Uh, wow, I was not expecting to see this many faces. Thank you all for commenting (and liking and subscribing)! Seriously, reading all the comments really made my day and I really liked the answers everyone gave to my question. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed my first video! I'll work hard to improve to make content that's even more enjoyable.
I’ve seen a lot of content creators bring this subject up briefly, but I’ve never seen it deconstructed quite like this. I never really thought about what those cutscenes really add to Kirby as a character, minus just being a little cute guy. Also Epic Yarn especially really shows off Kirby’s character so well, I think it’s half the reason why I love it so much
I've been saying this for yeeaaarsss!!! You said everything I've thought about these cutscenes perfectly! These little windows to dream land have to return, they're so charming and, like you said, have done a lot of heavy lifting to building Kirby's personality and motives. Considering Forgotten Land got a few more cutscenes thrown in their story, I'm really hoping the next mainline game doubles down on them. Of course, those were mostly narrative driven, and not just, the cast goofying around. I would've killed to have a little scene where Kirby and Elfilin are just enjoying their time in Wonderia; little intermissions of Team Kirby interacting with Magolor as he fixed the Lor; scenes where Susie slowly warms up to Kirby; or Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee bonding through the events of Triple Deluxe. It's little things like these that make a huge difference. Not to mention that they greatly contribute to Kirby's cute brand identity! The intro to Kirby Triple Deluxe holds a really special place on my heart, because for a big chunk of it, it shows a peaceful day in Kirby's life. This is what Kirby's fighting for, for a new wind for tomorrow of happy fun times and delicious nap times, not just for himself, bit for his friends, and everyone else. Same goes for the Welcome to the New Worlds cutscene in Forgotten Land: to feel the fresh ocean breeze go against your face, and to admire nature and the life within it, how every creature has their own life going on. It's really beautiful. I'm not gonna lie, this video made me a bit emotional. I don't know why, but I teared up a bit. I love Kirby so much, man. Modern Kirby has the heart, but is it too much to ask for a little bit more? Ps. That theory of Kirby and Kine's friendship origin being that cutscene is such a cute idea.
The way i see it Kirby fights for those he cares about I feel thats expressed in triple deluxe, where he spends most of the adventure trying to save dedede and looks overjoyed to have em back
Earlier Kirby games used to have metroidvania elements and required creative exploration to find alternate paths and stuff. I remember Kirby's adventure having a ton of that, and so did Dreamland 3, if I recall correctly. The great cave offensive was a really good example of that, too. It seems like later games phased these elements out in favor of it just being a pure action game.
This video is AMAZING! I wish we had more of these cutscenes in Forgotten Land, it would've made its impact hit a LOT harder for more people. Let's hope the next game shows us more touching cutscenes!
I think these scenes were phased out because kirby games got more plot heavy. Sure, the Dark Matter Trilogy and Super Star had stories, but they were much less focused on telling a somewhat focused story, which made kirby games feel like these special, much more friendly times between Kirby and his friends, and, honestly, I think Forgotten Land is the first game to get us back into Kirby actually seeming like a friend, specifically with Elfilin, who talks to Kirby, and even participates in his little dance, and is just... Being there around Kirby for small things like getting food from the cafe. As for what Kirby fights for? He... Doesn't really have anything specific. He'll chase after cake thieves, before then turning around and stopping an eldritch being in the very next game. Kirby fights because he wants to get back to goofing off with his friends, or because he's trying to make a new friend. He can't do that with big bad guys in the way.
7:19 I imagine Kirby as a semi-nonverbal wanderer. If he has to talk it'll be short and to the point, and the rest of the time Kirby relies on body language and grammarless noises to get the point across
Really beautiful analysis about something no one ever really talks about. Storytelling in these retro games may seem simple, and it is, but because they went through the extra effort to even make these little scenes, they mean that much more.
Yeahhh, I completely agree with this. I think I would have liked Elfilin a bit more if something like these cutscenes happened in Forgotten Land. I didn't dislike him, but he wasn't a particularly easy character to get attached to due to his sorta minimal screentime (which is not helped by the fact he gets kidnapped halfway through the main plot). At least Magolor was funny.
This has been said many times before, but I love the idea that the person who cares the least about Kirby Lore is Kirby himself. The world could be ending due to a demon sacrifice gone wrong and he'd still just be in it to make friends and eat some delicious treats.
Kirby can't just feel like he can have a good day if it means that someone else can be endangered, Kirby fights for everlasting peace but because he enjoys living his normal life, the one that isn't seen in the gameplay because he's busy solving a problem, of course not every videogame protagonist is always on the action, they have inbetweens of time before stuff of just the characters living their lives, Kirby fights so he can continue to do that. Anyways this is a pretty well explained video and a pretty enjoyable first impression from yours!
@dylanbanning uh, maybe? I have an idea that could maybe be interesting for mario kart but I have other videos I want to get to making first. I'll keep it on the back burner though!
Honestly, I agree with your take on Kirby's motives, but I'd like to add I think Kirby doesn't mean to *fight* for anything. Most of the modern games start out with him noticing the peace has been interrupted, or someone's in trouble, and just wanting to find out why, even if he has to fly to the edge of the galaxy to find out. Robobot opens with him waking up to see everything metal and robotic, and wandering forward. Star Allies doesn't open with him seeing the Jamba Hearts, it starts with him seeing Waddle Dees deliver food to Mt. Dedede and running after them. He's just a curious, caring, normal guy who tries to solve problems, and always just, sort of *ends up* fighting the threat because it's going to solve everyone else's problems too. He doesn't go in with a plan, and he can't see the pause descriptions so he doesn't have greater context towards the villains' motivation. He just wants to know, "Why?", and is happy to take literally any answer you give him at face value, as long as it's not a threat of some sort.
Very true! Even though I talked about what I think Kirby fights for, I also don't believe that they are a strict of set of rules/motivations he follows. Really, they are traits that stem from how Kirby is someone who always acts according to his true nature. This is why I see kirby as a true, bonafide hero. He doesn't act on the logic of what's "good" or "bad"; words like that are too rigid for someone as carefree as him. Instead, he just does whatever feels right to him, which, because he is a good-natured person, will always be good, even though he may not be actively thinking about whether or not something is "right" or "wrong". This is what makes him pure-hearted; He does what he does because that's just who he is, not because it's already considered "the right thing to do". He's good without even trying. Ironically, being true to himself makes him both a normal guy who loves to eat, sleep and play with his friends, while also making him a true hero, who is the embodiment of everything good in his universe. The ladder is why he consistently finds himself in these universe-ending battles; Kirby narratively represents everything good in his universe. Acting on what he feels is right will always unintentionally lead him to the right place at the right time (which is why, even when he ends up getting tricked, things still work out in the end). His pure-heart always steers him in the right direction (as shown in mass attack lol). If you're still reading this, thank you for the comment! I guess this can serve as somewhat of a sneak peak for my next scripted video.
