Kirby (universe)

Kirby (universe)
Developer(s)	HAL Laboratory Compile Banpresto Flagship Dimps Good-Feel
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Masahiro Sakurai
Genre(s)	Platformer
Console/platform of origin	Game Boy
First installment	Kirby's Dream Land (1992)
Latest installment	Kirby Fighters 2 (2020)
Article on Wikirby	Kirby (universe)

The Kirby universe (星のカービィ, Kirby of the Stars) refers to the Super Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from Nintendo's Kirby series of multi-genre video games. It was developed by HAL Laboratory, Inc., the same company that started the Super Smash Bros. series, and it revolves around the titular spherical, pink entity Kirby and his adventures around his home planet, Popstar, among other planets. The series has had many games of several different genres, with side-scrolling platformers being the most prominent.

Franchise description

Masahiro Sakurai, working at HAL Laboratory as a game developer, developed an original side-scrolling platformer for the Game Boy, the working title of which was Twinkle Popopo, that he intended to be a comparatively simple game that could be played by fledgling gamers. During development, the staff had not settled on a final design for the player character "Popopo", and used a placeholder sprite resembling a round blob with a simple face, intending to replace it with a more detailed design later on. However, the designers grew endeared to the placeholder and ended up using that as their design for "Popopo", who was renamed Kirby. With the game's monochrome graphics, there was some initial confusion about Kirby's color scheme. Sakurai had intended him to be pink, which was reflected by the Japanese promotional artwork, but Shigeru Miyamoto initially thought that Kirby was yellow until seeing the color illustrations. The international marketing depicted Kirby as white, similar to the in-game graphics.

The game was retitled Hoshi no Kirby, literally Kirby of the Stars, for its Japanese release, and Kirby's Dream Land for its Western release. It was released in April of 1992 in Japan, and in the West in August 1992; it received modestly positive reviews, with criticism primarily focused on the particularly basic gameplay structure and short game length, but the game was also a very large sales success and gave Nintendo the impetus to allow and encourage HAL Laboratory to develop sequels.

Kirby's Dream Land introduced several trademark elements of Kirby's ability, including his ability to inflate his spherical body to fly upwards, the ability to inhale enemies into his mouth, and being able to effectively erase enemies out of existence within his own tiny body by swallowing. But the first Kirby sequel Sakurai developed, Kirby's Adventure for the NES, added a much more expansive variety and depth to the basic formula and design; in addition to giving Kirby more fluid movements such as dashing and sliding, it added a new dimension to the swallowing mechanic where Kirby would gain one of many available new powers and attack sets depending on the enemy swallowed, and Kirby could discard this "Copy Ability" to adopt something else.

Adventure was released to widespread critical acclaim in early 1993⁠—nearly two years after the next-generation Super Nintendo launched⁠—and is regarded as one of the most successful late-generation NES games. With a 6-megabit cartridge data capacity fueling highly advanced graphics and presentation, it is one of the largest games ever released for the NES; to put this into perspective, the original Mega Man for the NES famously occupies one megabit, or one-eighth of a megabyte.

Kirby was established as one of Nintendo's long-running, recurring franchises, and became more-or-less one of HAL Laboratory's signature properties, with new releases coming out at a relatively regular rate and, other than the Virtual Boy, covering every Nintendo console and handheld since its debut. Kirby games have made occasional forays into certain other genres besides 2D platformers, and while almost none of the Kirby follow-ups were as noteworthy-for-their-time as the first two games, most games in the series receive positive reception and achieve high sales. Like with other Nintendo franchises that had found mainstream success at the time, Kirby and his series were among the initial wave of franchises featured from the beginning of Sakurai's other popular series, the Super Smash Bros. series of Nintendo-centered crossover fighting games.

Sakurai expressed that for the original game and Melee, he aimed for a humble approach to representing his own franchise in relation to other universes in his fighting game, and cut out Kirby side-characters in favor of more-famous secondary characters representing other franchises. But starting with Brawl, Sakurai allowed more liberal representation of the Kirby series in the collective Smash Bros. roster, primarily with the additions of Kirby's rivals/allies King Dedede and Meta Knight.

In any given Kirby game that adheres to a traditional side-scrolling structure, Kirby is controlled by the player through levels that are less about reflex-demanding obstacles and linear point-A-to-point-B stage layout and more about using a variety of copied powers to defeat enemies without incurring damage. Following Kirby's Adventure, however, every "main" game features some kind of twist that governs the overall gameplay. Early examples include Kirby riding one of his Animal Friends in Kirby's Dream Land 2 and getting his current copy power modified by the animal being ridden; Kirby Super Star being presented as a "compilation package" where several level sets are presented as their own short "games" with their own rules and mechanics; and Kirby being able to combine any two basic enemy copy abilities into one of several dozen advanced powers in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.

The most recent mainline Kirby game is Kirby Star Allies, released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. The series places a general emphasis on being comparatively easy and accessible to less experienced gamers, while also allowing content that appeals to advanced gamers, typically as part of the postgame and the lore of the series.

The Kirby universe is set in a galaxy populated by highly abstract, colorful planets and lifeforms with a very simple and basic design aesthetic, and Kirby himself, an 8-inch-tall lifeform with almost no demonstrable speaking capacity, lives on Popstar, a planet structured like a glowing yellow five-pointed star. "Dream Land" itself is a kingdom on Popstar. Each game is typically a self-contained adventure with little carry-over between installments, not unlike the Super Mario series, though in comparison each Kirby game's narrative tends to be a little more involved.

The recurring setup initially appears to be parallel to the Mario/Bowser relationship, where Kirby has to go out on a quest to put a mischievous, troublemaking, self-styled "king" of Dream Land, Dedede, back in his place. (An alternate-universe Kirby anime series that ran for 100 episodes adheres to this pattern fairly strictly.) However, Dedede is not necessarily the main villain of most games. Kirby is usually pitted against some kind of greater threat to Popstar or the galaxy, revealed either from the outset or over the course of the game. In addition to Dedede, another recurring character Kirby encounters is Meta Knight, who similarly shifts between ally and antagonist. Kirby's adventures regularly take him through not just Dream Land and Popstar itself, but other planets as well.

Additionally, details scattered throughout each entry in the series establish a consistent setting and connection between games; for example, the recurring presence of the corruptive Dark Matter, or the existence of a parallel Mirror World to Dream Land that includes its own counterparts to the land's traditional inhabitants. Because of this, a highly intricate backstory is present in the overall Kirby universe that, while superseded by the main plot of each game, creates ongoing themes that influence the overarching universe of the series.

In Super Smash Bros.

With ten games in the Kirby franchise being released worldwide before Smash 64, this game chooses to focus on the three games directed by the creator Masahiro Sakurai, being Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's Adventure, and Kirby Super Star. The Kirby franchise is represented as one of several "standard universes" found in Smash 64, with one character, one stage, and two items.

Fighter

• 
  Kirby: Kirby is a small, pink, spherical creature with a positive disposition and several abilities and powers that are almost magical in nature. In his series, he is the main protagonist, often portrayed with a cheerful, child-like personality. He is canonically about eight inches in height; his size is greatly increased for his appearance in Smash 64. In most of his games, Kirby can also Hover indefinitely; but for his appearance in Smash, Kirby can jump up to five times in midair. Kirby's neutral special move is Inhale, his trademark ability since Kirby's Dream Land. Kirby swallows an opponent, and can either copy and use their special move, or spit them out as a star. His up special move is Final Cutter, a move from the Cutter copy ability from Kirby Super Star where Kirby swoops up and down while attacking with a blade. His down special move is the Stone ability from Kirby's Adventure, transforming Kirby into heavy objects and making him invulnerable for a brief period.

Stage

• 
  Dream Land: This stage is a small area of colorful grassland based on the generic look for many grass levels in the Kirby franchise. The stage has a very basic layout; three static, floating soft platforms above the main solid platform. In the background of the stage resides Whispy Woods, a recurring boss who first appeared in Kirby's Dream Land. Whispy Woods slowly blows fighters off to one side of the stage from time to time. Bronto Burts and King Dedede can also be seen flying in the far background as cameo appearances.

Items

• Maxim Tomato: A red tomato with a capital M on it is an item Kirby often collects to replenish all depleted health in the Kirby franchise since Kirby's Dream Land. In Smash Bros., the Maxim Tomato, perhaps contrary to its name, restores the health of the character who picks it up by 100 % rather than restoring all accumulated damage. It is still a powerful healing item, however.
• Star Rod: A powerful artifact that acts as the central plot element in Kirby's Adventure. When inserted into the Fountain of Dreams, it ensures peace and good dreams for Dream Land, and Kirby must use it in combat during the final battle. In Smash Bros., the Star Rod can be used as a bludgeoning weapon, and can also launch a star as a projectile when swung with force.

