's Dream Land[]
In Kirby's Dream Land, a predecessor of Walky known as the Mike appears as a useful item. Kirby can inhale or touch it to put it in his mouth. Upon spitting it out, Kirby emits a blast of sound that defeats all enemies on screen. The Microphone is the basis for the Mike ability that would appear in subsequent games.
Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land[]
While Walky doesn't appear in his usual form in either Kirby's Adventure or its remake, Paint Roller draws a microphone that greatly resembles Walky as one of his drawings. He simply walks in Kirby's direction until he walks off-screen. When inhaled, he grants the Mike ability. The Walky-like microphone rarely gets drawn, likely because use of the Mike ability will cause Paint Roller to be defeated much more easily.
Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra[]
Kirby Super Star was first to use a truly-personified microphone for Walky's design (one that wasn't an enchanted drawing). It is also the first game to use Walky's current design and name.
Walky will rarely show up in stages, strolling about. Occasionally, he stops to cry out a terrible tune. This sends forth three bad notes, one straight forth and the others diagonally forward. On rare occasions, Walky will yell out the tune, but will fail to spit out note projectiles, causing him to nervously run back and forth, jumping around. He once again grants the Mike ability when swallowed.
Kirby Air Ride[]
Walky appears as an obstacle in this game. He is seen singing quietly to himself on the track, doing nothing to harm Kirby. When inhaled, he gives the Mike ability just like in the other games. In Top Ride, Walky is used on pickup rather than using suction to get him.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[]
Walky behaves identically to his Kirby Super Star counterpart (except for the aforementioned occasional attack failure). Just like before, Walky will keep to himself and walk around peacefully until approached. He will fire out three multicolored note projectiles when Kirby draws near. Once swallowed, Kirby can acquire the Mike ability from him.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kirby: Planet Robobot[]
Walky behaves much like he did in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. When the room is divided among two planes, two of the enemy's notes travel straight forward while one fires off into the background (or foreground, if Walky is positioned in the background). The enemy can be seen tilting his head back when firing notes, something he hasn't done in any other game.
Kirby Star Allies[]
In Kirby Star Allies, Walky behaves similarly as in previous games. If hit with a friend heart, it will become an ability item instead of a friend.
In Kirby: Right Back at Ya![]
This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. | |
“ | What's this dopey little doohickey do?!” |
— King Dedede • Abusement Park |
Walky appears as a monster sent by Nightmare Enterprises to King Dedede in the episode Abusement Park. The N.M.E. Sales Guy suggests (somewhat jokingly) to hold a Karaoke contest with it, the grand prize being Kirby's favorite food, Watermelons. Kirby would stand on the "stage" (actually the NME Teleporter) and be sent to NME to be destroyed by the overwhelming numbers of monsters there. Engrossed in the idea, King Dedede also invites the rest of Cappy Town to participate, promising the second-place winner millions of Dedede Dollars.
The town is ecstatic and rushes off to compete. After several attempts to get on to the "stage" and sing (his attempts denied by Mayor Len Blustergas, Chef Kawasaki, and Sir Ebrum to name a few) Kirby inhaled Walky and becomes Mike Kirby. Kirby then proceeds to sing badly, and N.M.E. Sales Guy (unaware of Mike Kirby's powers) sends him straight to NME. Kirby's bad singing destroys all the monsters and the N.M.E. Sales Guy is forced to send him back to Dream Land. By the time Kirby finishes singing and forfeits his ability (just like in the games), he has destroyed all of Castle Dedede. In the end, Kirby wants to sing again, but Walky, who apparently survived the inhalation, has had enough and runs away.
Walky has no attack of his own and simply acts like a regular microphone. As the N.M.E. Sales Guy explains to Dedede, Walky is a monster who simply amplifies the voice of the person talking into it.
In the Super Smash Bros. series[]
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Walky appears as an unlockable trophy.
According to Walky's trophy in English versions of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he first appeared in Kirby's Dream Land. However, the Japanese version states that he first appeared in Kirby's Adventure. Additionally, NTSC versions of the trophy state that the debut game was on Game Boy, while the PAL version changes it to NES. This suggests that the Japanese version is correct, and the PAL version misinterpreted the mistake in the English localization.
Related Quotes[]
“ | Let the karaoke contest begin!” |
— King Dedede • Kirby: Right Back at Ya! |
“ | A microphone who trudges along and enjoys himself as he sings. By inhaling Walky, Kirby gains the ability to shout, allowing him to clear all enemies off the screen with a high-volume blast. This is a powerful ability that can only be used up to three times. In Kirby Air Ride, this ability sends every racer within range into a spin.” |
— Trophy description • Super Smash Bros. Brawl |
Etymology[]
Walky is named after the walkie-talkie, alternatively spelled "walky-talky," a type of portable communication device.
Trivia[]
- In the anime, Walky is one of the only monsters sold by Nightmare Enterprises not explicitly sent to attack or harm Kirby.
- Due to their limited-use power, Walkies are one of the few (non-boss) enemies in Kirby Star Allies to grant an ability yet be immune to the Friend Heart's power.
- Even though he yields a limited-use power (that being Cook), Chef Kawasakis can become charmed by the Friend Heart.
- In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the registration booth for the Colosseum in Waddle Dee Town features a small microphone next to the Commentator Waddle Dee that closely resembles the appearance of a Walky.