Finally a good Kirby character analysis. I don’t really have much to say for critique, I think overall you made a lot of great points that cut to the heart of Kirby’s appeal. It's really touching for me to see someone trying to fully comprehend the appeal of this loveable character. I just have some additional points to add on to your own. You touch on it briefly but that contrast is a very big part of Kirby’s appeal. How he looks so cute and innocent with a childlike demeanor. But is also an incredibly powerful and tough warrior that always saves the day. Kirby is a great example of how a hero doesn’t have to look the part as long as they have the heart to stand up for what’s right and take action. He’s constantly underestimated by his enemies and even the player at first glance. That makes his victories even more satisfying because Kirby isn’t just winning, he’s proving himself. Another thing you touched on a big part of Kirby’s charm is the mystery of his very nature. How does he inhale things with the force of a vacuum? How does he copy enemy abilities and wield them effortlessly? How does he fly by simply sucking in air and holding his breath? Why does he split into three to do his cute dances? These are all questions that don’t need answers because the absurdity of Kirby is part of the fun. He’s an enigma that can’t be fully understood. And that’s okay, you’re supposed to embrace Kirby’s uncanny ability to always find a solution to a problem, even if he has to break the rules of reality to do so. That’s really what Kirby as a series is all about: embracing chaos and having fun with it. You touched on the modern games, and yeah, I do agree that there’s something missing about Kirby’s appeal. For me, it’s mainly the lack of expression on Kirby and the focus on dialogue. As you said, the original games found ways to show Kirby’s childlike personality through the transition scenes even if the technology didn’t allow for it in the gameplay. But the newer games really feel like they turn Kirby into more of a blank slate or symbol of purity with how much less emotional depth he has in both cutscenes and gameplay. Even when they do show his depth, it feels more understated. Kirby isn’t just cheerful and naïve. He was clumsy, stubborn and impulsive. Those were traits that could cause as many problems as they solved or just led to funny moments. Like accidentally releasing nightmare. Kirby wasn’t a perfect hero, but his heart was always in the right place. The modern games almost make him feel too invincible because they don’t really let Kirby fail as often, even in smaller stakes moments for comedy. It makes him feel less relatable and more like an untouchable figure. It sort of reaches a breaking point for me when you get those scenes where the modern villains are talking about their plans and Kirby is just staring blankly like he’s not even registering their words. Kumazaki really likes explaining the mysteries of Kirby’s world, and while that can appeal to some, I don’t think it benefits Kirby as a character much. He's too stoic and passive, which doesn't fit his expressive nature (Forgotten Land was an improvement, though!) I’m not saying you can’t have those mysteries, but I think Sakurai and Shimomura had the better approach of making the mysteries more subtle. It keeps the focus on how Kirby reacts to the danger, rather than on having detailed lore for the sake of detailed lore (but that’s an entirely separate discussion lol).
AAAAAA, i'm glad you're like me! Thank you for the comment! Honestly, the reason I started making videos is because I wanted to see Kirby discussions like this for a long time. As they say, become the change you want to see in the world lol. I reaaally hope they make a few changes to bring back the charms from the older games. Also, funny enough, I talk about the how kirby's innocence is undermined by enemies in my script for one of my music analysis video (which will be after the DL3 one). I think you'll love it! When it comes out 😅. Welcome to the channel!
Excellent video, I’ve wanted these cutscenes back for years. I will say however, one moment from a recent(ish) game that evokes the same feeling is the opening cutscene of Kirby Triple Deluxe. It’s a simple but very effective showcase of the average day in Kirby’s life and really shows off how, in spite of his numerous adventures, at the end of the day Kirby is just a peaceful little guy. I really wish more recent games had cutscenes like this but I also don’t think this should be overlooked
Agreed, great video. I loved how those skits showed Kirby's personality. I also loved your point about how the copy ability combos with the animal friends feels like they're just goofing around, like they normally would, just shifting those abilities for battle and adventure. It really shows their personalities, and how Kirby's amazing powers are both amazing, and ordinary, for his daily life. And one of the main things I think the series is missing is not utilizing Gooey as Kirby's de facto best friend and player two, especially in games like Forgotten Land. I think his personality is perfect for bringing out Kirby's and contrasting with all of his aspects, being a sort of little brother figure for him, and he functions perfectly as a separate character that can do everything Kirby can do, letting both players be mostly equal. What I think Kirby fights for is peace. He'll do everything he can to help other people, he really is everyone's friend, as long as there's a chance they'll accept it.
> Pro-Gooey commentary You a real one for that, just want you to know. Love that lil' goober with all my heart, & it's a personal bag fumble to me that Gooey didn't stick as Kirby's player 2 wingman, the Patrick to his SpongeBob if you will. Hell, the two were roomates according to a japanese guide for KDL3, & they could even be related, if certain fan theories are anything to go by.
The good ol' cutscenes in between worlds were very charming and memorable! sadly so easy to forget what we miss with the new games these days. Also for a first video I think it turned out great! ^^ And to answer the question, Kirby's motives for fighting usually involves doing so for his friends, for his stolen food, and to generally help everyone if there's a problem
Too true. Even though Return to Dreamland brought a lot of ideas and mechanics back, there are a few things it didn't bring back. Still an amazing game tho. Also, agreed. No problem is too big or too small for our Kirby!
There's a lot to unpack here! First off, incredible first video, big fan of the piece you did with all of those fun expression Kirby has. Second, to answer your question, I think Kirby fights, as you said, for Dream Land, for naps, for food, for friends, for every single little mundane thing that becomes dream-like in, well, dream land! Personally, I'm a big fan of Shimomura's vision of Kirby, so expressive and charming!! Again, and I can't stress this out enough, you have done an amazing job
Thanks for the praise! For the art, I tried to pack as many expressions from the cutscenes as possible. Yep, that dreamland vibe is worth fighting for, from all the different magical artifacts to the friends made along the way. Speaking of which, I'm also a big fan of Shimomura's direction for kirby. I'm glad that some of it is still sprinkled into the modern games (though i would still appreciate a remake or follow-up to DL3).
Finally got around to watching this, this is really cool! It's something I never really thought about. You make a good point about the games not doing as good of a job to make us care about new characters, as in Forgotten Land, I was more concerned with saving Dedede once I knew he was possessed, even though Elfilin was just kidnapped. As for RTDL, I would agree with you there in the past, but honestly Helper Magolor is genuinely such a big benefit to the game's narrative, even if it is a theoretically simple easy mode. As for what kirby fights for, I always thought it was because he knew something was wrong and wanted to fix it, and he's one of the only ones with the power to fix it. I'm not sure whether or not he knows this though, his character has never really been challenged at any point, and usually kirby stories revolve around the backstory of the villain. (though Kirby's rouges gallery is a topic for another video essay) 8:36 god bless america
this is an awesome video!! ive never put my brain on the cutscenes all that much, but i did recently spend a lot of time dwelling on just how well executed adeleine and ribbon were, especially ribbon. having her instigate the plot, gather every single shard with you and show up for the final battle all did a lot to endear me to her, on top of all the work the cutscenes did. My opinion before reconsidering price fluff (and maybe elline? i actually havent played) was that elfilin was our best friend making experience since ribbon, mostly for the gameplay. [KFL spoilers follow] while forgo land does skimp on the cutscnes as you point out, i always felt like forgo land has a plot beat in the way many games dont when elfilin goes away for a bit. it makes worlds without him feel very different, lonely with a tinge of epic motivation. its because elfilin is also with you every step of the way through action, popping up all the time, dancing with you, being there for moments like eating food or minigames and most of all being there if you ever choose to use kirby's bed. i feel like ribbon and elfilin make a really strong case for action/gameplay inclusion being a way to include a a small dynamic arc, even if characterization suffers without these regular cutscenes in KFL. (nice to be able to talk about this at length lol! great work once again.)
7:27 - "He doesn't really wait on others to make a decision" Not even through with video and I'm SO glad you brought this up! In the Kirby: Right Back At Ya anime, one of Sakurai's rules was that Kirby wasn't allowed to speak... as a result, the lad was turned into a baby and lost almost all agency as a character 😭 On top of that, there he's PROPHECIZED, demanded by fate and status, to do what he does, and though it's one thing that he doesn't really care about that, the fact that he barely comprehends ANY of it is another! I'll say a million times over that it's a MAJOR gripe I have with the show that he was basically reduced to a Pokémon (especially since the agency he WOULD'VE had was transferred over to, in my frank opinion, a nag), and I'm glad someone out there gets that Kirby is his own man! Or boy, rather... Generally speaking, I'm hearing many other interesting points... never thought about how the stage interludes contributed to Kirby's personality 🤔 Good stuff!