Music

• 10 (Pupupu Land): A fast-paced remix of the music featured in Gourmet Race from Kirby Super Star. It is heard on the stage Dream Land.

• 20: The victory fanfare of Dream Land in an orchestration of the shortened "Stage Complete" theme heard in Kirby games when a level is completed.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

While Super Smash Bros. Melee features much more content than the original game, Kirby remains the sole fighter from the franchise. New content includes two new stages with a third returning from Super Smash Bros., two new items, two returning items, and a set of Trophies.

Fighter

• 
  Kirby: Kirby is still the only playable Kirby series character. Kirby returns swinging a hammer (based on the Hammer ability he can obtain in various Kirby games from the simian miniboss Bonkers) as his new side special move, and the move works differently depending on whether it is used in the air or on the ground.

Stages

Super Smash Bros. Melee features three Kirby-themed stages:

• 
  Dream Land: Green Greens: This stage is thematically similar to the Dream Land stage, with Whispy Woods blowing toward either end of the stage, but the layout is rather different, consisting of the ground being divided up into three platforms by two sets of building blocks that fall from the sky to build up walls that can be broken. Some of these boxes are explosive in nature, denoted by the bombs on their sides.
• 
  Dream Land: Fountain of Dreams: A stage with a layout similar to Battlefield, this is the Fountain of Dreams that safeguards the Dream Land galaxy so long as the Star Rod is inserted into the fountain's shaft. The dreamy music heard here was reused in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, when Kirby battles King Dedede at this location.
• 
  Past Stages: Dream Land 64: This is the original Dream Land stage from Super Smash Bros., returning in Melee completely unaltered.

Kirby is the only universe in Melee to have three stages and yet not be related to the Mario series (which itself has four stages from the main series, while the Donkey Kong and Yoshi universes, while each having three stages, are considered sub-universes of Mario).

The All-Star Teleporter also borrows many elements from the Kirby series, such as the music, but is still a part of the Smash Bros. universe.

Items

Bold italics denote an item new to the Smash Bros. series.
The Kirby universe features four separate items that can be used in battle in Melee:

• Maxim Tomato: Returns from Super Smash Bros. unchanged in function, but its healing power has been nerfed down to only 50% damage.
• Star Rod: Returns from Super Smash Bros. essentially unaltered.
• Warp Star: A new item which is essentially Kirby's mode of long-distance transportation in his games. This is one of the most destructive items in Melee; when picked up, the character will ride and hover on it for a moment, launch straight up, and crash back down with lightning speed and explosive force, dealing major damage and knockback to opponents in the area of the landing zone. Warp Stars in flight can be steered either left or right to a limited degree before crashing down.
• Parasol: A new item which often manifests as a copyable power for Kirby in his games, allowing him to attack enemies and also float down to earth slowly. In Melee, this can be used as a bludgeoning weapon, but this item's peculiar nature is revealed when the character holding it jumps up and falls down; the parasol opens up and the character floats down to earth slowly, like Peach's up special move move, though the Parasol doesn't damage while opened.

Music

• 11: Fountain of Dreams: An orchestrated version of the music heard in the Gourmet Race sub-game from Kirby Super Star. This music was later reused during the boss fight against King Dedede at the Fountain of Dreams in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land.
• 12: Green Greens: An orchestration of Green Greens's music from Kirby's Dream Land, heard on Green Greens.
• 29: Dream Land N64: The music for the Dream Land stage in Super Smash Bros., which is also a re-recording of the music heard in the Gourmet Race sub-game from Kirby Super Star, is brought back unaltered along with the stage itself as Past Stages: Dream Land.
• 43: Kirby's Victory: The victory fanfare of Kirby is an orchestration of the shortened "Stage Complete" theme heard in Kirby games.
• 60: All-Star Intro: A remix of the music that plays in the Save Cottages during The Great Cave Offensive from Kirby Super Star. It is heard at the All-Star Teleporter.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, even more Kirby content was added, including the addition of two more fighters from the series.

Fighters

On the final character select screen (after all characters are unlocked), the Kirby characters, joined by Olimar, occupy the fifth column. These characters have Gourmet Race playing when their dark forms are fought in The Great Maze, and they also come from other planets.

• 
  Kirby: The pink puff reappears and reprise his role and traits from Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee as a small character who can float in the air with a long series of multiple jumps, with his Final Cutter and Hammer intact. Kirby has a new dash attack; it is based on his Yo-Yo Copy Ability from Kirby Super Star. Like other returning characters, Kirby is given a Final Smash attack called Cook Kirby, which consists of dunking his opponent into a boiling pot, and then spitting them out. When they come out of the pot, random items appear.
• 
  Meta Knight: A sensational new character addition, Meta Knight is a masked-swordsman character ostensibly of the same species as Kirby, but with a dark blue body, thumbs, and white facial features that can be seen whenever he takes his mask off. Meta Knight's roles in his various appearances in the Kirby games and the anime have ranged from ally to villain. In his appearance in Brawl, his cape transforms into wings which he uses to float in midair, much like Kirby and Jigglypuff, and he demonstrates the new gliding ability. Meta Knight is particularly infamous in Brawl for being considered "broken," being undoubtedly the best character in the game.
• 
  King Dedede: The first main foe Kirby ever faced, King Dedede had appeared in all but one game in the series since Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy (that being Kirby & The Amazing Mirror) as of Brawl's release. In his fighter debut, he is a super heavyweight akin to Bowser and Donkey Kong. He brings several qualities he had in the Kirby platforming games with him, such as his Super Dedede Jump, and some of his various servants in the form of the Waddle Dee Toss. He also brings his hammer with him and uses it in regular combat, but it has also been upgraded to have machine-like qualities, as evidenced by the Jet Hammer move. He can Inhale just like Kirby, but can't copy enemies' abilities. His grab game, in particular, is fast and powerful, and his recovery is decent.

Stages

• 
  Halberd: The Halberd has been seen in several incarnations throughout the Kirby franchise; in Smash, it is based on the Revenge of Meta Knight portion of Kirby Super Star. The stage starts off in a hangar located on the high seas, which opens up not long afterwards. The Halberd takes off into the air along with the platform the players fight upon, and the Halberd flies around the backdrop of the now-floating stage. During the fight, the platform will land on the ship itself, which draws heavy fire from nearby cannons.
• 
  Melee Stages: Green Greens: A returning stage from Melee. The bombs now have more knockback.

Items

Bold italics denote an item new to the Smash Bros. series.

• Maxim Tomato: A returning item which still recovers 50% of damage.
• Star Rod: A returning item which function is relatively unchanged.
• Warp Star: A returning item which does the same thing it did in Melee.
• Superspicy Curry: An item that made its first (and until Brawl, only) appearance in Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy, which temporarily gave Kirby the ability to spew fire. It has a similar function in Brawl, igniting the user in flames and allowing them to cause fire damage to anyone they touch.
• Dragoon: The legendary air machine from Kirby Air Ride that makes its first Smash appearance in Brawl, Dragoon is actually three separate items that one must obtain in order to use its power. When all three pieces are obtained, the user that obtains them can ride the machine and attack opponents by locking on - the knockback from the Dragoon is so great that it is almost always a one-hit KO.

Assist Trophy

• Knuckle Joe: Hailing from Kirby Super Star, and also a minor character in the Kirby anime, Knuckle Joe makes an appearance as an Assist Trophy in Brawl. When summoned, he hits the nearest opponent with a barrage of attacks, then randomly ends the attack with one of two finishing moves. These two moves are either Smash Punch, which sends the opponent flying to the side, or Rising Break, which sends the opponent upward.

Music

See List of SSBB Music (Kirby series).

