Ask Guru Gobbo #142

1) Yes and no, although some details would have helped. You're lucky I just so happened to know what thing you were talking about. When battling bosses at the Dream Spring, the fountain appears as part of the background. Above it, as you can see, a black ball covered in stars. Yes, this does look like Nightmare's Orb form. Note, looks like.

Why in all that is round and pink would Nightmare, the sinister force who was dispelled from the spring those many years ago, be sitting there, idle, above the legendary structure? That's entirely stupid. It's more than entirely. It breaks into 135% incompetency, folks. It's that bad. No, this is just a star covered ball plopped on top.

Why? There's two ways of looking at it. On the backside, development way of things, the game was created by Americans and not the standard Kirby team. Because of this, they took more liberties with the franchise. For example, Kirby's snarky personality and such. When designing the backdrop to the later battles, they probably wanted more than just a star stuck on a stick emerging from some water. If you notice, the shot is pretty dark and intense. They were probably grasping for material to beef up the once-used location and thought, "Hey, Nightmare Power Orb. That'd look good."

That's the "Why come?" So, what's the "Why's it there?" as far as in-game terms. Well, since the place was so beloved by the residents and since it was the site of a major battle, it stands perfectly to reason that a monument or other form of commemoration was erected there. A fake Nightmare orb makes a lot more sense than the real deal.

2) Fans who believe that are idiots. That's just the hard truth. They believe it is a prequel due to Kirby being an infant in the animated series and a young boy in the games. What they overlook is the fact that the games and the show are entirely disconnected and are not the same canon, universe, or essential characters. Completely different, unrelated, but rooted in the same origin. It's like a video game movie compared to the video game, the same but not.

What you talkin' 'bout, Qube? Does golf not count as a sport? Er, miniature golf? Okay, macroscopic golf is barely a sport, so I'll give in that department. Still, there was a baseball like game in the batch of Satelleview-only BS Kirby no Omotya Bako set of games. Those were more like pinball and other ball in hole on a panel games, however.

Regardulus, the pagan god of regardless circumstances, you can't really just do game types for the sake of doing them. Look at Mario. Is that how you want Kirby to be? That poor plumber has been rented out like a two dollar trollop. The shame. Tennis, soccer, and how knows what I've missed since I last cared to check. They don't really seem to have much on the way of a personal flare, either. At least Kirby's put-put and other sport-esque side-games have a spin on them with the whole enemy power things. You couldn't, say, just get soccer and put the puff in it. Then you'd just have, well, soccer with the puff in it. As the ball, too, which if controlled by the player would leave the CPU no chance to score.

No, it's not high-time for cream puff to put lace up cleats. I'd prefer he stayed with innovation rather than cranking at the mill. I'd prefer things like Tilt 'n' Tumble or Canvas Curse things that haven't been done before than slapping a face on an old pastime.

1) You had to reiterate it why if you understood the answer?

2) As with most things, just make sure to mention Rainbow Resort in the game's credits as the source of the sprites. Also, probably mention the contributor by name. That's all. Pretty standard.

This seems an odd type of inquiry on the basic grounds of it. It's almost like asking what color the sky is. No one asks that as they typically can just see it.

A mascot is the same way. You shouldn't have to ask if it is the delegated representative; you should just see it. When you see anything Nintendo, you pretty much get Mario slapped in your face. For Marvel comics, there's often a head of Spidey in a white box even if he's not in the comic. Sometimes this will be Wolverine or some other icon, but it's always some heavy hitter to say, "Hey, yo, good stuff." Hal, on the other hand, doesn't seem to do that. There logo is... a dog with eggs? There official website doesn't have Kirby this and Kirby that. They don't seem to promote any character heavily.

Hal has had a lot of characters over a lot of years. Kirby, yes, is the most recognizable to us, but I think we're a bit biased being Kirby fans. However, due to Super Smash Bros., I'm sure that statement holds true with most of those not into the fandom. Kirby is, by far, their most successful character, but I don't think that gives him a throne and crown to rub in the rest's faces, just his "Number One" ribbon.

I don't know. I can't see into the future. Currently, nothing is announced for such a release. As soon as a new game comes out for Kirby, it typically is plastered on the main page and all the buzz across the site. There hasn't been such a flurry, so there must not be anything coming out. This is a site with its finger on the pulse of all things Kirby. It's not like we wouldn't tell you when something was coming out.

1) Both Canvas Curse and Partners in Time came out four years ago, 2005. That's quite a while ago. Granted, Mario 64 DS came out in '04 (well, '07 if you live in Korea), it's a more base system game. The original Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt combo game seemed to never leave shelves as it was the game for the system. I think that's the case in this situation. Stores like to keep fresh faces on the shelves, top sellers, or the most notable names. That's what people care about, that's what people therefore buy, and that's what gets them more greenbacks. Or, I guess, some other color depending where you're from..