I remember watching some retrospective videos on the series and it really reminded me how little of *Kirby:* Right Back At Ya focused on Kirby. The only really time Kirby has gone out to do something because someone else told him to was Marx telling him to collect the stars to summon Nova but if we're being for real, if Marx never showed up, Kirby would've probably just take it upon himself to fight the sun and moon to stop them. Here he just either does what he's told and nothing more or literally nothing. I will say though, I don't mind Kirby not really getting his prophecy since I feel like a core part of his character is how he doesn't really understand much besides some basics. basics
Such a well thought out, fantastic analysis, definitely agree with many of the points you brought up. This series has so many little details and quirks in it just waiting to be talked about. Looking forwards to any more videos in the future
I might be projecting a little, but part of me thinks Kirby's going out vanquishing evil so he can turn right back around and get some peace and quiet in his nice cozy bed
While we're on the topic, I kinda wish that future Kirby games give us unique enemies again, like the ones at 2:10. The cutscenes are one thing, but I feel like more people wouldn't portray Kirby as a monster that "kills people over a slice of cake" if the games didn't have you beating up fellow Dream Landers like Waddle Dees and Poppy Bros, the characters the plot states you're defending, so frequently. It made sense in the first few games where Kirby was still at odds with their King or they were possessed by Dark Matter etc, and I suppose Robobot too since most of them were mechanised, but you'd think the average Dream Land inhabitant would be working together with Kirby in recent titles to stop whatever big bad is trying to conquer the galaxy for the 5th time this week rather than just fighting each other (sure there's the Helper system in Star Allies but now you got Burnin' Leo cooking his own brothers alive just for the heck of it). On the bright side, HAL Labs seem to have taken notice of this as Waddle Dees are friendly NPCs in Forgotten Land and don't even appear in the main plot of Magolor Epilogue, mostly replacing them with the Beast Pack/Doomers, but I hope they keep this up in the next game, and replace more enemies with actual bad guys going forward. Edit: I'm reading the comments in order of newest right now and someone's proving my point just three comments away, saying that he'd beat people up just because they're bothering him or he was told to. They're not wrong that Kirby is pretty easy to manipulate, but saying he's not a hero is a stretch, he wouldn't hurt someone if they've done nothing wrong (Squeak Squad wrote him pretty poorly overall) and even if it's to fulfil his own means, beating up bad guys is still a net positive for everyone.
I can definitely see a potential open world game having cut scenes of Kirby flying in to the area on a star, landing (or crashing) immediately into gameplay. The intros could introduce the the new area/world/level. It could have warp stars around that fly around the map like Pokémon Eon Flute Flying. I really want to see something like a 3D Amazing Mirror.
Thank you for commenting! And I know Kirby is capable of all sorts of crazy things but I still think it's accurate. After all, even though he has all these crazy abilities and stuff, he usually spends his days doing the mundane stuff, like eating, sleeping, fishing, etc.
@@thestarwarper I see him more as a purely positive entity that indulges in the joys of life (eating, napping, loving/friendship, playing) rather than just a guy that does normal guy things. He has more of a purpose than that
Including Elfillin and separating the multiple characters in one, There are 5 out of the 17 "Dream Friends" that have tried to kill Kirby and if we are generous, narrow it down to characters who have done so voluntarily, and include the Dl3 animal buds, it's still only 9/20.
shimomura's games are legit the best vibe for the series imo. it feels like a proper expansion of the world as sakurai showed them, but they have a sense of wonder the kumazaki games ended up losing from continuing to specify on lore (do we REALLY need to know everything about what is basically a space atlantis?) and the buddies in dl3 & 64 just feel like a better group than two rivals and some guy improperly trained in weapon handling also, i feel like shimomura intended for kirby to have a love interest. several of the animations for chuchu have her blushing, she gets petals next to her in dl3's opening sequence, and ribbon just kisses the pink guy outright. the whole two girlfriends thing never gets properly resolved either (to my knowledge) so i guess he's just juggling both of them now
I think that forgotten land handed this well with the activities in waddle dee town. The fishing, eating, napping, gotcha figures, tilt and roll, the band, movie theater, and even just the ability to wave. It all gives little stuff like that and puts it in the players hands which I like quite a bit.
Yeah, they definitely do other things to squeeze in some wholesome character interactions. My favorite one is when Kirby gives the little wave to every waddle dee he saves. They aren't collectibles, they're friends!
Y'know, for what's apparently your first video, this ain't half bad! Even though I love more modern characters like Magolor over those like the Animal Friends, I can see your point. I myself found that I wanted more meaningful interaction between Kirby, Bandana Dee, and Elfilin in Forgotten Land before the latter was kidnapped, since the emotional impact of that story moment didn't hit as hard as I would've liked it to. Having cutscenes like in the older games certainly could've alleviated that issue. In Return to Dream Land's case, the optional dialogue with Magolor was enough for me to demonstrate the relationship between him and Kirby, though more interactions between Kirby's party members like in the older games would've been appreciated.
I just think unconditional compassion is Kirby's most essential trait. If we wanna get hung up on "Matter" lore, he's is supposedly made of concentrated positive energy, making him the antithesis of negative vibes, which is also why I think we've never seen Kirby affected or distraught by darkness, despite all of his friends having been posessed or influenced at least once before. Kirby is just a free, chill little guy who steps up to the plate whenever anything or anyone tries to take willpower away from others.
Dou you have a list of the music used or ateast specifically the song at 14:10 ? I recognize it very heavily but can't quite determine which song it is / which game
yeah you are totally right. the problem with modern games is mainly because of how the plot is structured in most of them, you dont really get to see a downtime and relaxing moment since it's all action action. like, i still totally feel the same to modern characters even without these cutscenes, because of how the characters have interacted in the series already to each other so kumazaki leaves it for granted you know their history already, but having these would just be make the package even better! forgotten land tecnically have them again tho, but instead of being scenes between worlds, they are the optional scenes and things you can do in waddle dee town with bandee and elfilin, like you showed at the end
Yeah, for me there's just this sense where they could do just a liiiiiitle bit more. I mean, the short cutscenes can't take that much work to make right?
@@thestarwarper yeah I do hope they bring them back again. Honestly gives me more of an impression they didn't make any when making Kirby gcn and then return, then triple deluxe and Robobot happened where Kirby was alone in those, and by that point they got stuck in the formula or forgot about this tiny detail of the past games. Someone just got to remind everyone of those and hopefully we can get them back!
It really is a shame that the opening skits that showcase Kirby and their friend's antics and personalities are largely relegated to more hidden places like the images shown at the credits of the game or Star Allies' title screen skits. I feel like HAL knows the personality of Kirby and other characters in the Kirby series very well, so I hope that in future titles they will lean more towards that. While Sakurai's Kirby games are snappy action games at their core, Shimomura's Kirby games should be seen less as games and more as a form of art. The Dark Matter Trilogy games are both cute and weirdly esoteric, and Shimomura is not only aware of this, but fully embraces it. Environments look gorgeous and feel like actual worlds rather than levels in a video game, and the games are slower-paced for the player to really appreciate the beautiful worlds that Kirby explores. Copy abilities are wacky and playful, and experimenting with all the combinations brings back a child-like sense of experimentation and discovery. Overall, Shimomura's Dark Matter Trilogy has a very unique feel to them that few other games capture,
Okay, I wasn't expecting this comment to be so long but I kinda just rambled on cause I kept thinking about and I feel like it all ties together. TL;DR, Kirby's friend interactions are a little weird when you consider the modern games but I think there is a bit of a missed opportunity when it comes to Kirby's little moments by himself in between worlds. On the topic of Kirby's friends, I feel like the modern games can't really show off Kirby's friendship with others because the characters aren't very friendly. Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot and Star Allies' new characters are outright antagonists until the very end. Susie Taranza and the Mages feel less like friends and more like grateful aquaintences and during the adventures in their respective games, Kirby goes in alone to save Popstar. There's nobody to bounce off of and when Kirby does get that with things like being excited when Dedede is back to normal, it's really sweet but admitted makes you wish there was more. I feel like the one that really fumbled was Return to Dreamland. Return actually showed a lot of promise for this aspect of the series considering the title screen. Dedede makes funny faces at Kirby and then laughs, Bandana Dee laughs along like a little follower, Kirby is confused and Meta Knight expresses embarassment at the king's childish antics. That's perfect and very reminiscent of of KDl2 and 3 but there could've been more past it. There could've been a cutscene transitioning from one world to the next with the 4 just hanging out and interacting with each. This is Kirby, his two closest friends and Dedede's most loyal subject and the game shows the 4 always together. This lack of interaction also extentds to Magalor. Magalor's plan feels like an evolved version of Marx, where instead of just letting him go, he gets close to Kirby so that he's none the wiser. This kind of falls flat when Magalor is still somewhat distant. Yeah, he thanks Kirby and gives him some tidbits about the Lor, the....lore and himself but actually thinking about what he says, there's not much here that's super "friendly" which kind of dampens his betrayl. Even in Magalor Epilogue doesn't really show off Magalor's remorse outside of some sad idle animations that could easily be interpreted as lamenting his current situation rather than the events that lead to it and one upgrade line about flying with his friends. Now don't get me wrong, I love RtDl and Magalor and I think they did well with him in Dream Collection. Just saying that there are certain short comings relating to the video. I do think some solo Kirby cutscenes in the 3DS games would be really good though. It feels like the one character trait Kirby has displayed other than happiness is his consistent lack of knowledge of what's going on. It would be neat to see how he interacts with Floralia or a mechanized Popstar even for a moment at the beginning of each new world. I feel like that inherent goofy nature is part of Kirby's character and the moments of brevity are what he cares about. Plus seeing Kirby do something goofy is just simply fun and cute and really makes it all the more hilarious that that whatever horror comes at the end of the game is getting trounced by that same goof. I don't think I've ever thought about these beginning of world cutscenes this much but it really helps me appreciate Kirby, what he's about, what he acts like with or without others and what he loves. In conclusion.....wait how does Kirby know what pants feel like.