• Meta Knight's Revenge: A jazz remix/medley of the different music tracks from the "Revenge of Meta Knight" sub-game of Kirby Super Star. It is the theme of the Halberd stage. This song is also played during Meta Knight's Classic Mode credits.
• Legendary Air Ride Machine: A redone version of the theme played in Kirby Air Ride when one has successfully completed either the Dragoon or Hydra. It is used on the Halberd stage.
• Gourmet Race: This is a heavy metal remix of the song played in the first and third rounds of the Gourmet Race sub-game from Kirby Super Star, with a few parts of the theme being the second round theme. The theme has been featured in most Kirby games since Kirby Super Star, as well as in both previous Super Smash Bros. games. It is used on the Halberd stage.
• Butter Building: A techno-styled medley of various Kirby themes, including the Butter Building level theme from Kirby's Adventure and the Kirby's Dream Land theme. It is used on the Halberd stage. This song is also played during Kirby's Classic Mode credits.
• King Dedede's Theme: A song featured in most Kirby games when Kirby battles King Dedede, including the series' first game, Kirby's Dream Land. This song is completely redone. It is used on the Halberd stage. This song is also played during King Dedede's Classic Mode credits.
• Squeak Squad Theme: A remix from the Nintendo DS title Kirby: Squeak Squad, this was the song used when battling the members of the Squeak Squad. It is used on the Halberd stage.
• Vs. Marx: An epic-sounding remix of both the Vs. Marx theme from the Milky Way Wishes sub-game of Kirby Super Star as well as the song played during the scene right after defeating Marx. It is used on the Halberd stage.
• 0² Battle: A complete remix of the final boss theme from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It is used on the Halberd stage.
• Boss Theme Medley: Featuring many songs from the entire series, this is a medley of many different boss battle themes from across the Kirby series. It is used on the Halberd stage.
• Checker Knights: Taken directly from Kirby Air Ride, this was the song played on the Checker Knights racetrack, as well during various minigames. It is used on the Halberd stage.
• Forest/Nature Area: Taken directly from the Game Boy Advance game Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, this was the song for the forest areas of Rainbow Route. It is used on the Halberd stage.
• Frozen Hillside: Another song taken directly from Kirby Air Ride, this was the music track played on the Frozen Hillside racetrack. It is used on the Halberd stage.
• Green Greens (Melee): Taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Green Greens stage.
• Fountain of Dreams: Taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Green Greens stage.
• Kirby and King Dedede's victory theme: A whimsical orchestration of the shortened "Stage Complete" theme heard in general Kirby games.
• Meta Knight's victory theme: A "rock remix" of Kirby's victory theme.

Masterpiece

• Kirby's Adventure

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Fighters

All veterans of the Kirby series have returned for Super Smash Bros. 4.

• 
  Kirby: Kirby returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. He now appears to be a bit brighter than the previous games. In addition, he returns with a new Final Smash, Ultra Sword.
• 
  Meta Knight: Meta Knight returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. The universal removal of gliding has nerfed his recovery, but to compensate, his Shuttle Loop is now a more powerful attack. He now has armored gauntlets over his gloves.
• 
  King Dedede: King Dedede returns in Super Smash Bros. 4 as a playable character. He now has a more cartoonish look and his side special has been modified to consistently throw out Gordos. As with Kirby, he has a new Final Smash, Dedede Burst.

Stages

• 
  Dream Land (64) (DLC): A floating Battlefield-like arena staged in Green Greens from Kirby's Dream Land. The tree Whispy Woods is centered in the background of the main platform and periodically blows powerful winds from his mouth, pushing fighters towards the stage's bottomless pits. King Dedede and Bronto Burts fly far out in the distance, though Dedede is absent if involved in the match. This stage is large enough to accommodate 8-Player Smash and is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 4 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight. Its Ω form is a floating platform like Final Destination. Dream Land was released as downloadable content on June 14, 2015 for both the 3DS and Wii U versions. It is one of four stages from the original Super Smash Bros. to be in SSB4, with the other three being Kongo Jungle, Peach's Castle, and Hyrule Castle.

for Nintendo 3DS

• 
  Dream Land (Unlockable): Staged within a Game Boy containing Kirby's Dream Land, the aptly-named Dream Land is a transforming and transitionary stage that cycles through various locations faithfully recreated for Smash Bros., including the original Green Greens, Float Islands, Bubbly Clouds, Castle Lololo, and Mt. Dedede. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 4 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight. Its Ω form is columnar. This stage was originally going to be based on Super Mario Land.

for Wii U

• 
  The Great Cave Offensive (Starter): An expansive labyrinth based on the eponymous sub-game from Kirby Super Star. It is an elaborate stage and the second largest in the game. It contains rideable minecarts, rotating cannons, and magma-covered walls called Danger Zones capable of KOing opponents at high damage percentage. This stage is large enough to accommodate 8-Player Smash. Its Ω form is staged on a Final Destination-like platform. This stage was originally going to be based on Kirby's Epic Yarn.

• 
  Halberd (Starter): Staged on the main deck of Meta Knight's flying fortress from "Meta Knight’s Revenge", one of the sub-games from Kirby Super Star. The stage is somewhat transitionary: it begins on a flying platform that flies from the Halberd's launch bay before landing on its deck. During a match, the ship fires powerful projectiles and uses its protractible arm to attack fighters. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 4 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight. Only its Ω form can accommodate 8-Player Smash, which is a Final Destination-like platform.

Items

• Maxim Tomato (healing): A red fruit from Kirby's Dream Land that recovers 50% damage when consumed.
• Star Rod (battering/shooting): A magic wand from Kirby's Adventure. It can be used to bludgeon nearby opponents. A fully-charged swing of the Star Rod expels a projectile star.
• Warp Star (special): A rideable shooting star from Kirby's Dream Land. The user soars skyward and slams back down, colliding with the highest platform in its downward trajectory.
• Superspicy Curry (status/shooting): A spicy food item from Kirby's Dream Land that sets the user's mouth ablaze. The fire expelled from their mouth causes damage to opponents.
• Dragoon (combining): The legendary air machine from Kirby Air Ride. Like the Daybreak, it is composed of three different pieces that must be collected to use. Assembling all three pieces forces the collector onto the Dragoon's back, lock-on, and fly into opponents. The knockback from the impact is so great that it is almost always a one-hit KO.

Assist Trophies

Bold italics denote an Assist Trophy new to the Smash Bros. series.

• Knuckle Joe: A martial artist from Kirby Super Star. He hopes after opponents and bombards them with a flurry of Vulcan Jabs before finishing them off with a Rising Break uppercut. Knuckle Joe does not attack the summoner. He also appears as an enemy in Smash Run.
• Nightmare: The dark, cloaked antagonist of Kirby's Adventure and a mutual adversary of Kirby and King Dedede. He travels to the background of the stage and cloaks the field in darkness for a brief period of time, similar to Togepi, forcing all combatants to fight blindly. The darkness affects all players, including the summoner.

Enemies

Enemies that appear in both Smash Run in the 3DS version and Smash Tour in the Wii U version.

• Tac: A feline burglar from Kirby Super Star. In Smash Run, it steals stat boosts from opponents. In Smash Tour, Tac's sack is filled with stat boosts. Players that catch up with it are rewarded with its loot.

Smash Run enemies

Enemies exclusive to the 3DS version. They appear in Smash Run.

• Waddle Dee: A docile, orange creature from Kirby's Dream Land. It idly walks around and hops into opponents. Waddle Dees only appear when Parasol Waddle Dees are struck, causing their parasols to fall out of their hands.
• Bronto Burt: An insectile, pink creature from Kirby's Dream Land that flies up-and-down. Contact causes damage, and it occasionally spins into opponents.
• Shotzo: A stationary mini-cannon from Kirby's Dream Land that fires round bullets. Unlike Bill Blasters, it is an indestructible obstacle.
• Gordo: A metallic, spiked sphere from Kirby's Dream Land. It is an indestructible obstacle that either remains stationary or moves along a fixed path. It is also part of King Dedede's side special, Gordo Toss.
• Waddle Doo: An orange cyclops from Kirby's Dream Land that shoots beams from its eye. It is related to Waddle Dee.
• Parasol Waddle Dee: A parasol-wielding Waddle Dee from Kirby's Dream Land. It daintily descends from platform to platform and attacks opponents with its parasol.
• Bonkers: A purple ape from Kirby's Adventure that attacks opponents with an enormous mallet. It is one of the strongest enemies in Smash Run and does not flinch from most attacks.
• Plasma Wisp: Living plasma from Kirby Super Star that shoots beams and projectiles of plasma from its gloved hands.

Mii Costume

• Meta Knight Mask

Music

Original tracks

Arrangements and remixes unique to SSB4.

