Kirby's Adventure
Encyclopedia
Kirby's Adventure, known as in Japan, is a platforming
video game developed by HAL Laboratory
and published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
video game console
. It was first released March 26, 1993 in Japan
, and was later released in North America
on May 1, 1993, and in Europe
on December 1, 1993. Kirby's Adventure was the second and last game to use Kirby's original design, albeit in color (the first to use the design was Kirby's Dream Land
) and is the first game in the series for Kirby to gain his trademark colors (as the first game to feature him was in black and white).
Kirby's Adventure is the only Nintendo Entertainment System Kirby
video game, and is the second game in the Kirby series, following his debut on the Game Boy
in Kirby's Dream Land
. It is also the first Kirby game on a home console, to be in color, and to have a save feature. It also features the first appearance of the popular character Meta Knight. A remake of the game for the Game Boy Advance
, titled Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, was released in 2002.
The original version has been released on the Virtual Console
in North America on February 12, 2007, in Europe on February 16, 2007, and in Japan on February 27, 2007. It was also one of the 12 "Masterpieces" (demos of famous Nintendo games) provided in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. A 3D Classics version was released for the Nintendo 3DS
eShop
in November 2011.
, Whispy Woods, Paint Roller, Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright, Kracko, Heavy Mole, and Meta Knight, also keeping one for himself. Without the Star Rod, all of the inhabitants of Dream Land are becoming restless and unable to dream. Kirby decides to track down the fragments of the Star Rod and bring them back to the Fountain of Dreams in order to restore everyone's dreams.
Kirby travels throughout seven worlds, battling enemies, mini-bosses, and bosses through treacherous terrain in order to collect all seven fragments of the Star Rod. Once Kirby defeats King Dedede and rebuilds the Star Rod, he places it back into the Fountain of Dreams. However, an ominous black aura fills the skies as a dark creature named Nightmare who emerges from the fountain. It turns out that Nightmare had corrupted the fountain, and King Dedede removed the Star Rod, broke it, and spread it across Dream Land with the intention of protecting Dream Land. Nightmare then speedily flies off into space, but rather than allowing him to escape, King Dedede inhales Kirby and the Star Rod and spits them into the air, projecting Kirby towards Nightmare. Kirby then uses the Star Rod to defeat both forms of Nightmare, and saves Dream Land once again.
The end sequence shows Kirby and King Dedede flying together and reconciling, while scrolling text explains the plot, before the end credits roll.
Like the majority of Kirby video games, Kirby's Adventure is a platformer
. The game consists of seven worlds, each containing a set of regular levels, a boss fight, and a Warp Star door (which enables Kirby to travel from world to world). Most worlds also contain mini-games (which allow Kirby to gain extra lives), museums (which allow Kirby to gain certain powers), and/or Arenas (where Kirby must battle with a mini-boss to win health items and allow him to copy the boss' special ability afterwards). The game was the first in the series to include a save feature. It automatically saves the player's progress after each level.
The objective of each main level is simply to reach the end of the level. If Kirby touches an enemy or a dangerous object, he takes a point of damage, and if all of his hit points are lost or he falls off the bottom of the screen, the player loses a life. Kirby can touch or eat food items to immediately replenish health or gain temporary invulnerability.
Kirby can walk, run, jump, and he can attack and dodge enemies by slide-tackling. He can also fly by inflating himself, and is able to reach any height that isn't blocked by an obstacle. While flying, Kirby cannot use his other abilities, but he can exhale at any time, releasing a puff of air that can be used to damage enemies or destroy blocks.
Kirby's main ability allows him to inhale indefinitely, sucking nearby enemies and objects into his mouth. Once inhaled, objects remain in his mouth until he either spits them out (dealing damage to enemies and objects in front of him) or swallows them. Upon swallowing certain enemies, Kirby immediately "copies" any special abilities that the enemy possesses, giving him access to a wide variety of powers, some of which may be needed to solve various puzzles. Usually, Kirby cannot inhale anything while he has use of a special ability, but he can "drop" the ability at any time (this happens automatically whenever he takes damage), sending it bouncing behind him as a star for a short time. Kirby can regain the ability by inhaling and swallowing the star before it disappears.
remarked that "by 1993, the programmers of the world had learned how to unleash every last ounce of power hidden inside the original Nintendo system. Kirby's Adventure was one of those late-generation games, and probably the best of them". The game features special visual effects, pseudo-3D backgrounds (including towers that appear to rotate in three dimensions) and parallax scrolling
. At 6 megabits, it was one of the largest games ever released for the NES, but it did not use Nintendo's most powerful mapper chip
, the MMC5, but rather the older, more common, and less expensive MMC3.
and released as Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, known in Japan as . This remake was released in Japan on October 25, 2002, and in North America on December 2, 2002, and features updated graphics and sound, as well as some minor changes to the gameplay, new mini-games, and the ability to play as the character Meta Knight (in a mini-game called "Meta Knightmare"). Also, Nightmare in Dream Land allows for cooperative multiplayer with 2-4 players, all of whom play as different-colored Kirbys.