look one thing that i kinda wish for kirby games to uncover is focus more on obscure enemies, sure you see some obscure enemies or charaters come back here and there but if you go to the older games and see the enemy selection you will find a lot enemies that only appeared on that game and their remakes. jukid from superstar is a great example of a mid-boss that appeared as one of the three new ones on superstar with iron mam and chef kawasaki, the lucky one being chef kawasaki became a semi-popular represetation of the kirby franchise appearing on the anime as a main charater and having some references and appearences of him on other kirby games like return to dream land and star allies, but iron mam and jukid faded to obscurity until they appeared on the remake of super star but after that they din't have a lot going for them but iron mam did eventually appear or star allies as grand mam, but jukid only had appeared on other other media like a few small seconds on the anime, a puzzle on the japanese exclusive snes mario picross and two chapters on the kirby gag manga you may think that's a lot but i'm talking about the main games and he almost got no other mentions. but do you really think that a mid-boss that gives you the suplex ability appearing on the same game as buggzy being another mid-boss that give you the suplex ability that is far more popular than jukid? jukid get's little to no fans because he appears in the game 5 times but only 1 fight has him being something that you are forced to battle without 100% completing the game because you really think that someone is gonna complete kirby super star 100% the first time? the fight i'm talking about appears on revenge on meta knight and when you see him you also see poppy bros sr that is one of the most popular classic mid-bosses that you see in the game, i'm not a jukid fan but i think that he doesn't deserve being one of the mid-bosses that almost doesn't appear on the main franchise because there are a lot of mid-bosses that you never really see again but he looks like one that you would see a few times in the franchise as a semi-main staple of mid-bosses overall i choose him because he's one of the first ones that comes to my mind of underrated kirby charaters
Woah, this one is huge! Thanks for the comment! Yeah, there are a ton of kirby enemies that have just kinda stayed stranded on the game they debuted in. You're right about Jukid too, he's a rather interesting case. Not only are a good chunk of his fights optional, but he's the only mini-boss in the game who shares a copy ability with ANOTHER mini-boss (bugzzy, who vastly overshadows him in popularity). It's a shame too, those disconnected grabby hands were a cool mechanic that would be interesting to see expanded upon. That being said, they have been bringing back more old obscure stuff recently. Forgotten land even brought back Korori (those cute lil penguin guys from DL3, who also shared a copy ability with a much more popular enemy). Jukid (among others) might still have a chance!
Antdude said this exact thing during his initial review of Kirby's Return to Dreamland. However if you want my opinion, these SHOULD come back, so I won't have to treat these small cutscenes as small bonuses.
Amazing vid really enjoyed seeing appreciation for the small but necessary and lovable cutscenes one of those aspects I didn't realize so nice and your video definitely made me appreciate them more. Also you was spot on with your comment about how it is more told in modern Kirby games instead of being shown. I feel like a lot of modern games have that problem and not to open a whole different subject but that is why I could never get into Pokemon myself outside of some cases. Great vid definitely subscribing. All the best.
Well, to answer your question, I say Kirby fights for his home country of Dream Land, and by extension Planet Popstar as a whole, so he can continue to live his carefree lifestyle of eating, napping and being with his friends. And if a complete stranger needs help, Kirby's naturally going to lend a helping hand because he's, well... he's Kirby; it's in his nature to help others! And yeah, I do miss those little cutscenes from the Kirby games of the 1990s; I'd love for them to return in a future game, even if that's unlikely. What's also unlikely is the possibility of bringing back those Copy Ability boxes from Kirby's Adventure and Kirby Super Star; the current ability icons do their job well, but they aren't nearly as expressive. I'm not saying they have to completely replace them either; just stick the boxes in the pause screen while the newer ability icons are shown during gameplay. All in all, this was a great watch all around. Nicely done here! Oh, and I adore that artwork used throughout the video!
Agreed! Kirby's carefree life is something he'll always defend. And since making new friends is part of the happy dreamland life, he'll help anyone in need; even those who come from different planets! (And of course, because he's just that nice of a guy). Oh totally, the Copy Ability boxes (I usually call them Ability cards) were awesome! I really like ability icons too, but like you said, there's a way for them to both co-exist. Thanks for the praise! I'm glad you liked both the video and the art!
This was an amazing video, and I'm also shocked that I've never noticed this till watching this! I'm wondering is there a reason you didn't bring up the star allies animations? Also how have you put 950 hours in fighters 2?!
I am going to be honest and say i don't really care about the intro cutscenes for every world that much. But i still want to see it come back in some way and i want see my boi relax with his friends.
Early on I feel like Kirby was just a weird cartoon character. Especially in Super Star where he's this garrish pink color and kinda lumpy and ugly. He's just a bunch of 2D sprites and they had plenty of fun being expressive with poses and faces. In the 2000s he started being more solid and round. Probably in part because making a lumpy malleable thing in 3D was hard back then, and also because of the anime needing a more consistent character design. Nowadays Kirby's kind of a pastel pink Sanrio-esque character, and that perfect circle-ness is part of that. He's not a blank slate placeholder character that the devs are squashing and stretching and giving cool powers for the sake of it and sending on wacky adventures. He's Kirby™, the cute, round character who eat things. They made those cutscenes in Dreamland because it was a novel to see a cartoon character getting into hijinks on a video game console. It was fun and expressive for it's time. Nowadays the world is their oyster, and they'd probably make something cute and passive instead cuz that's what they're going for. If that's good or bad, that's up to preference. I like those early games a lot, but I appreciate that HAL makes high quality platformers even now. And they still do fun stuff juxtaposing crazy evil imagery with the cute characters.
