So,
here's to the sole ability to be a spinoff exclusive, the
bouncy Ball Kirby!
Exclusive? Yes... Ball isn't really that common in the
ONE game it really appeared in. You'll find that Ball
Kirby is the standard form of Kirby in the Pinball and
Block Ball games (and, I THINK, Tilt n' Tumble), but it
ONLY appeared as an ability in
Kirby's
Adventure/Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland... and,
unless I miss my guess, in
Kirby's Dream Course
also. Ball kirby, despite his NiDL headgear, was never
present in the animé, unless you count all the times
Tuff kicked Kirby while playing soccer, or that bit of
Quidditch in "A Novel Approach"...
So, how does Ball work? You bounce. Ball is
probably the only ability to be operated by Kirby's NORMAL
jumping (unlike Hi-Jump, which is a separate jump entirely);
the "B' button is only used to transform Kirby from regular
Kirby into a smooth, perfectly spherical ball... that
blinks... how cute. Notice, if you move Kirby as a ball, he
rolls down and uphill much the same... and if you stop, you
can stop his eyes in different positions. The rolling also
serves to augment your speed; if you return to normal whilst
rolling, Kirby will be dashing instead of walking... not
really useful, but worth noting. While in Ball mode, you jump
as usual with "A", and Kirby will bounce. How he jumps AT ALL
in that state, I do not know. But his landings are rather
bouncy... if you hold "A" down, you'll bounce higher... THIS
is where the REAL power comes into play. Ball Kirby can bounce
and use his velocity to defeat enemies above and below him.
It's like having Hi-Jump in a rapid-fire mode, with enough
height to use the dive attack... fun, but there's a slight
problem... when changing from ascent to descent and vice
versa, Kirby is vulnerable... so, Ball isn't really THAT easy
to use, as flying enemies can tag him near the top of the
screen, and if he lands on something the wrong way, he's hurt.
Ball also is only good for vertical bounces... no lateral
rebounding, that's sorta what Burning is for. Still, this
power has a decent offense, able to kill off mini-bosses in
two solid hits... assuming you can impact properly to avoid
being damaged YOURSELF... best to save it for bosses that jump
a lot, or hopping enemies like Poppy Bros. Sr. Mind you,
you're vulnerable to grabs and throws as well... I THINK they
took that factor out of NiDL, but then again, you could
usually hit them from below and towards the rear in Adventure,
and not be grabbed. You'll find Ball useful against Mr. Bright
and Mr. Shine (if you can angle the bounce properly), and
against Paint Roller (just be careful when she crosses from
side to side, otherwise, bounce in the center to your heart's
content)... it'd probably OWN Kracko if it weren't all but
impossible to reach him, power intact, with anything other
than Tornado, Hi-Jump, and MAYBE Burning.
Picture Courtesy of Kine the
Genius!
Picture courtesy of
Crazy Duck!
Ball was slightly altered in
Nightmare in Dreamland, in that the top of the screen
now counts as a floor/ceiling when using Ball... in Adventure,
you would just lose your velocity as if you'd let up on the
"A" button when you hit the top of the screen... now, that
will bounce you back downward if you hold "A"... as such,
anyone who used Ball in Level 5-4 to cross the waterfall area
with the ledges... not such an easy task anymore... but you
keep your velocity, good for smashing enemies. NiDL Ball Kirby
also wears... a hat I can't really describe (I have the same
problem with animé Crash Kirby's hat, but I'll get to THAT
later)... it ALMOST looks as if someone halved a red and blue
tennis ball, and sized it for the top of Kirby's head... that,
or a red helmet with a blue center... and no straps holding
the thing on... it's just decoration, Kirby still morphs into
a ball, instead of shrinking into his hat... morph... ball...
Hmmm, I wonder who taught Kirby how to use Ball anyway...
I can't speak for Dream Course, Pinball, or Block Ball, as
I've never played them... though, from what I gather, KDC Ball
Kirby rolls down hills and slopes with ease, but doesn't go up
so well. Kirby's Block Ball and Pinball Land Ball Kirby is
just the regular form for that game, having no real
implication on gameplay... in fact, I believe other abilities
were in Block Ball also.
As I said, Ball is RARE... I think you first get it in Grape
Garden, then in 5-4 (Yogurt Yard), Orange Ocean (6-2 and 6-4),
and they're in a mad assault in 7-4 of Rainbow Resort... BUT,
Ball is also in the Grape Garden Museum (next to Sleep, of all
things...), so, despite rarity, you CAN pretty much get it
whenever you want to.
For offense alone, Ball Kirby deserves a perfect 10... but
you're more likely to get frequently hit trying to harness the
power of this ability... and the "ceiling factor" in NiDL is
really annoying to a KA veteran... I die more with Ball than
anything else in NiDL, and the fact that you can get grabbed
in Adventure is another strike against it... I like sheer
offense, but what good is it if you're constantly chasing it
as it bounces away? I rate Ball Kirby a 6/10. Maybe HAL was
onto something, leaving it in the Pinball/Block Ball games...
but if they bring it back to platformers, let's hope they find
SOME way to fix its flaws.