• Green Greens Ver. 2: An arrangement of "Green Greens" from Kirby's Dream Land. It plays on Dream Land (3DS) and The Great Cave Offensive.
• King Dedede's Theme Ver. 2: A shamisen-based arrangement of "King Dedede's Theme" from Kirby Super Star, which itself is a rendition of "Mt. Dedede" from Kirby's Dream Land. It plays in The Great Cave Offensive.
• Ice Cream Island (DLC): A medley of pieces from Kirby's Adventure. While it most prominently contains "Ice Cream Island", it also transitions into "Boss" and "Stage Complete". It plays on Dream Land (64).
• Butter Building Ver. 2: A remix of "Butter Building" from Kirby's Adventure. It plays in The Great Cave Offensive.
• The Great Cave Offensive: A medley of pieces associated with "The Great Cave Offensive", one of the sub-games in Kirby Super Star. It includes "Crystal Field and Mystery Paradise" and "Trees in the Depths of Earth". It plays in The Great Cave Offensive.
• Forest/Nature Area: An orchestral remix of "Forest / Nature Area" from Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.

Returning tracks

Arrangements and remixes from previous Smash Bros. titles.

• Dream Land (DLC): A remix of "Gourmet Race" from Kirby Super Star. It plays on Dream Land (64).
• Green Greens (Melee): An arrangement of "Green Greens" from Kirby's Dream Land. It plays in The Great Cave Offensive.
• Fountain of Dreams (DLC): An orchestral arrangement of "Gourmet Race" from Kirby Super Star. It plays on Dream Land (64).
• King Dedede's Theme: An arrangement of "King Dedede's Theme" from Kirby Super Star, which itself is a rendition of "Mt. Dedede" from Kirby's Dream Land. It plays on Halberd.
• Meta Knight's Revenge: A medley of pieces associated with "Meta Knight's Revenge", one of the sub-games in Kirby Super Star. It includes arrangements of "The Battleship Halberd: On Deck" and "The Battleship Halberd: Interior". It plays on Halberd.
• Gourmet Race: A guitar-heavy remix of "Gourmet Race" from Kirby Super Star. It plays on Halberd.
• Butter Building: An arrangement of "Butter Building" from Kirby's Adventure and "Title" from Kirby's Dream Land. It plays on Halberd.
• Vs. Marx: An arrangement of "Vs. Marx" from Kirby Super Star. It plays on Halberd.
• 0² Battle: An arrangement of "0² Battle" from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It plays on Halberd.
• The Legendary Air Ride Machine: A remix of "The Legendary Air Ride Machine" from Kirby Air Ride. It is a playable option in Smash Run and plays on Halberd.
• Squeak Squad Theme: An arrangement of "Here Come the Squeaks!" from Kirby Squeak Squad. It plays in The Great Cave Offensive.
• Boss Theme Medley: A medley of boss themes from multiple Kirby titles. It includes "Boss" from Kirby's Adventure, "Boss" from Kirby's Dream Land 2, "Boss Battle" from Kirby Super Star, "Boss" from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, "The Arena" from Kirby's Adventure, and "Boss Battle" from Kirby Squeak Squad.

Source tracks

Compositions and arrangements directly sourced from the Kirby series with no alterations.

• Green Greens: From Kirby's Dream Land. It plays on Dream Land (3DS).
• Float Islands: From Kirby's Dream Land. It plays on Dream Land (3DS).
• Bubbly Clouds: From Kirby's Dream Land. It plays on Dream Land (3DS).
• Castle Lololo: From Kirby's Dream Land. It plays on Dream Land (3DS).
• Mt. Dedede: From Kirby's Dream Land. It plays on Dream Land (3DS).
• Planet Popstar (DLC): From Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It plays on Dream Land (64).
• Forest Stage (DLC): Though sourced from Kirby Air Ride, the piece itself is a remix of "Forest Area" from Kirby's Adventure. It plays on Dream Land (64).
• Celestial Valley: From Kirby Air Ride. It plays in The Great Cave Offensive.
• Frozen Hillside: From Kirby Air Ride. It plays in The Great Cave Offensive.
• The Adventure Begins: From Kirby's Return to Dream Land. It plays in The Great Cave Offensive.
• Through the Forest: From Kirby's Return to Dream Land. It plays in The Great Cave Offensive.
• Floral Fields: From Kirby: Triple Deluxe, which is taken directly from that game. It plays on The Great Cave Offensive.
• The World to Win (DLC): From Kirby: Triple Deluxe. It plays on Dream Land (64).

Victory fanfares

• Victory! Kirby Series: A whimsical orchestration of "Stage Complete" from Kirby's Dream Land.
• Victory! Meta Knight: An arrangement of "Stage Complete" from Kirby's Dream Land on electric guitar.

Other

"Opening" from Kirby Air Ride was used in "Comet Observatory", the reveal trailer for Rosalina & Luma. It does not appear in the final games.

Masterpieces

• Kirby's Dream Land
• Kirby's Adventure
• Kirby Super Star

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Kirby universe returns in Ultimate with every character and stage from previous entries returning. Additionally, a new Assist Trophy, item, and boss are featured. Modern Kirby games receive greater representation as well, through spirits and tracks sourced directly from them.

Fighters

• 06.
  
  Kirby: Kirby returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a starter character, being one of the "original 8". While he appears mostly unchanged from Smash 4, his dash attack was reverted back to its iteration from Melee, and his colors are more subdued. Kirby is the starter character in Ultimate's story mode, World of Light, being the only fighter who survived Galeem's attack.
• 27.
  
  Meta Knight: Meta Knight returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as an unlockable fighter for the first time. His design was tweaked to look more detailed, and he has a new Final Smash, Darkness Illusion.
• 39.
  
  King Dedede: King Dedede returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as an unlockable fighter for the first time in the series. He appears even more cartoonish, and his biggest changes are the ability to Inhale projectiles and his new cinematic Final Smash, Dede-Rush.

Boss

• 
  Marx: Marx from Kirby Super Star makes his debut in the series as a boss in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He appears at the end of Kirby's, Rosalina & Luma's, and Inkling's Classic Mode run, as well as being the boss of the Mysterious Dimension in World of Light. His appearance and attacks are similar to his fight in Kirby Super Star.

Stages

All Kirby stages from previous games returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and are unlocked from the start, like the rest of the stages. Ultimate is the first game to not introduce a new Kirby stage.

• 
  
  Dream Land: After returning as a DLC stage in SSB4, this classic stage reappears as a retro stage. Like the rest of the SSB stages, the stage looks and functions the same as in SSB.
• 
  
  Green Greens: A stage based on Green Greens, the first world from Kirby's Dream Land, first appearing in Melee. It returns with visual upgrades after being absent from SSB4.
• 
  
  Fountain of Dreams: The beloved and iconic stage from Melee, based off of the location with the same name from Kirby's Adventure. It returns in Ultimate after being absent from the Smash series for 17 years. While functioning the same as in Melee, the stage was rebuilt in HD quality, receiving major upgrades such as higher quality water.
• 
  
  Halberd: The stage from Brawl, based on Meta Knight's battleship of the same name from Kirby Super Star, the Halberd returns as a retro stage, functioning identically to previous games.
• 
  
  Dream Land GB: The scrolling stage based on Kirby's Dream Land returns from Smash for 3DS. The stage happens inside of a Game Boy and covers the various areas of the game.
• 
  
  The Great Cave Offensive: This stage returns from Smash for Wii U. It is based on The Great Cave Offensive from Kirby Super Star.

Items

Bold italics denote an item or Assist Trophy new to the Smash Bros. series.

• Maxim Tomato (recovery): The red fruit from Kirby's Dream Land returns in Ultimate with the same functionality as before, healing damage to injured fighters.
• Star Rod (battering/shooting): The magic wand from Kirby's Adventure returns and retains the same functionality as before. It can be used to bludgeon nearby opponents. A fully-charged swing of the Star Rod expels a projectile star.
• Warp Star (special): The rideable shooting star from Kirby's Dream Land returns in Ultimate with the same usage as before. The user soars skyward and slams back down, colliding with the highest platform in its downward trajectory.
• Superspicy Curry (status/shooting): The spicy food item from Kirby's Dream Land returns once again. When eaten, the user will uncontrollably shoot fire out of its mouth for a period of time.
• Dragoon (combining): The legendary air machine from Kirby Air Ride appears one again. Like in the previous game, it is composed of three different pieces that must be collected to use. Assembling all three pieces rides the user onto the Dragoon's back, lock-on, and fly into opponents. The knockback from the impact is so great that it is almost always a one-hit KO.
• Bomber (special): An enemy from Kirby's Adventure. When held for a short period of time, it creates a huge explosion that hits everyone in sight, much like the Crash ability, the copy ability given by Bomber when inhaled in the Kirby series.

Assist Trophies

All past Assist Trophies return.