1. answering your question on what kirby fights for i believe he fights for peace, in *every* sense of the word he fights for the mundane serenity his home provides, he fights for the world that doesn't bide to any rules or civilized norms, he fights for the friends and inhabitants that also flourish within these terms, and he fights for this time he cherishes most the gentle breeze, the naptimes, the endless comfort his world provides [ EDIT: now that i have heard your answer, i am VERY glad we basically hit the same conclusion. just as i talked about in the second thing here, i HAVE to mention ANOTHER entry from the "its kirby time" series, a book just showcasing kirby spending time in popstar. it's such a full realization of the world kirby lives in, i'm impressed they were able to do this without the typical conventions that make up an "entertaining" setting, like a proper civilization and such. ua-cam.com/video/slkvuh2KOWg/v-deo.html ] 2. you talking about kirby sharing his food with kine ABSOLUTELY prompts me to mention this one incredible entry in the "its kirby time" book series, that being the "take courage" entry. a story in which kirby seeks out a fruit that is deemed to be so delicious and enchanting. he pushes himself through so many harsh environments to reach it, and upon making it, he sees a waddle dee worn out from his travels. practically without thought, kirby gives the waddle dee the fruit, and expresses to him to "take courage." ua-cam.com/video/tJ0gq4geHbA/v-deo.html
I already intended to check out the older games (I'm a newer Kirby fan), but this makes me even more interested to do so. I love the newer games a lot, but it definitely would be more impactful if we got to actually see Kirby's bond with some of these one-off characters like Epic Yarn did, _especially_ in Return to Dream Land.... whyyy didn't Deluxe add little cutscenes like that between Magolor and Kirby every time you restored a ship part and started a new area :' )
I agree that it would be cool for the cutscenes to be brought back. I mean I would like if that happened and for the people who don't want to watch them they could just skip them. Simple.
I really wish Kirby games kept the cutscene style of 64. Just showing the characters hanging out or caring for eachother gave the 64 team so much life. For comparison, besides the intro and ending, Rtdl cutscenes were you returning a piece of the Starcutter, and Magolor telling you to go to the next area with no interacting between the Rtdl team at all. It just feels like a massive downgrade in comparison
I wanna see more stuff like the Neo-Star cutscene, where instead of just simply moving to the next area, a massive volcano erupts and the entire team has to hurry and chase after the portal. Dedede easily making it, but looking back through the portal to help Adeleine because she can’t keep up is an awesome moment for Dedede’s character, and Kirby inhaling Waddle Dee to make sure he isn’t left behind is great too. Its only 30 seconds, but it manages to be funny, serious, and show the dynamics between the characters
Kirby isn't a hero, everytime he does a good thing, it's either bc the bad guy bothers him, or bc someone told him to do so. Like, in kirby adventure and squeak squad, he just go beat up everybody that bothers him to, respectively to have sweet dreams again, and get back his cake. In squeak squad, he literally breaks into dedede's house to beat him up, just bc he has suspicions that he's the one who stole the cake. In kirby super star's gamemode "milky way wishes", a random guy named Marx tells Kirby to collect stars from fountains in other planets, because as he says, it will calm down the sun and moon, and what does Kirby do ? He does everything as he was ordered to, without even bothering to question if it is true or not.
Uh, wow, I was not expecting to see this many faces. Thank you all for commenting (and liking and subscribing)! Seriously, reading all the comments really made my day and I really liked the answers everyone gave to my question. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed my first video! I'll work hard to improve to make content that's even more enjoyable.
Pin this comment so it stays at the top
Yeah this comment is a bit lower down current, should be pinned!
This is great for a first video!
they are missing keeby
I think it did manage to come back more subtly or less intrusively in Star Allies with those funny skits at the menu screen.
4:14 "He's... kind of just... a regular guy."
Kirby: and I took personally.
Glad you spotted the joke lol
I’ve seen a lot of content creators bring this subject up briefly, but I’ve never seen it deconstructed quite like this. I never really thought about what those cutscenes really add to Kirby as a character, minus just being a little cute guy. Also Epic Yarn especially really shows off Kirby’s character so well, I think it’s half the reason why I love it so much
The background kirb pattern belongs on a hawaiian shirt, I'd buy the hell outta that
Haha thanks!
I've been saying this for yeeaaarsss!!! You said everything I've thought about these cutscenes perfectly!
These little windows to dream land have to return, they're so charming and, like you said, have done a lot of heavy lifting to building Kirby's personality and motives.
Considering Forgotten Land got a few more cutscenes thrown in their story, I'm really hoping the next mainline game doubles down on them. Of course, those were mostly narrative driven, and not just, the cast goofying around. I would've killed to have a little scene where Kirby and Elfilin are just enjoying their time in Wonderia; little intermissions of Team Kirby interacting with Magolor as he fixed the Lor; scenes where Susie slowly warms up to Kirby; or Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee bonding through the events of Triple Deluxe. It's little things like these that make a huge difference. Not to mention that they greatly contribute to Kirby's cute brand identity!
The intro to Kirby Triple Deluxe holds a really special place on my heart, because for a big chunk of it, it shows a peaceful day in Kirby's life. This is what Kirby's fighting for, for a new wind for tomorrow of happy fun times and delicious nap times, not just for himself, bit for his friends, and everyone else. Same goes for the Welcome to the New Worlds cutscene in Forgotten Land: to feel the fresh ocean breeze go against your face, and to admire nature and the life within it, how every creature has their own life going on. It's really beautiful.
I'm not gonna lie, this video made me a bit emotional. I don't know why, but I teared up a bit. I love Kirby so much, man.
Modern Kirby has the heart, but is it too much to ask for a little bit more?
Ps. That theory of Kirby and Kine's friendship origin being that cutscene is such a cute idea.
“I fight for my friends.”
- Ike
The way i see it
Kirby fights for those he cares about
I feel thats expressed in triple deluxe, where he spends most of the adventure trying to save dedede and looks overjoyed to have em back
Earlier Kirby games used to have metroidvania elements and required creative exploration to find alternate paths and stuff. I remember Kirby's adventure having a ton of that, and so did Dreamland 3, if I recall correctly. The great cave offensive was a really good example of that, too.
It seems like later games phased these elements out in favor of it just being a pure action game.
This is probably the 1st video that's going in my analysis/essay playlist AND my pallette cleanser playlist
This video is AMAZING! I wish we had more of these cutscenes in Forgotten Land, it would've made its impact hit a LOT harder for more people. Let's hope the next game shows us more touching cutscenes!
I think these scenes were phased out because kirby games got more plot heavy. Sure, the Dark Matter Trilogy and Super Star had stories, but they were much less focused on telling a somewhat focused story, which made kirby games feel like these special, much more friendly times between Kirby and his friends, and, honestly, I think Forgotten Land is the first game to get us back into Kirby actually seeming like a friend, specifically with Elfilin, who talks to Kirby, and even participates in his little dance, and is just... Being there around Kirby for small things like getting food from the cafe.
As for what Kirby fights for? He... Doesn't really have anything specific. He'll chase after cake thieves, before then turning around and stopping an eldritch being in the very next game. Kirby fights because he wants to get back to goofing off with his friends, or because he's trying to make a new friend. He can't do that with big bad guys in the way.
This is shown of very well in epic yarns multi-player and single player to a lesser extent.
7:19 I imagine Kirby as a semi-nonverbal wanderer. If he has to talk it'll be short and to the point, and the rest of the time Kirby relies on body language and grammarless noises to get the point across
I imagine him talking shit the entire time like Kirby’s avalanche
Kirby's definitely an "actions first" kind of guy. He usually goes off of what he thinks is best in the moment.
I mean, with how he was portrayed back then, he was essentially completely silent aside from a few squeaks.
And now he just makes baby sounds.
Like Mario?
@@nathanielamoah1127 Kind of, but I don't see Mario being a wanderer. He absolutely has more of a routine than Kirby.
Really beautiful analysis about something no one ever really talks about. Storytelling in these retro games may seem simple, and it is, but because they went through the extra effort to even make these little scenes, they mean that much more.
0:55 that music transition was so good
Glad you noticed it!
To me Kirby will always be a jolly fellow
oh no... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE HE'S GONNA SUCK YOU UP!!
Yeahhh, I completely agree with this. I think I would have liked Elfilin a bit more if something like these cutscenes happened in Forgotten Land. I didn't dislike him, but he wasn't a particularly easy character to get attached to due to his sorta minimal screentime (which is not helped by the fact he gets kidnapped halfway through the main plot). At least Magolor was funny.
This has been said many times before, but I love the idea that the person who cares the least about Kirby Lore is Kirby himself. The world could be ending due to a demon sacrifice gone wrong and he'd still just be in it to make friends and eat some delicious treats.