2) In Super Smash Bros., all of the characters are supposed to be toys in a room, so, obviously, Master Hand would be a thirty-some year old man living in his mother's basement. That's the type who buys toys these days.

You actually thought that the super-secret final boss would be explained in the booklet? Are you new to Kirby or something? Nightmare, Dark Matter, Zero, Dark Mind -- none have ever had the slightest foretelling to even that they were in the game. Well, Dark Matter did in his further appearances, but not the initial one. It was a complete shock. Anyways, the booklets never explain a thing. That's why the Kirby community is ripe with so much theorizing and fan fictions run amok. No one is saying otherwise.

Anyhoo, there's multiple takes on it. A lot of it is a translation boundary between English and Japanese. The basics involve Dark Matter not having friends. Whether it's because he's joyless or alone, he takes over worlds and all the people on them. If this is to spread suffering or give him buddies, I've heard both ways. I've always leaned more to the "friendless" scenario as that was a take I could actually read. The entire devoid of emotions bit is a bit difficult to get translated properly on Japanese sites, and YouTube is five leagues lower than Wikipedia or my Aunt Sally for credibility.

Actually, I didn't think this could be done strictly due to the time limit imposed on the player. However, with all those speed runs of super efficient players flying 'round the interweb, I was curious if such had been performed. And, in fact, it has been done, in both Super Star and Ultra. Of course, it's arguably easier to pull off in the remake as opposed to the classic due to the overall difficulty nerfing.

Just because it can be done doesn't mean that it accomplishes anything. They rigged it so that the player should not be able to pull off the deed, so there's only a second or two before the engines engage. Nothing changes with the progression of the game. The nozzles fire and Kirby, and pieces of the already blown up Heavy Lobster, go whizzing by. You're a lot better off just avoiding the mechanized monstrosity to keep your power levels up.

Simple, it's the light is not always good trope. Zero and 0² have the same theme, going as far to put a halo into the mix. They aren't good guys, but Japan likes its religious symbolism. Have you ever heard of Evangelion? The entire series is about angels killing the world.

Additionally, Meta Knight is supposed to be a bad guy. That's how his character was designed. He's like Spawn, an over-the-top anti-hero from the '90s. Fortunately, rather than being a complete cliché from that decade, Meta Knight was created to be a villain (which he was in his first two games) but somehow switched sides throughout development. That's why he has the classically maligned associated looks. To further the irony/idiocy, those two games in which he was evil are also the two games that were remade to allow the player to control him.

Still, Galacta Knight is a contradiction in its own right, pairing feathered wings with horns, normally associated with devils. And that's what they are -- feathered. They aren't angel wings, and Meta Knight doesn't have devil wings. It's just feathered versus membranous. Yes, there tends to be a lean on both towards one side, but nothing makes them a divine or sinister pair of flyers in any respect. That's some pretty closed minded thinking. How dare you be such a pterapath! ... Pteraphobe? ... Pterist?

Is this a full question? Um... yes? The Kirby games go by different names, time to time, when released in different regions. Squeak Squad became "Mouse Attack", for example. Of course, the titles change when they even come to America. Adventure was "Dream Spring", and Dream Land never appeared in a title ever. So, yes, "Fun Pak" was its European name. It was a compilation of several sub-games, after all. Like a six pack, only with more and not drinkable.

1) He'd probably look exactly the same. You know, 'cuz that's how he looks an all. It's not like he'd suddenly change. Well, unless you were to ask one of those morons who does "real" Pokémon art. "Wow, that's a cool looking monster/dragon thing, but, really, how is that Alakazam?!"

2) Not everything is a reference. The backwards turned cap is just a cool youth trend, and yo-yos are toys used by children. Hence, the ability dons the fashion style. Now, if Wheel wasn't the one to have the red cap, then it's be more debatable to be in line with the green stocking cap of Sword in reference to Link. However, Yo-yo wears blue or purple, so no go on the yo-yo.

3) Kirby can speak. He's spoken in story introductions in manuals, indirectly in the games, directly in Avalanche (I know it doesn't count fully), and in every single manga or German comic. Not to mention he roars in a metal style with the Mike ability in Super Star, what is it, "System?" He can speak. He has spoken. The Kirby series just doesn't need dialogue to string along the events or give clues to what needs to be done. It's mainly the disconnected and separate animated series that created this myth about him being unable to speak.

The games just avoid it as they are not RPGs. They aren't storyline centered, so all you possibly need is some explanation at the start and end. Dream Land 3 completely bypasses this at all times with just a slide show of stills that shows what the problem is, how there's still trouble out there, and that everything is peaceful once more. It even goes to the length of having characters just stand there to inform you what needs to be done to get their Heart-Star. Words are unnecessary and just need translated. Imagery shows the player what needs done, and that's universal.