• Knuckle Joe: The recurring martial artist from the Kirby series returns once again as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate. When summoned, Knuckle Joe will lock on to an opponent and bombards them with a flurry of Vulcan Jabs before finishing them off with a Rising Break uppercut.
• Nightmare: The wizard antagonist of Kirby's Adventure reappears in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy. When summoned, Nightmare will fade into the background and darken the stage, forcing all fighters to fight blind, including the summoner.
• Chef Kawasaki: The chef from Kirby Super Star make his Assist Trophy debut in Ultimate, functioning much like Kirby's Brawl Final Smash. He uses his ladle to grab faraway opponents and put them into a giant boiling pot, which launches them away and creates food.

Mii Costumes

• Meta Knight Mask
• Marx's Hat

Music

Original tracks

Arrangements and remixes unique to Ultimate.

• "Staff Credits - Kirby's Dream Land": A new pop-based remix of the credits themes from Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby Super Star. The Sparkling Star, 1-Up, and Warp Star sound effects are also incorporated into the mix.
• "City Trial": A new arrangement of the theme played on the City Trial mode from Kirby Air Ride.

Returning tracks

Arrangements and remixes from previous Smash titles.

• "Gourmet Race (64)": An arrangement of the music played in the Gourmet Race sub-game from Kirby Super Star. Returns from Smash 64.
• "Green Greens (Melee)": An arrangement of the music that plays in the first stage of Kirby's Dream Land, Green Greens. It is heard in Kirby's character trailer.
• "Gourmet Race (Melee)": An orchestral arrangement of the music played in the Gourmet Race sub-game from Kirby Super Star. Returns from Melee.
• "King Dedede's Theme (Brawl)": An arrangement of King Dedede's battle theme, a recurring theme in the Kirby series. Returns from Brawl.
• "Boss Theme Medley - Kirby Series": A medley of the boss themes from various Kirby games, including the standard battle theme and "The Arena" theme from Kirby's Adventure, the boss theme from Kirby's Dreamland 2, the boss theme from Kirby Super Star, the mini-boss theme from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, and the boss theme from Kirby Squeak Squad. Returns from Brawl.
• "Butter Building (Brawl)": An arrangement of the music played in the Butter Building stages in Kirby's Adventure, which also contains the title theme from Kirby's Dream Land. Returns from Brawl.
• "Gourmet Race (Brawl)": A heavy-metal remix of the songs that play in the Gourmet Race sub-game from Kirby Super Star. Returns from Brawl.
• "Meta Knight's Revenge": A jazz-based arrangement of of various themes various themes played in Kirby Super Star's "Revenge of Meta Knight" sub-game. Return from Brawl.
• "Vs. Marx": Marx's battle theme from Kirby Super Star. Returns from Brawl.
• "02 Battle": An arrangement of 0²'s battle theme from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. Returns from Brawl.
• "The Legendary Air Ride Machine": An arrangement of the music that plays while riding on the Dragoon or the Hydra in Kirby Air Ride. Returns from Brawl.
• "Squeak Squad Theme": An arrangement of the theme of the Squeaks from Kirby Squeak Squad. Returns from Brawl.
• "Green Greens (for 3DS / Wii U)": Another arrangement of Green Greens's music from Kirby's Dream Land.
• "Ice Cream Island": A medley of various songs from Kirby's Adventure, including the theme of Ice Cream Island, the boss theme, the Sparkling Star theme, and the Kirby dance theme. Returns from Smash 4.
• "King Dedede's Theme (for 3DS / Wii U)": A Feudal Japan-themed arrangement of King Dedede's recurring theme. Returns from Smash for Wii U.
• "Butter Building (for 3DS / WiiU)": Another arrangement of the music that plays in the Butter Building levels from Kirby's Adventure. Returns from Smash for Wii U.
• "The Great Cave Offensive": A medley of various themes that play in "The Great Cave Offensive" sub-game from Kirby Super Star, including "Crystal Field and Mystery Paradise" and "Trees in the Depths of the Earth". Returns from "Smash for Wii U.
• "Forest/Nature Area": An orchestral remix of the music that plays in forest areas in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, with an intro based on the City theme from Kirby Air Ride, then "Forest/Nature Area" plays, changing to "Flame/Lava". Returns from Smash for Wii U.

Source tracks

Compositions and arrangements directly sourced from the Kirby series with no alterations.

• "Kirby Retro Medley": A medley of various level songs sourced directly from Kirby's Dream Land, consisting of Green Greens, Castle Lololo, Float Islands, Bubbly Clouds, and Mt. Dedede.
• "Planet Popstar": "The music for the first stage of the first level in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Pop Star. Ripped directly from that game.
• Forest Stage: Ripped directly from Kirby Air Ride where it is an alternate track for the Celestial Valley race course. This music is a remix of the one that plays in the forest areas in Kirby's Adventure.
• "Celestial Valley": The music for the Celestial Valley race course from Kirby Air Ride. Ripped directly from that game.
• "Frozen Hillside": The music for the Frozen Hillside race course from Kirby Air Ride. Ripped directly from that game.
• "The Adventure Begins": A direct port of the music that plays in the first stage of the first level in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Cookie Country.
• "Through the Forest": The music that plays in a forest area, the second stage of Cookie Country, sourced from Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
• "Sky Tower": The music for Stage 2 of Nutty Noon, the fifth level of Kirby's Return to Dream Land. Ripped directly from that game.
• "Dangerous Dinner": The map theme for the seventh level of Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Dangerous Dinner, ripped directly from that game.
• "CROWNED": Magolor Soul's battle theme from Kirby's Return to Dream Land. Ripped directly from that game.
• "Floral Fields": The music that plays in the first stage of the first level in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Fine Fields. Ripped directly from that game.
• "Fatal Blooms in Moonlight": Queen Sectonia's battle theme from Kirby: Triple Deluxe, played during the second phase. Ripped directly from that game.
• "The World to Win": Queen Sectonia's battle theme from Kirby: Triple Deluxe, specifically during the last part of the fight. Ripped directly from that game.
• "CROWNED: Ver. 2": Ripped directly from Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe where it plays in the final level. This music is a remix of "CROWNED" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
• "Venturing Into the Mechanized World": The music that plays in Stage 1 of Patched Plains, the first world of Kirby: Planet Robobot.
• "Pink Ball Activate!": The theme of the Robobot Armor in Kirby: Planet Robobot. Ripped directly from that game.
• "Kirby Battle Royale: Main Theme": The main theme of Kirby: Battle Royale. Ripped directly from that game.
• "A Battle of Friends and Bonds 2": The second boss theme from Kirby Star Allies. Ripped directly from that game.

Victory fanfares

• "Victory! Kirby Series": A whimsical orchestration of "Stage Complete" from Kirby's Dream Land. Unchanged from Brawl and Smash 4.
• "Victory! Meta Knight": An arrangement of "Stage Complete" from Kirby's Dream Land on electric guitar. Unchanged from Brawl and Smash 4.

Games with elements from or in the Super Smash Bros. series

The Super Smash Bros. games generally adopt many aspects from other Kirby games, notably games released before Melee, due to the fact that both series were originally made and supervised under the same team.