Kirby can't just feel like he can have a good day if it means that someone else can be endangered, Kirby fights for everlasting peace but because he enjoys living his normal life, the one that isn't seen in the gameplay because he's busy solving a problem, of course not every videogame protagonist is always on the action, they have inbetweens of time before stuff of just the characters living their lives, Kirby fights so he can continue to do that.
Anyways this is a pretty well explained video and a pretty enjoyable first impression from yours!
Forgot to leave a comment before but I really loved this, can't wait to watch more of your videos!!
Glad you enjoyed it! I'll make sure to make even better videos!
The Short Answer To This Entire Video: Kirby Gameplay Needs to be more Expressive
What does that mean?
I wouldn't say the gameplay directly haha. Mainly just that the intro cutscenes from the older Kirby games should come back. Thank you for commenting!
@@thestarwarperthey absolutely should bring back the Kirby 64 cutscenes in future games
@dylanbanning uh, maybe? I have an idea that could maybe be interesting for mario kart but I have other videos I want to get to making first. I'll keep it on the back burner though!
Honestly, I agree with your take on Kirby's motives, but I'd like to add I think Kirby doesn't mean to *fight* for anything. Most of the modern games start out with him noticing the peace has been interrupted, or someone's in trouble, and just wanting to find out why, even if he has to fly to the edge of the galaxy to find out. Robobot opens with him waking up to see everything metal and robotic, and wandering forward. Star Allies doesn't open with him seeing the Jamba Hearts, it starts with him seeing Waddle Dees deliver food to Mt. Dedede and running after them.
He's just a curious, caring, normal guy who tries to solve problems, and always just, sort of *ends up* fighting the threat because it's going to solve everyone else's problems too. He doesn't go in with a plan, and he can't see the pause descriptions so he doesn't have greater context towards the villains' motivation. He just wants to know, "Why?", and is happy to take literally any answer you give him at face value, as long as it's not a threat of some sort.
Very true! Even though I talked about what I think Kirby fights for, I also don't believe that they are a strict of set of rules/motivations he follows. Really, they are traits that stem from how Kirby is someone who always acts according to his true nature. This is why I see kirby as a true, bonafide hero. He doesn't act on the logic of what's "good" or "bad"; words like that are too rigid for someone as carefree as him. Instead, he just does whatever feels right to him, which, because he is a good-natured person, will always be good, even though he may not be actively thinking about whether or not something is "right" or "wrong". This is what makes him pure-hearted; He does what he does because that's just who he is, not because it's already considered "the right thing to do".
He's good without even trying.
Ironically, being true to himself makes him both a normal guy who loves to eat, sleep and play with his friends, while also making him a true hero, who is the embodiment of everything good in his universe.
The ladder is why he consistently finds himself in these universe-ending battles; Kirby narratively represents everything good in his universe. Acting on what he feels is right will always unintentionally lead him to the right place at the right time (which is why, even when he ends up getting tricked, things still work out in the end). His pure-heart always steers him in the right direction (as shown in mass attack lol).
If you're still reading this, thank you for the comment! I guess this can serve as somewhat of a sneak peak for my next scripted video.
Finally a good Kirby character analysis. I don’t really have much to say for critique, I think overall you made a lot of great points that cut to the heart of Kirby’s appeal. It's really touching for me to see someone trying to fully comprehend the appeal of this loveable character. I just have some additional points to add on to your own.
You touch on it briefly but that contrast is a very big part of Kirby’s appeal. How he looks so cute and innocent with a childlike demeanor. But is also an incredibly powerful and tough warrior that always saves the day. Kirby is a great example of how a hero doesn’t have to look the part as long as they have the heart to stand up for what’s right and take action. He’s constantly underestimated by his enemies and even the player at first glance. That makes his victories even more satisfying because Kirby isn’t just winning, he’s proving himself.
Another thing you touched on a big part of Kirby’s charm is the mystery of his very nature. How does he inhale things with the force of a vacuum? How does he copy enemy abilities and wield them effortlessly? How does he fly by simply sucking in air and holding his breath? Why does he split into three to do his cute dances?
These are all questions that don’t need answers because the absurdity of Kirby is part of the fun. He’s an enigma that can’t be fully understood. And that’s okay, you’re supposed to embrace Kirby’s uncanny ability to always find a solution to a problem, even if he has to break the rules of reality to do so. That’s really what Kirby as a series is all about: embracing chaos and having fun with it.
You touched on the modern games, and yeah, I do agree that there’s something missing about Kirby’s appeal. For me, it’s mainly the lack of expression on Kirby and the focus on dialogue. As you said, the original games found ways to show Kirby’s childlike personality through the transition scenes even if the technology didn’t allow for it in the gameplay. But the newer games really feel like they turn Kirby into more of a blank slate or symbol of purity with how much less emotional depth he has in both cutscenes and gameplay.
Even when they do show his depth, it feels more understated. Kirby isn’t just cheerful and naïve. He was clumsy, stubborn and impulsive. Those were traits that could cause as many problems as they solved or just led to funny moments. Like accidentally releasing nightmare. Kirby wasn’t a perfect hero, but his heart was always in the right place. The modern games almost make him feel too invincible because they don’t really let Kirby fail as often, even in smaller stakes moments for comedy. It makes him feel less relatable and more like an untouchable figure.
It sort of reaches a breaking point for me when you get those scenes where the modern villains are talking about their plans and Kirby is just staring blankly like he’s not even registering their words. Kumazaki really likes explaining the mysteries of Kirby’s world, and while that can appeal to some, I don’t think it benefits Kirby as a character much. He's too stoic and passive, which doesn't fit his expressive nature (Forgotten Land was an improvement, though!)
I’m not saying you can’t have those mysteries, but I think Sakurai and Shimomura had the better approach of making the mysteries more subtle. It keeps the focus on how Kirby reacts to the danger, rather than on having detailed lore for the sake of detailed lore (but that’s an entirely separate discussion lol).
AAAAAA, i'm glad you're like me! Thank you for the comment! Honestly, the reason I started making videos is because I wanted to see Kirby discussions like this for a long time. As they say, become the change you want to see in the world lol. I reaaally hope they make a few changes to bring back the charms from the older games. Also, funny enough, I talk about the how kirby's innocence is undermined by enemies in my script for one of my music analysis video (which will be after the DL3 one). I think you'll love it! When it comes out 😅. Welcome to the channel!
Excellent video, I’ve wanted these cutscenes back for years. I will say however, one moment from a recent(ish) game that evokes the same feeling is the opening cutscene of Kirby Triple Deluxe. It’s a simple but very effective showcase of the average day in Kirby’s life and really shows off how, in spite of his numerous adventures, at the end of the day Kirby is just a peaceful little guy. I really wish more recent games had cutscenes like this but I also don’t think this should be overlooked
i think the classic games have a bit more charm than the modern ones
Its so nerdy to want those cutscenes back and thats why i want them to
You and me both pal
Agreed, great video. I loved how those skits showed Kirby's personality. I also loved your point about how the copy ability combos with the animal friends feels like they're just goofing around, like they normally would, just shifting those abilities for battle and adventure. It really shows their personalities, and how Kirby's amazing powers are both amazing, and ordinary, for his daily life. And one of the main things I think the series is missing is not utilizing Gooey as Kirby's de facto best friend and player two, especially in games like Forgotten Land. I think his personality is perfect for bringing out Kirby's and contrasting with all of his aspects, being a sort of little brother figure for him, and he functions perfectly as a separate character that can do everything Kirby can do, letting both players be mostly equal.
What I think Kirby fights for is peace. He'll do everything he can to help other people, he really is everyone's friend, as long as there's a chance they'll accept it.
Ikr! I love gooey so much. He's the only character that could bring the straight man out of Kirby! I'm glad he's still in some games at the least tho.
> Pro-Gooey commentary
You a real one for that, just want you to know. Love that lil' goober with all my heart, & it's a personal bag fumble to me that Gooey didn't stick as Kirby's player 2 wingman, the Patrick to his SpongeBob if you will.
Hell, the two were roomates according to a japanese guide for KDL3, & they could even be related, if certain fan theories are anything to go by.
