Kirby's Dream Land
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kirby's Dream Land | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | HAL Laboratory, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Masahiro Sakurai |
| Release date(s) |  JPN April 27, 1992 USA April 28, 1992 AUS May 6, 1993 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: K-A (Kids to Adults) |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy |
| Media | 2-megabit cartridge |
Kirby's Dream Land (星のカービィ Kirby of the Stars?) is a video game for the Nintendo Game Boy. Designed by Masahiro Sakurai of HAL Labs and released in 1992, it marks the first of many appearances by the spherical puffball Kirby.
As the first in the series, Kirby's Dream Land set forth many of the trademark elements featured in later Kirby games, such as the title character's main set of moves. Notably absent, however, is Kirby's familiar ability to steal enemies' powers; with the exception of a few puzzle games, this is the only game in the series missing this ability.
At the time of its release, Kirby's Dream Land showcased some of the best graphic design of any hand-held game, making it a visual masterpiece. It solidified many of the gaming standards commonly associate with platformers, such as stages that culminate in bosses, hidden rooms and passages, power-ups, and secret play options. In addition, despite the game's inherent simplicity and unconventional storyline and characters, it has held up better than most premiere games. Most of the enemies, bosses, levels and music introduced in this game would reappear later in the series.
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
[edit] Storyline
The misguided King Dedede has stolen the Sparkling Stars, which provide all of the food in the country of Dream Land (Pupupu Land). Kirby, a little boy who stumbling across Pop Star while traveling the galaxy, instantly signs up for the job of getting their food back. Thus, Kirby's first adventure begins.
[edit] Controls
As with most platform games, Kirby's basic movement involves walking in either direction or jumping. However, his main method of offense involves inhaling most enemies and some obstacles (such as blocks). After Kirby has something in his mouth, he can swallow it (thus eliminating it), or spit it out as a projectile attack.
Kirby can also fly, which he achieves by breathing in air. While flying, Kirby is slower, but can rise to any height. To end flight, he exhales an "air pellet" which is in itself capable of destroying most enemies (although it does no damage to bosses).
If Kirby falls far enough, he will go into a body dive, knocking away any minor enemy he hits. However, only a few situations call for this ability.
[edit] Levels
The game is rather short by platformer standards, even compared to earlier Game Boy games like Super Mario Land. It consists of only five stages:
- Green Greens: A forest/ grassland type level.
- Boss: Whispy Woods, a tree who attacks by dropping apples and shooting gusts of wind.
- Castle Lololo: A large castle with many doors inhabited by Lololo and Lalala, and several other strange creatures like mumbies and ghosts.
- Boss: Lololo and Lalala, twins who push blocks across several platforms, attempting to collide with Kirby. These two characters are identical to Lolo and Lala of HAL's Eggerland series.
- Float Islands: A tropical region. The level ends with kirby being stuck in a whales blowhole and then blasted to the sky.
- Boss: Kaboola, an airship who flies ahead of Kirby and shoots cannonballs at him. Kaboola, unlike the other bosses from the game, does not reappear in later games of the series.
- Bubbly Clouds: An entire level in which Kirby jumps across a cloudy sky.
- Boss: Kracko, a spiky cloud who shoots beams from his one eye and drops Waddle Doos to attack Kirby.
- Mt. DeDeDe: The site of King Dedede's castle. Before facing him, however, Kirby must redefeat the four previous bosses.
- Final boss: Dedede, a penguin-like bioform who wields a hammer and has the ability to inhale Kirby.
[edit] Extra Mode
By beating the game once, the player is given a code to be entered at the title screen that unlocks Extra Mode, a mode of play with increased difficulty. Extra Mode adds replay value to the game, changing the enemy layout and adding many new enemies (such as the chick, who turns into a faster and smarter chicken). The bosses also become much more difficult in this mode.
[edit] Influence
[edit] Remakes
Kirby's Adventure Stage 7-6 is a heavily condensed version of this game.
Kirby Super Star for the SNES has a game for beginners called Spring Breeze. Spring Breeze is considerably shorter and easier, as Kirby can now use abilities.
[edit] Sequels
Two direct sequels followed: Kirby's Dream Land 2 for Game Boy and Kirby's Dream Land 3 for SNES. Kirby's Adventure for the NES also came out a year after this game's release, however, it was not a direct sequel.
[edit] Trivia
- On the cartridge label of the Game Boy game, as well as the box and an early commercial, Kirby is depicted as being white; in all subsequent games he is pink. This is due to confusion on Nintendo of America's behalf.
- There was debate on what color Kirby should be. Shigeru Miyamoto thought the characters of this kind were generally yellow, but Masahiro Sakurai went for pink, which Miyamoto finally liked as it was a unique color, as well as to make him look less like Pac-Man. Regardless, either color would look white on the Game Boy, and both colors show up in later installments in the Kirby series such as Kirby Super Star and Kirby and the Amazing Mirror. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, white is one of Kirby's alternate character colors, for nostalgic reasons.
- The title theme for the game is hidden in the Kirby's Adventure sound test, and the theme for Stage 1 (Green Greens) of Kirby's Dream Land is also played in the final stage of Kirby's Adventure, as well as the Green Greens stage of Super Smash Bros. Melee.