Kirby's Dream Land

• Playable Characters:
  • Kirby, who made his debut in this game, is a playable character in all of the Super Smash Bros. games.
  • King Dedede, who debuted in this game, appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
  • Kirby's neutral special move, Inhale, originated in this game.
  • King Dedede's moves such as his dash attack, side smash attack, Inhale and Super Dedede Jump originated in this game.
  • King Dedede's side special move, Waddle Dee Toss, has him throw Waddle Dees, Waddle Doos, and Gordos, which all first appeared as enemies in this game. In Smash 4, his side special was changed to only throw Gordos and was renamed to Gordo Throw.
  • Kirby's white costume is based on how he appeared in this game.
  • King Dedede's black costume is based on how he appeared in this game.
  • Kirby's up taunt from Super Smash Bros. Brawl onwards is the Kirby Dance he first performed in this game after completing a stage.
  • All of Kirby's victory poses are variations of the Kirby Dance.
• Stages:
  • Dream Land is loosely based on Green Greens, the first stage of this game.
  • Green Greens, the first level of this game, appears as a stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
  • Dream Land GB, appears as a stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which combines all of the stages from this game: Green Greens, Castle Lololo, Float Islands, Bubby Clouds and Mt. Dedede.
• Stage Elements:
  • Whispy Woods is featured in all of the games, though he was in the background of the Dream Land and Green Greens stages.
• Enemies:
  • Waddle Dees, Waddle Doos, Bronto Burts, Shotzos, Gordos, and Parasol Waddle Dees appear as enemies in Smash Run.
• Items:
  • The Warp Star and Maxim Tomato appear as items in every Smash Bros. game.
  • The Parasol appears as an item in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
  • Superspicy Curry appears as an item in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
• Trophies:
  • King Dedede appears as a trophy in Melee.
  • Wispy Woods appears as a trophy in Melee and Smash for Wii U.
  • A Waddle Dee appears as a trophy in Melee and Brawl.
  • A Bronto Burt, a Waddle Doo, and a Gordo appear as trophies in Brawl and Smash for 3DS.
  • Sir Kibble, Scarfy, and Cappy appear as trophies in Brawl and Smash for Wii U.
  • Shotzo and Parasol Waddle Dee appear as trophies in Smash for 3DS.
  • Broom Hatter and Apples appear as trophies in Smash for Wii U.
• Stickers:
  • Waddle Dee, Gordo, Whispy Woods, a Maxim Tomato, Invincibility Candy, and a Bronto Burt all appear as stickers in Brawl.
• Spirits:
  • Waddle Dee, Waddle Doo, Bronto Burt, Gordo, Scarfy, Angry Scarfy, Poppy Bros. Jr., a Warp Star, Whispy Woods and Kracko all appear as Spirits in Ultimate.
• Music:
  • "Green Greens (Melee)": An orchestration of the music that plays in the first level of the game, Green Greens.
  • "King Dedede's Theme (Brawl)": King Dedede's theme first heard in this game during the battle with him.
  • "Butter Building (Brawl)": An arrangement containing the title theme from this game.
  • "Green Greens (for 3DS / Wii U)": A second arrangement of the music heard in Green Greens from this game.
  • "Green Greens": A sourced version of the music heard in Green Greens from this game.
  • "Castle Lololo": A sourced version of the music heard in Castle Lololo from this game.
  • "Float Islands": A sourced version of the music heard in Float Islands from this game.
  • "Bubbly Clouds": A sourced version of the music heard in Bubbly Clouds from this game.
  • "Mt. Dedede": A sourced version of the music heard in Mt. Dedede from this game.
  • "King Dedede's (for 3DS / Wii U)": A shamisen-based arrangement of King Decade's theme from this game.
  • "Staff Credits - Kirby's Dream Land": An arrangement of the credits music from this game, along with Kirby Super Star's credits theme. The Sparkling Star, 1-Up, and Warp Star sound effects from this game are also incorporated into the mix.
  • "Kirby Retro Medley": A medley of the five levels song ported directly from Kirby's Dream Land, including Green Greens, Castle Lololo, Float Islands, Bubbly Clounds and Mt. Dedede.
  • "Victory! Kirby Series": Kirby and King Dedede's victory theme, it is a whimsical orchestration of the music heard when a stage is completed from this game.
  • "Victory! Meta Knight": Meta Knight's victory theme, it is an arrangement of the music heard when a stage is completed from this game, played on electric guitar.
• This game appears as a Masterpiece in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Kirby's Adventure

• Playable Characters:
  • Meta Knight, a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, first appeared in this game.
  • Kirby's ability to copy moves from his Inhale was first introduced in this game.
  • Meta Knight's dark gray and black palette is based on his artwork for Kirby's Adventure.
  • Kirby's blue costume is based on Ice and Freeze Kirby.
  • One of Kirby's custom moves for Inhale, Ice Breath, is based on Ice Kirby's attack.
  • In Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Kirby's dash attack is the Burning ability (then called "Fireball") from this game.
  • Kirby's side special move, Hammer, originated from this game.
  • Kirby's down special move, Stone, originated from this game.
  • Kirby's back throw is based on the Backdrop ability.
• Stages:
  • The Fountain of Dreams appears as a stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
• Enemies:
  • Bonkers appears as an enemy in Smash Run.
• Items:
  • The Star Rod appears as an item in all Smash Bros. games.
  • Bomber appears as an item in Ultimate.
• Assist Trophies:
  • Nightmare, who appears as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, debuted in this game where he was the final boss.
• Trophies:
  • Meta Knight and Ball Kirby appear as trophies in Melee, although it erroneously states that Meta Knight debuted in Kirby Super Star.
  • Fire Kirby appears as a trophy in Melee, Brawl and Smash for Wii U.
  • Bonkers, Bomber, and Bugzy appear as trophies in Brawl and Smash for 3DS.
  • Sword Kirby, Beam Kirby, Needle Kirby, Ice Kirby, Sleep Kirby, Tornado Kirby, and Blade Knight appear as trophies in Brawl and Smash for Wii U.
  • Starman and Mike Kirby appear as trophies in Smash for Wii U.
• Stickers:
  • Bonkers, Hot Head, Needle Kirby, Meta Knight, and Starman appear as stickers in Brawl.
• Spirits:
  • Rocky, Wheelie, Bonkers, Mr. Frosty, Bugzzy, the Meta-Knights, Mr. Shine & Mr. Bright, the Star Rod, Bomber, Nightmare's Power Orb and Nightmare Wizard all appear as spirits in Ultimate.
• Music:
  • "Butter Building (Brawl)": An arrangement containing the music played in the Butter Building levels from this game.
  • "Boss Theme Medley": Contains the boss theme and the music played in the Arena from this game.
  • "Ice Cream Island": A medley containing the music for Ice Cream Island, boss theme, level clear music and Kirby Dance music from this game.
  • "Butter Building (for 3DS / Wii U)": A medley of various level themes from this game, most prominently the titular Butter Building theme.
  • Melee's opening theme contains a portion of the music played in Butter Building, from this game.
• This game appears as a masterpiece in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, lasting two minutes, and in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Kirby's Dream Course

• Playable Characters:
  • Kirby's yellow palette swap in all Smash Bros. games is based on Keeby.

Kirby's Dream Land 2

• Trophies:
  • Rick and Gooey appear as trophies in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
• Stickers:
  • Nruff, who debuted in this game, appears as a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
• Spirits:
  • Rick, Kine, Coo, Gooey and Dark Matter all appear as Spirits in Ultimate.
• Music:
  • "Boss Theme Medley": Contains the boss theme from this game.

Kirby Super Star

There are many aspects in the Smash Bros. series that come from this game, as it is the most famous game in the Kirby series.

• Playable Characters:
  • Kirby's Final Cutter comes from this game.
  • Stone's ability to turn into various objects first appeared in this game.
  • Kirby's grounded Hammer comes from an attack he can preform with the Hammer ability in this game, which can also be charged like in Smash 4 and Ultimate
  • Kirby's neutral attack and side smash attack are based on the Fighter ability.
  • Kirby's dash attack in Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4 is based on the Yo-yo ability.
  • Kirby's forward and down throws are based on the Suplex ability.
  • Kirby's up throw (forward throw in Super Smash Bros.) is based on the Ninja ability.
  • Kirby's Final Smash in Brawl is derived from the Cook ability.
  • Meta Knight's neutral special move, Mach Tornado, originated from this game.
• Stages:
  • The Halberd is a stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with the Combo Cannon boss from the game an aspect of the Brawl stage.
  • The Great Cave Offensive is a stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
• Enemies:
  • Tac appears as an enemy in both Smash Run in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Smash Tour in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
  • Plasma Wisp appears as an enemy in Smash Run.
• Assist Trophies:
  • Knuckle Joe appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate.
  • Chef Kawasaki appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate, and uses an attack similar to Kirby's Final Smash in Brawl.
• Bosses:
  • The final boss of the The Great Cave Offensive, Wham Bam Rock, uses a stone hand to attack Kirby. The hand's patterns may be the inspiration for Master Hand and Crazy Hand.
  • Ridley, in Brawl's Subspace Emissary mode, has very similar moves to Dyna Blade from this game.
  • Galleom, in Brawl's Subspace Emissary mode, has a few similar moves to Heavy Lobster from this game.
  • Tabuu, the final boss of Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Subspace Emissary mode, has a similar fighting style to Marx, having a few similar moves and both having generally very predictable, but very powerful attacks.
  • Marx appears as a boss in Ultimate, being the boss fought at the end of Classic Mode for Kirby and Inkling, as well in Adventure Mode: World of Light.
• Trophies:
  • Wing Kirby, Walky, and Fighter Kirby appear as trophies in Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
  • Wheelie, the Combo Cannon, Plasma Kirby and the Halberd all appear as trophies in Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
  • Dyna Blade appears as a trophy in Brawl.
  • Plasma Wisp appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
  • Bomb Kirby and Ninja Kirby appear as trophies in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
• Stickers:
  • Chef Kawasaki, Cook Kirby and Dyna Blade appear as stickers in Brawl.
  • King Dedede and Whispy Woods appear as stickers in Brawl, depicting their artwork for this game.
• Spirits:
  • Tac, Knuckle Joe, Plasma Wisp, Chef Kawasaki, the Halberd, Dyna Blade, Heavy Lobster, Bandana Waddle Dee, Marx and Marx (True Form) all appear as Spirits in Ultimate.
  • Waddle Doo, Poppy Bros. Jr. and Scarfy appear as Spirits using their artwork for this game.
• Music:
  • "Gourmet Race (64)": A remix of the music heard in the Gourmet Race sub-game.
  • "Gormet Race (Melee)": An orchestral version of the music that plays in the Gourmet Race sub-game.
  • "Meta Knight's Revenge": A medley of the music that plays in the Revenge of Meta Knight sub-game, containing "The Battleship Halberd: On Deck" and "The Battleship Halberd: Interior", from this game.
  • "Gourmet Race (Brawl)": A heavy-metal remix of the music that plays in the Gourmet Race sub-game.
  • "Vs. Marx": The final boss theme in the Milky Way Wishes sub-game, where it plays during the battle with Marx.
  • "Boss Theme Medley": Contains the boss theme from this game.
  • "The Great Cave Offensive": A medley of "Crystal Field Area" and "Sub-Tree Area" from this game.
  • "Staff Credits - Kirby's Dream Land": An arrangement of the credits music from this game, along with Kirby Dream Land's credits theme.
  • The music that plays in the Save Cottages of The Great Cave Offensive was remixed for Super Smash Bros. Melee's All-Star Mode, which is similar to Arena.
• Many have compared the Subspace Emissary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl to being similar to Kirby Super Star. One of the most obvious similarities is the camera's focus on the first player and the ability for the second player to teleport to the first either at will or if they end up too far off-screen. Also, the slide launchers function very similar to that from Kirby Super Star.
• It is believed that the combat mechanics of Super Smash Bros. are based off that of Kirby Super Star.
• This game was directed by Masahiro Sakurai, which explains many of the design and gameplay similarities to the Super Smash Bros. series. In many ways, this may be considered a prototypical Smash.
• The shields may be a close reference to the force field that Mirror Kirby can create. Just like the shield, the force field protects Kirby from harm.
• The Boss Battles mode is similar to this game's "Arena" mode in many ways.
• Kirby Super Star appears as a masterpiece in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
• There is an area based on Gourmet Race in Adventure Mode: World of Light.