The good ol' cutscenes in between worlds were very charming and memorable! sadly so easy to forget what we miss with the new games these days. Also for a first video I think it turned out great! ^^
And to answer the question, Kirby's motives for fighting usually involves doing so for his friends, for his stolen food, and to generally help everyone if there's a problem
Too true. Even though Return to Dreamland brought a lot of ideas and mechanics back, there are a few things it didn't bring back. Still an amazing game tho.
Also, agreed. No problem is too big or too small for our Kirby!
This is an incredible first video! You’ve got a bright future on this platform.
NO WAY ITOI
That's some weighted praise lol. I'm glad I was able to wow you. I'll try to keep it up as best as I can!
There's a lot to unpack here! First off, incredible first video, big fan of the piece you did with all of those fun expression Kirby has. Second, to answer your question, I think Kirby fights, as you said, for Dream Land, for naps, for food, for friends, for every single little mundane thing that becomes dream-like in, well, dream land! Personally, I'm a big fan of Shimomura's vision of Kirby, so expressive and charming!! Again, and I can't stress this out enough, you have done an amazing job
Thanks for the praise! For the art, I tried to pack as many expressions from the cutscenes as possible.
Yep, that dreamland vibe is worth fighting for, from all the different magical artifacts to the friends made along the way. Speaking of which, I'm also a big fan of Shimomura's direction for kirby. I'm glad that some of it is still sprinkled into the modern games (though i would still appreciate a remake or follow-up to DL3).
Man this video is amazing thank god I found this in my recommended, I’m so glad!
Finally got around to watching this, this is really cool! It's something I never really thought about. You make a good point about the games not doing as good of a job to make us care about new characters, as in Forgotten Land, I was more concerned with saving Dedede once I knew he was possessed, even though Elfilin was just kidnapped. As for RTDL, I would agree with you there in the past, but honestly Helper Magolor is genuinely such a big benefit to the game's narrative, even if it is a theoretically simple easy mode.
As for what kirby fights for, I always thought it was because he knew something was wrong and wanted to fix it, and he's one of the only ones with the power to fix it. I'm not sure whether or not he knows this though, his character has never really been challenged at any point, and usually kirby stories revolve around the backstory of the villain. (though Kirby's rouges gallery is a topic for another video essay)
8:36 god bless america
this is an awesome video!! ive never put my brain on the cutscenes all that much, but i did recently spend a lot of time dwelling on just how well executed adeleine and ribbon were, especially ribbon. having her instigate the plot, gather every single shard with you and show up for the final battle all did a lot to endear me to her, on top of all the work the cutscenes did. My opinion before reconsidering price fluff (and maybe elline? i actually havent played) was that elfilin was our best friend making experience since ribbon, mostly for the gameplay. [KFL spoilers follow] while forgo land does skimp on the cutscnes as you point out, i always felt like forgo land has a plot beat in the way many games dont when elfilin goes away for a bit. it makes worlds without him feel very different, lonely with a tinge of epic motivation. its because elfilin is also with you every step of the way through action, popping up all the time, dancing with you, being there for moments like eating food or minigames and most of all being there if you ever choose to use kirby's bed. i feel like ribbon and elfilin make a really strong case for action/gameplay inclusion being a way to include a a small dynamic arc, even if characterization suffers without these regular cutscenes in KFL. (nice to be able to talk about this at length lol! great work once again.)
Before watching the video, I will say that he's fighting for nature, cuz' he eats apples and... mostly because of Planet Robobot.
Wait... this is your first video!?!?! I enjoyed this entire thing. You've got another subscriber and I hope your channel grows quickly. 😊
Yep! And I'm looking forward to making more like this one. I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the comment, the subscription, and the kind words!
What an amazing introduction to the channel! Great work dude, got my notifications on! :D
7:27 - "He doesn't really wait on others to make a decision"
Not even through with video and I'm SO glad you brought this up! In the Kirby: Right Back At Ya anime, one of Sakurai's rules was that Kirby wasn't allowed to speak... as a result, the lad was turned into a baby and lost almost all agency as a character 😭
On top of that, there he's PROPHECIZED, demanded by fate and status, to do what he does, and though it's one thing that he doesn't really care about that, the fact that he barely comprehends ANY of it is another!
I'll say a million times over that it's a MAJOR gripe I have with the show that he was basically reduced to a Pokémon (especially since the agency he WOULD'VE had was transferred over to, in my frank opinion, a nag), and I'm glad someone out there gets that Kirby is his own man! Or boy, rather...
Generally speaking, I'm hearing many other interesting points... never thought about how the stage interludes contributed to Kirby's personality 🤔
Good stuff!
I remember watching some retrospective videos on the series and it really reminded me how little of *Kirby:* Right Back At Ya focused on Kirby. The only really time Kirby has gone out to do something because someone else told him to was Marx telling him to collect the stars to summon Nova but if we're being for real, if Marx never showed up, Kirby would've probably just take it upon himself to fight the sun and moon to stop them. Here he just either does what he's told and nothing more or literally nothing. I will say though, I don't mind Kirby not really getting his prophecy since I feel like a core part of his character is how he doesn't really understand much besides some basics. basics
Such a well thought out, fantastic analysis, definitely agree with many of the points you brought up. This series has so many little details and quirks in it just waiting to be talked about. Looking forwards to any more videos in the future
4:58 what you see is what you get, he’s just a guy who loves adventures. hey WAIT A MINUTE 😳😳🤯
I liked how I took Kirby's and Elfilin's photo back at Wondaria.
But ture, I do like those small world previews.
I might be projecting a little, but part of me thinks Kirby's going out vanquishing evil so he can turn right back around and get some peace and quiet in his nice cozy bed
While we're on the topic, I kinda wish that future Kirby games give us unique enemies again, like the ones at 2:10. The cutscenes are one thing, but I feel like more people wouldn't portray Kirby as a monster that "kills people over a slice of cake" if the games didn't have you beating up fellow Dream Landers like Waddle Dees and Poppy Bros, the characters the plot states you're defending, so frequently. It made sense in the first few games where Kirby was still at odds with their King or they were possessed by Dark Matter etc, and I suppose Robobot too since most of them were mechanised, but you'd think the average Dream Land inhabitant would be working together with Kirby in recent titles to stop whatever big bad is trying to conquer the galaxy for the 5th time this week rather than just fighting each other (sure there's the Helper system in Star Allies but now you got Burnin' Leo cooking his own brothers alive just for the heck of it).
On the bright side, HAL Labs seem to have taken notice of this as Waddle Dees are friendly NPCs in Forgotten Land and don't even appear in the main plot of Magolor Epilogue, mostly replacing them with the Beast Pack/Doomers, but I hope they keep this up in the next game, and replace more enemies with actual bad guys going forward.
Edit: I'm reading the comments in order of newest right now and someone's proving my point just three comments away, saying that he'd beat people up just because they're bothering him or he was told to. They're not wrong that Kirby is pretty easy to manipulate, but saying he's not a hero is a stretch, he wouldn't hurt someone if they've done nothing wrong (Squeak Squad wrote him pretty poorly overall) and even if it's to fulfil his own means, beating up bad guys is still a net positive for everyone.
I can definitely see a potential open world game having cut scenes of Kirby flying in to the area on a star, landing (or crashing) immediately into gameplay. The intros could introduce the the new area/world/level. It could have warp stars around that fly around the map like Pokémon Eon Flute Flying. I really want to see something like a 3D Amazing Mirror.
Only downside to this is not having more of this amazing content to watch, keep up the good work dude!
this is why I love the manga
Don’t think “just a regular guy” is an accurate description of the character
Thank you for commenting! And I know Kirby is capable of all sorts of crazy things but I still think it's accurate. After all, even though he has all these crazy abilities and stuff, he usually spends his days doing the mundane stuff, like eating, sleeping, fishing, etc.
@@thestarwarper I see him more as a purely positive entity that indulges in the joys of life (eating, napping, loving/friendship, playing) rather than just a guy that does normal guy things. He has more of a purpose than that
9:11
Hal: they’re great friends! Source? Just trust me bro!