Kirby's Adventure was also announced in 2011 that it would be downloadable on the Nintendo 3DS as a 3D Classic.
considers it to be "One of the greatest late-generation NES games", praising mostly the sound and the graphics, giving them a perfect score, while giving a 9.5 (out of 10) to the gameplay and 9 for presentation and "lasting appeal", giving a total score of 9.5 out of 10. It was awarded Best NES Game of 1993 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
.
GameSpot
praised the copy ability and the gameplay, but criticized the length of the game, saying "Can beat the game in a single evening", with a total score of 7.3 out of 10. It also received good reviews from fans, with an average of 8.9 out of 10 by readers of GameFAQs
.
In 2009, the Official Nintendo Magazine named this game the 69th-best game ever on a Nintendo console.
The remake has received generally positive reviews, with an average score of 80% on GameRankings, based on 28 reviews.
Kirby's Adventure was released on November 17, 2011 in the US and Europe for the Nintendo 3DS
as a part of 3D Classics series, the series of classic games played in 3D. This release was featured amongst other games from the Nintendo Entertainment System
and Super NES
to be released for the 3DS on a tech demo called Classic Games at E3 2010.
A French version of this game was released in Canada, making it the only French-only NES release in North America.
An official soundtrack was released in Japan on July 21, 1994 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan
. The vocalist was Mako Miyata
.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game developed by HAL Laboratory
HAL Laboratory
is a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. It was first released March 26, 1993 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and was later released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on May 1, 1993, and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on December 1, 1993. Kirby's Adventure was the second and last game to use Kirby's original design, albeit in color (the first to use the design was Kirby's Dream Land
Kirby's Dream Land
Kirby's Dream Land, known as in Japan, is a 1992 third party developed platforming video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan, and was later released in North America. It is both the first video game...
) and is the first game in the series for Kirby to gain his trademark colors (as the first game to feature him was in black and white).
Kirby's Adventure is the only Nintendo Entertainment System Kirby
Kirby (series)
The series is a fantasy video game series developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo, and produced by Nintendo. The gameplay of a majority of the games in the series consists mainly of action, platform and puzzle-solving elements...
video game, and is the second game in the Kirby series, following his debut on the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
in Kirby's Dream Land
Kirby's Dream Land
Kirby's Dream Land, known as in Japan, is a 1992 third party developed platforming video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan, and was later released in North America. It is both the first video game...
. It is also the first Kirby game on a home console, to be in color, and to have a save feature. It also features the first appearance of the popular character Meta Knight. A remake of the game for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, titled Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, was released in 2002.
The original version has been released on the Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in North America on February 12, 2007, in Europe on February 16, 2007, and in Japan on February 27, 2007. It was also one of the 12 "Masterpieces" (demos of famous Nintendo games) provided in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. A 3D Classics version was released for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
eShop
Nintendo eShop
The Nintendo eShop is an online service for the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system. Launched on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the 3DS' Home Menu...
in November 2011.
Plot
After Kirby wakes up from his after-lunch nap without having any dreams, he goes to the Fountain of Dreams to investigate. In doing so, he discovers that King Dedede has stolen the Star Rod, the source of power to the Fountain of Dreams, and broken it into seven pieces, giving six fragments to his alliesBoss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
, Whispy Woods, Paint Roller, Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright, Kracko, Heavy Mole, and Meta Knight, also keeping one for himself. Without the Star Rod, all of the inhabitants of Dream Land are becoming restless and unable to dream. Kirby decides to track down the fragments of the Star Rod and bring them back to the Fountain of Dreams in order to restore everyone's dreams.
Kirby travels throughout seven worlds, battling enemies, mini-bosses, and bosses through treacherous terrain in order to collect all seven fragments of the Star Rod. Once Kirby defeats King Dedede and rebuilds the Star Rod, he places it back into the Fountain of Dreams. However, an ominous black aura fills the skies as a dark creature named Nightmare who emerges from the fountain. It turns out that Nightmare had corrupted the fountain, and King Dedede removed the Star Rod, broke it, and spread it across Dream Land with the intention of protecting Dream Land. Nightmare then speedily flies off into space, but rather than allowing him to escape, King Dedede inhales Kirby and the Star Rod and spits them into the air, projecting Kirby towards Nightmare. Kirby then uses the Star Rod to defeat both forms of Nightmare, and saves Dream Land once again.
The end sequence shows Kirby and King Dedede flying together and reconciling, while scrolling text explains the plot, before the end credits roll.