Kirby's Dream Land 3

• Spirits:
  • Nago, Pitch and ChuChu all appear as Spirits in Ultimate.
  • Rick, Kine, Coo and Gooey appear as Spirits using their artwork for this game.
• Stickers:
  • Acro, a boss in this game, appears in the form of a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Kirby's Star Stacker

• Spirits:
  • Gryll, the final boss of the game, appears as a Spirit in Ultimate.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

• Stickers:
  • Acro, Bronto Burt, Needle Kirby, Kirby, Nruff, Waddle Dee, and Kirby & King Dedede all appear as stickers in Brawl, depicting their artwork for this game.
• Music:
  • "02 Battle": A remix of the final boss theme, played during the battle with the hidden final boss of this game, 0².
  • "Boss Theme Medley": Contains the midboss theme from this game.
  • "Planet Popstar": The music heard in the first stage of Planet Popstar, taken directly from this game.
• Makiko Ōhmoto, who first voiced Kirby in Smash 64, first voiced Kirby in this game. Additionally, his "Hi" voice clip is reused.

Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

• Fighters:
  • Meta Knight's Japanese voice actor, Atsushi Kisa'ichi, reprises his role.
• Music:
  • Checker Knights, originally called Strong Star Warrior, is ripped from this anime by Kirby Air Ride.
• Assist Trophies:
  • Nightmare's design is the basis for his design in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, which is used in Smash.
  • Knuckle Joe's Japanese voice actor, Minami Takayama, reprises her role.

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land

• Spirits:
  • Kracko, Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright, Star Rod, Nightmare's Power Orb, and Nightmare Wizard's appear as Spirits using their artwork for this game.
• The music for the Fountain of Dreams stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee was remixed in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land during the battle with King Dedede at the same area.

Kirby Air Ride

Kirby Air Ride was a racing game for the Nintendo GameCube released in 2003. Produced by HAL Laboratory, the game is notable for including a multitude of mechanics from Melee, as well as mechanics that were later introduced in Brawl.

• Items:
  • The Dragoon appears as an item in Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate.
• Trophies:
  • The Hydra appears as a collectible trophy in Brawl.
• Stickers:
  • One of Kirby's artworks for this game appears as a collectible sticker in Brawl.
• Spirits:
  • The Dragoon appears as a Spirit in Ultimate.
  • An angry Scarfy appears as a Spirit using its artwork for this game.
• Music:
  • "The Legendary Air Ride Machine": A remix of the music that players after Kirby completes a Dragoon or Hydra.
  • "Checker Knights": The music played on the race course of the same name, taken directly from this game.
  • "Frozen Hillside": The music played on the race course of the same name, taken directly from this game.
  • "Celestial Valley": The music played on the race course of the same name, taken directly from this game.
  • "Forest Stage": The alternate music track for the Celestial Valley race course.
  • "City Trial": A arrangement of the music heard in the City Trial mode of the game.
• The introduction music from Kirby Air Ride is heard in Rosalina's trailer during which Kirby is cruising on his Warp Star on Rainbow Road.
• The Smash Run mode in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is inspired by the City Trial mode from this game. Masahiro Sakurai, who directed both games, wanted to recreate the mode for Super Smash Bros.
• Players can unlock and choose colors for Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede, which is similar to the palette swaps from the Super Smash Bros. games.
• The tracks that play in Melee's Green Greens and Fountain of Dreams play in Kirby Air Ride, with slight modifications.
• A lot of mechanics for the game are similar to Melee's as well, such as a star count to let the player know how many times he's destroyed another player's machine, similar to how there is a star counter to tell a player how many KOs he or she has gotten.
• The sound effect heard when one selects something from the menu is a deeper version of Melee's sound effect for the same thing.

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror

• Playable Characters:
  • Meta Knight's side special move, Drill Rush, is derived from one of Master Kirby's attacks.
  • While Kirby's red and green palette swaps returned from Smash 64 and Melee, it has been modified to match two of his three clones from this game (with the other being identical to the pre-existing yellow costume), featuring wine red and orange feet respectively, instead of maroon and dark green.
  • Kirby's orange palette swap is based on the Orange Spray Paint from this game.
  • Meta Knight's dark gray palette swap is based on Dark Meta Knight from this game.
  • While his dark gray palette swap returned from Brawl, Meta Knight received a new palette swap looking even more similar to Dark Meta Knight, including a dark gray body and a regular mask.
    • In Ultimate, the has received an upgrade to look even more similar to Dark Meta Knight, including a gray sword and a scar on his mask.
• Trophies:
  • Golem appears in the form of a trophy in Brawl'

Stickers:

• • Box Boxer, Boxy, Cupid Kirby and the Cell Phone appear as collectible stickers in Brawl.
• Spirits:
  • Moley and Dark Mind appear as spirits in Ultimate.
• Music:
  • "Forest / Nature Area" (Original): The song for forest areas of Rainbow Route, sourced from this game.
  • "Forest / Nature Area" (Remix): An arrangement containing "Forest / Nature Area" and "Flame/Lava Area" from this game.
• The Smash ability is a scaled-down version of Kirby's moveset from Super Smash Bros. Melee.
• Master Hand and Crazy Hand appear as the final bosses of Candy Constellation. A solo Master Hand also appears occasionally as a mini-boss. When Kirby inhales a defeated Master Hand, he gains the Smash ability.
• Fighter Kirby's Aerial Spin Kick move is similar to his forward aerial from the Super Smash Bros. games.

Kirby: Canvas Curse

• Stickers:
  • Artwork of Meta Knight and Waddle Dee appear as stickers in Brawl.

Kirby: Squeak Squad

• Stickers:
  • Stickers of a Squeaker, Perara, and Daroach is featured in Brawl.
  • Blipper, Candy, a Treasure Chest, Bonkers, Boxy, Box Boxer, Gordo, Hot Head, King Dedede, Meta Knight, a Maxim Tomato, and Starman all appear as stickers in Brawl, depicting their artwork for this game.
• Spirits:
  • Daroach appears as a Spirit in Ultimate. He can be can enhanced into Dark Daroach.
• Music:
  • "Squeak Squad Theme": A remix of the main theme of the game and the theme of the Squeakers.
  • "Boss Theme Medley": Contains the boss theme from this game.

