Recently thrust back into
action after about a decade of absence, it's the
ever-so-speedy and versatile
Laser Kirby!
Pinpoint accuracy is the name of the game with this Copy
Ability. From the somewhat early stages of
Kirby's Adventure,
Laser Kirby has made a name for himself. Inhaling the
bald orange enemy known as Laser Ball (which looks like
an orange Bob-Omb, minus the feet and windup key) gives
Kirby this ability, and he'll put it to good use for
you. The laser is prettly much a paper-thin beam of
energy, which Kirby will shoot straight ahead to snipe
his foes from a distance. Easy enough, except Kirby's
very vulnerable from above, below, and behind with this.
Depending on the terrain, that may become less of a
problem. Laser, in addition to its speed, has an added
effect of being able to ricochet off of sloped surfaces,
allowing Kirby a chance to strike remote enemies he'd
otherwise need to get close to for actual attack.
Probably the best example of this ability is the very
first stage in Rainbow Resort. Kirby has a Laser Ball
trapped as the fist thing he sees, and if he eats it,
the hilly terrain here proves to be more an ally than an
adversary. Though the hill are icy and slick, Kirby's
laser beams will bounce off of them, and can hit the
pesky Sir Kibbles and Sword Knights lurking about. It's
also good for tagging some out-of-reach Noddies and
getting a 1-up here. However, in the very next room, its
limitations are exposed. Laser is weak, unable to break
more than one Star Box at a time, and it requires rapid
firing, unlike Fire, Ice, Spark, and others. But then
again, Kirby has to shoot the beams, not breathe them.
In areas with relatively flat surfaces and airborne
enemies, Laser is best passed up for something more
involved like Hammer or Beam. Why? Because Laser
normally just goes straight. Flying foes will need to
have Kirby meet them on the level to tag them, and let's
hope he doesn't need to float just to reach their
height. While he can use air puffs as weapons, he's a
big target while puffed up, and a bit less maneuverable
floating than walking. They'll get him on the fly
easily. If Twizzies are homing in on you, Laser won't
help much. That also goes for attempting to oust a Laser
Ball with Laser Kirby. Only when they are preparing to
fire will they hold still, and they can shoot MUCH
faster than Kirby, and don't always wait the same length
of time before firing. Laser isn't very strong against
boss characters either, so don't get too complacnt with
it if you happen upon a boss or mini-boss. They USUALLY
have an enemy or two bearing a special power nearby for
a reason. And it's never been Laser. But, to end this on
a pelasant note, Laser itself is easily accesed thanks
to the Museum in Ice Cream Island, and is a must-have
for getting the secret swtich in 6-3, due to it's slope
affected nature (and inability to be used underwater).
Combining Spark Kirby with Chuchu in
Kirby's Dream Land 3
also gives up Laser. I don't have the game, but I can assume
it's still got the property of bouncing off slopes. Laser Ball
appears in Kirby Super Star,
but Laser Kirby does not. Laser Ball can now angle its shots
off of seemingly NOTHING (I guess they took a cue from Gyro
Man of Mega Man 5, and
made themselves able to alter direction at will to ensure a
hit), and just abut never misses. Use that against it with
Mirror Kirby's Reflect Guard in the Great Cave Offensive to
snag a treasure that a Laser Ball and Gordo are guarding.
Laser Ball also doesn't flee as soon as it finishes shooting;
in fact some of them don't move AT ALL. inhale one, and Kirby
transforms into Beam Kirby. Laser... beams... Oh, I get it! Ha
ha ha, that wasn't funny, HAL.
Laser is back in Kirby:
Nightmare in Dreamland. Difference? Yes. Kirby has an
optic sensor... or WHATEVER the heck that thing he wears is
called. He uses it to shoot his lasers. Strangely, he shoots
faster with his hand in KA, which should logically take
longer, since he has short arms and no fingers. But the
process of pulling down his... whatever that thing is called
over his face to fire a laser beam would assumedly take a bit
of time as well. I think the laser beam itself moves a bit
slower as well, which the headgear has NOTHING to do with.
That may be the same case with Wheel and Tornado being slowed
down; the smaller size screens of a GameBoy Advance compared
to a TV screen with the NES. The laser beams are also no
longer perfectly straight strips of light, and are also...
red. It still bounces, though, and is still useful for
lighting underwater fuses and sniping Rainbow Resort
denizens... though the area layout at the start of 7-1 is a
bit off from the original, putting one enemy that was once in
reach of the deflected laser beam out of reach completely.
There are also more goodies in the screen on 2-4 where there
was originally only Laser Ball, slopes, and a 1-up. Now, there
are some enemies, Pep Brews, and the 1-up is at the end of the
screen.
Given the headgear, there was NO EXCUSE for Laser Kirby to
have been left out of the animé. I mean that! The Servant
Robot in the episode, "Return, Dear Waddle Dee" / "Pink-Collar
Blues" had a laser eye, and shot pink beams. Kirby could have
inhaled THAT, but the writers have him eat the rockpile, and
we get... Stone Kirby! The bot also seemed a bit like a giant
Gim, so we COULD have had Yo-Yo Kirby as well... I have no
idea why Laser Kirby was never used, yet Fire Kirby shows up
eight times, and Fighter gets six appearances! I also don't
know EXACTLY how they'd have used Laser in the animé. I have a
vague idea, as had been written into a fic of mine, but that's
not much. So here's even MORE hoping that HAL and Warpstar
make another Kirby series
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
also has Laser Kirby. And he's pretty much the same as he is
in NiDL. Adorable, and a slow shot. Oh well. Can't win them
all. At least he's there, and so is... you guessed it... Laser
Ball. There's also a heavier metallic enemy that gives Laser,
but shields itself from inhaling very well. I think HAL based
this one on those... things in KSS that release the
multicolred orbs and have a nasty tendency to float DIRECTLY
over Kirby's head... you know what I'm talking about, they're
in Great Cave Offensive where the Bandana is found, and also
in Chapter 7 of Revenge of Meta Knight. Whatever their name
is, I think HAL based the big metal Laser... things in KaTAM
on them. If they're armed with a Laser attack, I'll bet it's
painful.
Laser Kirby receives a 7.5/10 from me, as it's not really that
great, but not horrible either.