Gameplay
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
. The game consists of seven worlds, each containing a set of regular levels, a boss fight, and a Warp Star door (which enables Kirby to travel from world to world). Most worlds also contain mini-games (which allow Kirby to gain extra lives), museums (which allow Kirby to gain certain powers), and/or Arenas (where Kirby must battle with a mini-boss to win health items and allow him to copy the boss' special ability afterwards). The game was the first in the series to include a save feature. It automatically saves the player's progress after each level.
The objective of each main level is simply to reach the end of the level. If Kirby touches an enemy or a dangerous object, he takes a point of damage, and if all of his hit points are lost or he falls off the bottom of the screen, the player loses a life. Kirby can touch or eat food items to immediately replenish health or gain temporary invulnerability.
Kirby can walk, run, jump, and he can attack and dodge enemies by slide-tackling. He can also fly by inflating himself, and is able to reach any height that isn't blocked by an obstacle. While flying, Kirby cannot use his other abilities, but he can exhale at any time, releasing a puff of air that can be used to damage enemies or destroy blocks.
Kirby's main ability allows him to inhale indefinitely, sucking nearby enemies and objects into his mouth. Once inhaled, objects remain in his mouth until he either spits them out (dealing damage to enemies and objects in front of him) or swallows them. Upon swallowing certain enemies, Kirby immediately "copies" any special abilities that the enemy possesses, giving him access to a wide variety of powers, some of which may be needed to solve various puzzles. Usually, Kirby cannot inhale anything while he has use of a special ability, but he can "drop" the ability at any time (this happens automatically whenever he takes damage), sending it bouncing behind him as a star for a short time. Kirby can regain the ability by inhaling and swallowing the star before it disappears.
Visuals
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
remarked that "by 1993, the programmers of the world had learned how to unleash every last ounce of power hidden inside the original Nintendo system. Kirby's Adventure was one of those late-generation games, and probably the best of them". The game features special visual effects, pseudo-3D backgrounds (including towers that appear to rotate in three dimensions) and parallax scrolling
Parallax scrolling
Parallax scrolling is a special scrolling technique in computer graphics, popularized in the 1982 arcade game Moon Patrol. In this pseudo-3D technique, background images move by the camera slower than foreground images, creating an illusion of depth in a 2D video game and adding to the immersion...
. At 6 megabits, it was one of the largest games ever released for the NES, but it did not use Nintendo's most powerful mapper chip
Multi-Memory Controller
Multi-Memory Controllers or Memory Management Controllers are different kinds of special chips designed by various video game developers for use in Nintendo Entertainment System cartridges...
, the MMC5, but rather the older, more common, and less expensive MMC3.
Remakes
Kirby's Adventure was remade for the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and released as Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, known in Japan as . This remake was released in Japan on October 25, 2002, and in North America on December 2, 2002, and features updated graphics and sound, as well as some minor changes to the gameplay, new mini-games, and the ability to play as the character Meta Knight (in a mini-game called "Meta Knightmare"). Also, Nightmare in Dream Land allows for cooperative multiplayer with 2-4 players, all of whom play as different-colored Kirbys.
Kirby's Adventure was also announced in 2011 that it would be downloadable on the Nintendo 3DS as a 3D Classic.
Reception and legacy
Kirby's Adventure received very good reviews, and is considered to be a classic game on the Nintendo Entertainment System. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
considers it to be "One of the greatest late-generation NES games", praising mostly the sound and the graphics, giving them a perfect score, while giving a 9.5 (out of 10) to the gameplay and 9 for presentation and "lasting appeal", giving a total score of 9.5 out of 10. It was awarded Best NES Game of 1993 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
.
GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
praised the copy ability and the gameplay, but criticized the length of the game, saying "Can beat the game in a single evening", with a total score of 7.3 out of 10. It also received good reviews from fans, with an average of 8.9 out of 10 by readers of GameFAQs
GameFAQs
GameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...
.
In 2009, the Official Nintendo Magazine named this game the 69th-best game ever on a Nintendo console.
The remake has received generally positive reviews, with an average score of 80% on GameRankings, based on 28 reviews.
Kirby's Adventure was released on November 17, 2011 in the US and Europe for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
as a part of 3D Classics series, the series of classic games played in 3D. This release was featured amongst other games from the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
and Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
to be released for the 3DS on a tech demo called Classic Games at E3 2010.
A French version of this game was released in Canada, making it the only French-only NES release in North America.
An official soundtrack was released in Japan on July 21, 1994 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
. The vocalist was Mako Miyata
Mako Miyata
is a Japanese singer and vocalist. She became the singer of one of the Kirby games Albums: Hoshi no Kirby - Story of the Fountain of Dreams. It is an official released of Kirby's Adventure soundtrack CD in Japan. It contains 8 songs with actual lyrics sung to Kirby tunes...
.