Kirby Super Star Ultra

• Playable Characters:
  • Meta Knight's purple palette swap is based on Galacta Knight from this game.
    • In Ultimate, the palette swap has been redesigned to look even more similar to Galacta Knight.
  • In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, King Dedede has a new Final Smash where he traps his opponents in a cage and takes on his Masked Dedede persona and attacks opponents with a barrage of missiles and sends them flying with his Jet Hammer.
• Trophies:
  • A trophy of Galacta Knight appears in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
• Spirits:
  • Kirby's fighter Spirit uses his artwork from this game.
  • Masked Dedede and Galacta Knight appear as Spirits in Ultimate.
  • Waddle Dee, Bronto Burt, Gordo, Bomber, Knuckle Joe, Tac, Plasma Wisp, Rocky, Wheelie, Bonkers, Bugzzy, Chef Kawasaki, Mr. Frosty, the Meta-Knights, Whispy Woods, Heavy Lobster and the Warp Star all appear as Spirits in Ultimate, using their artwork from this game.
• The Fountain of Dreams and Halberd take their new designs from the Melee and Brawl stages, respectively.
• A crystalline version of Wham Bam Rock called Wham Bam Jewel appears, with some new additional moves, likely inspired by Master Hand's moves.
• Cook Kirby's pot has utensils added to the front, similar to his Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Kirby's Epic Yarn

• Spirits:
  • Prince Fluff appears as a spirit.

Kirby Mass Attack

• Spirits:
  • Moley appears as a Spirit using his artwork for this game.
• The Superspicy Curry appears with the Brawl design.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land

• Playable Characters:
  • The Super Ability Ultra Sword originates from this game. It is Kirby's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
• Trophies:
  • Trophies of Magolor and the Lor Starcutter are trophies in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
  • Galacta Knight appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, using his model from this game.
• Spirits:
  • King Dedede's fighter Spirit in uses his artwork from this game.
  • The Ultra Sword, Magolor, and Landia all appear as spirits in Ultimate.
  • Bandana Waddle Dee appears as a Spirit using his artwork for this game.
• Music:
  • "The Adventure Begins": The music played in the first stage of the first level, Cookie Country. Taken directly from this game.
  • "Through the Forest": The music played in the forest areas in Cookie Country, the first level in the game. Taken directly from this game.
  • "Sky Tower": The music that plays in the castle-themed areas of Nutty Noon, the fifth level in the game. Taken directly from this game.
  • "Dangerous Dinner": The music that plays on the map screen for Dangerous Dinner, the final world in the game. Taken directly from this game.
  • "CROWNED": The music that plays during the second phase of the final boss fight against Magolor, which became a recurring track in the Kirby series. Taken directly from this game.
• Meta Knight's up special move, Shuttle Loop, appears in the game as a part of his moveset in this game.
• King Dedede's down aerial move in Super Smash Bros. Brawl appears as a part of his moveset in this game.
• If the player attempt to delete a save file, three warning pop-ups show up instead of two from the previous games, similar to Brawl's Erase Data feature.

Kirby's Dream Collection

• The Smash ability returns in one of the bonus challenge courses, and the Super Smash Bros. emblem can be seen in the background in a repeated pattern. It has also gained a new attack called Smash Kick, based off of Kirby's forward smash.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

• Playable Characters:
  • The appearance of Kirby's Screen KO in Super Smash Bros. 4 matches the one from this game.
• Spirits
  • Queen Sectonia appears as a spirit in Ultimate.
• Music:
  • "Floral Fields": The music that plays during the first stage of Fine Fields. Taken directly from this game.
  • "The World to Win": The music that plays during the final phase of the against Queen Sectonia, the final boss of the game. Taken directly from this game.
  • "Fatal Blooms in Moonlight": The music that plays during the second phase of the battle against Queen Sectonia, the final boss of the game. Taken directly from this game.
• Kirby Fighters is a mode in this game, which entails 2-4 Kirbys fighting each other with a selected Copy Ability. Kirbys are able to shield, roll, sidestep, and air dodge in this game. The shield also has a life gauge and once depleted will break, leaving Kirby stunned and vulnerable, which is similar to shields in the Super Smash Bros. games. Kirbys can also "perfect shield," which means the oncoming attack will be blocked while the shield won't take any damage.
• A remix of the music that plays on the Fountain of Dreams stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee is featured, which plays during the Hypernova section of the second extra stage of Royal Road.
• Shadow Dedede has an attack based on Dedede’s up special.

Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe

• Music
  • "CROWNED: Ver. 2": A remix of "CROWNED" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land that plays during the final level of the game. Taken directly from this game.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

• Spirits:
  • Elline appears as a spirit in Ultimate.
• The figurines in the game behave very similar to the trophies.

Kirby: Planet Robobot

• Spirits:
  • Susie and the Robobot Armor appear as Spirits.
  • Meta Knight's Fighter Spirit uses his artwork for this game.
• Music:
  • "Venturing into the Mechanized World": The track that plays during the first stage of Patched Plains, the first level in Kirby: Planet Robobot. It is itself an arrangement of The Noble Haltmann, the theme song of the Haltmann Works Company, the game's villainous corporation, and a recurring leitmotif throughout the game. Ported directly from this game.
  • "Pink Ball Activate!": The track that usually plays when Kirby dons the Robobot Armor in Kirby: Planet Robobot. Ported directly from this game.
• The Smash Ability returns in Kirby: Planet Robobot as one of the Copy Abilities, named "Smash Bros.", using Kirby's moveset from Super Smash Bros. 4.
• Meta Knight's up special move, Shuttle Loop, returns as part of his moveset in this game.
• Meta Knight's Final Smash, Galaxia Darkness, returns as one of his special moves in this game.

Kirby Battle Royale

• Music
  • "Kirby Battle Royale: Main Theme": The main theme, sourced directly from this game.
• One of Meta Knight's attacks is very similar to his down special move, Dimensional Cape.

Kirby Star Allies

• Spirits:
  • The Three Mage-Sisters from this game all appear as a single Spirit.
• Music:
  • "A Battle of Friends and Bonds 2": The music that plays during the game's later boss fights. Taken directly from this game.
• After achieving 100% completion in Kirby Star Allies, the main menu music will have a 50% chance of being the arrangement of "Green Greens" from Super Smash Bros. Melee.
• In update 4.0.0 of Kirby Star Allies, Super Dedede Jump has been added to King Dedede's moveset.
• The Ultimate Choice mode in this game uses a difficulty system similar to the Intensity mechanic in Smash 4 and Ultimate's Classic Mode, in which higher difficulties raise the amount of rounds, and decrease the amount of healing items and the player's HP, but reward more Picture Pieces.

Trivia

• In Brawl, the Kirby series has the highest average tier ranking of any series with more than one character.
• A large amount of mechanics present in the Super Smash Bros. series come from Kirby, such as the system of dash attacks, grabs, aerials, and even glancing blows.
• All the playable characters from the Kirby universe have more than 4 midair jumps.
• Every Kirby stage that has appeared in the series so far has been based on Kirby games that were directed by Masahiro Sakurai before he left HAL Laboratory.
  • Every Kirby item seems to follow this trend as well, unless one counts those that appear frequently in the series, such as the Maxim Tomato.
  • Furthermore, the only Kirby universe elements in Smash Bros. so far (during gameplay) that aren't from a Sakurai-directed Kirby game are the Ultra Sword, Kirby's Final Smash in SSB4 and Ultimate, and Dede-Rush, King Dedede's Final Smash from Ultimate in which he turns into Masked Dedede.
  • Incidentally, a stage based on Kirby's Epic Yarn was initially planned for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, but this was rejected in favor of Woolly World.
• F-Zero, Kirby, The Legend of Zelda and Super Smash Bros. itself are the only four series to use the same series symbol throughout the entire series.
• When sorting trophies by series in Brawl, the Kirby series is mistakenly referred to as "Kirby Super Star".
• Ultimate is the only installment without a new Kirby stage.
• The Kirby universe is one of three universes that currently have multiple playable characters without any semi-clones or Echo Fighters, the others being Donkey Kong and Final Fantasy.
• Kirby is one of three "original 10" universes to have no Master Spirits in Ultimate, the others being Yoshi and EarthBound.
• Kirby is the only one of the original 10 universes that has never had a stage based on a game released in the 21st century, with the latest game represented being Super Star (which was released in 1996) via Halberd and The Great Cave Offensive.
• Kirby is the only one of the original 10 universes that does not have a full Mii Costume.

External links

• WiKirby