Including Elfillin and separating the multiple characters in one, There are 5 out of the 17 "Dream Friends" that have tried to kill Kirby and if we are generous, narrow it down to characters who have done so voluntarily, and include the Dl3 animal buds, it's still only 9/20.
shimomura's games are legit the best vibe for the series imo. it feels like a proper expansion of the world as sakurai showed them, but they have a sense of wonder the kumazaki games ended up losing from continuing to specify on lore (do we REALLY need to know everything about what is basically a space atlantis?) and the buddies in dl3 & 64 just feel like a better group than two rivals and some guy improperly trained in weapon handling
also, i feel like shimomura intended for kirby to have a love interest. several of the animations for chuchu have her blushing, she gets petals next to her in dl3's opening sequence, and ribbon just kisses the pink guy outright. the whole two girlfriends thing never gets properly resolved either (to my knowledge) so i guess he's just juggling both of them now
I think that forgotten land handed this well with the activities in waddle dee town. The fishing, eating, napping, gotcha figures, tilt and roll, the band, movie theater, and even just the ability to wave. It all gives little stuff like that and puts it in the players hands which I like quite a bit.
Yeah, they definitely do other things to squeeze in some wholesome character interactions. My favorite one is when Kirby gives the little wave to every waddle dee he saves. They aren't collectibles, they're friends!
So, lets take a look at every single Kirby character and see how we can make some cutscenes for each and every single one of them.
Y'know, for what's apparently your first video, this ain't half bad! Even though I love more modern characters like Magolor over those like the Animal Friends, I can see your point. I myself found that I wanted more meaningful interaction between Kirby, Bandana Dee, and Elfilin in Forgotten Land before the latter was kidnapped, since the emotional impact of that story moment didn't hit as hard as I would've liked it to. Having cutscenes like in the older games certainly could've alleviated that issue. In Return to Dream Land's case, the optional dialogue with Magolor was enough for me to demonstrate the relationship between him and Kirby, though more interactions between Kirby's party members like in the older games would've been appreciated.
I just think unconditional compassion is Kirby's most essential trait. If we wanna get hung up on "Matter" lore, he's is supposedly made of concentrated positive energy, making him the antithesis of negative vibes, which is also why I think we've never seen Kirby affected or distraught by darkness, despite all of his friends having been posessed or influenced at least once before. Kirby is just a free, chill little guy who steps up to the plate whenever anything or anyone tries to take willpower away from others.
I definitely respect this take, and even agree to an extent!
Kirby fights for his friends and for what he believes is right.
Dou you have a list of the music used or ateast specifically the song at 14:10 ? I recognize it very heavily but can't quite determine which song it is / which game
Grass land 2 from kirby dreamland 3 :-)
yeah you are totally right. the problem with modern games is mainly because of how the plot is structured in most of them, you dont really get to see a downtime and relaxing moment since it's all action action. like, i still totally feel the same to modern characters even without these cutscenes, because of how the characters have interacted in the series already to each other so kumazaki leaves it for granted you know their history already, but having these would just be make the package even better! forgotten land tecnically have them again tho, but instead of being scenes between worlds, they are the optional scenes and things you can do in waddle dee town with bandee and elfilin, like you showed at the end
Yeah, for me there's just this sense where they could do just a liiiiiitle bit more. I mean, the short cutscenes can't take that much work to make right?
@@thestarwarper yeah I do hope they bring them back again. Honestly gives me more of an impression they didn't make any when making Kirby gcn and then return, then triple deluxe and Robobot happened where Kirby was alone in those, and by that point they got stuck in the formula or forgot about this tiny detail of the past games. Someone just got to remind everyone of those and hopefully we can get them back!
New cool Kirby channel: found
It really is a shame that the opening skits that showcase Kirby and their friend's antics and personalities are largely relegated to more hidden places like the images shown at the credits of the game or Star Allies' title screen skits. I feel like HAL knows the personality of Kirby and other characters in the Kirby series very well, so I hope that in future titles they will lean more towards that.
While Sakurai's Kirby games are snappy action games at their core, Shimomura's Kirby games should be seen less as games and more as a form of art. The Dark Matter Trilogy games are both cute and weirdly esoteric, and Shimomura is not only aware of this, but fully embraces it. Environments look gorgeous and feel like actual worlds rather than levels in a video game, and the games are slower-paced for the player to really appreciate the beautiful worlds that Kirby explores. Copy abilities are wacky and playful, and experimenting with all the combinations brings back a child-like sense of experimentation and discovery. Overall, Shimomura's Dark Matter Trilogy has a very unique feel to them that few other games capture,
Okay, I wasn't expecting this comment to be so long but I kinda just rambled on cause I kept thinking about and I feel like it all ties together. TL;DR, Kirby's friend interactions are a little weird when you consider the modern games but I think there is a bit of a missed opportunity when it comes to Kirby's little moments by himself in between worlds.
On the topic of Kirby's friends, I feel like the modern games can't really show off Kirby's friendship with others because the characters aren't very friendly. Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot and Star Allies' new characters are outright antagonists until the very end. Susie Taranza and the Mages feel less like friends and more like grateful aquaintences and during the adventures in their respective games, Kirby goes in alone to save Popstar. There's nobody to bounce off of and when Kirby does get that with things like being excited when Dedede is back to normal, it's really sweet but admitted makes you wish there was more. I feel like the one that really fumbled was Return to Dreamland.
Return actually showed a lot of promise for this aspect of the series considering the title screen. Dedede makes funny faces at Kirby and then laughs, Bandana Dee laughs along like a little follower, Kirby is confused and Meta Knight expresses embarassment at the king's childish antics. That's perfect and very reminiscent of of KDl2 and 3 but there could've been more past it. There could've been a cutscene transitioning from one world to the next with the 4 just hanging out and interacting with each. This is Kirby, his two closest friends and Dedede's most loyal subject and the game shows the 4 always together. This lack of interaction also extentds to Magalor. Magalor's plan feels like an evolved version of Marx, where instead of just letting him go, he gets close to Kirby so that he's none the wiser. This kind of falls flat when Magalor is still somewhat distant. Yeah, he thanks Kirby and gives him some tidbits about the Lor, the....lore and himself but actually thinking about what he says, there's not much here that's super "friendly" which kind of dampens his betrayl. Even in Magalor Epilogue doesn't really show off Magalor's remorse outside of some sad idle animations that could easily be interpreted as lamenting his current situation rather than the events that lead to it and one upgrade line about flying with his friends. Now don't get me wrong, I love RtDl and Magalor and I think they did well with him in Dream Collection. Just saying that there are certain short comings relating to the video.
I do think some solo Kirby cutscenes in the 3DS games would be really good though. It feels like the one character trait Kirby has displayed other than happiness is his consistent lack of knowledge of what's going on. It would be neat to see how he interacts with Floralia or a mechanized Popstar even for a moment at the beginning of each new world. I feel like that inherent goofy nature is part of Kirby's character and the moments of brevity are what he cares about. Plus seeing Kirby do something goofy is just simply fun and cute and really makes it all the more hilarious that that whatever horror comes at the end of the game is getting trounced by that same goof. I don't think I've ever thought about these beginning of world cutscenes this much but it really helps me appreciate Kirby, what he's about, what he acts like with or without others and what he loves.
In conclusion.....wait how does Kirby know what pants feel like.
Based, LOVE the attention this video's getting! I obviously read this a while ago but great vid!
You're right and about what you were saying what is was right
Great first video! Dream land 2 is so underrated I swear...
Great first video man!
Thank you!
awesome vid !! rlly incredible i can't believe this is your 1st vid ! subbing
ngl if we got a hybrid-styled kirby game, like rtdldx or dl3, with more expressions for enemies and bosses, that’d be great
look one thing that i kinda wish for kirby games to uncover is focus more on obscure enemies, sure you see some obscure enemies or charaters come back here and there but if you go to the older games and see the enemy selection you will find a lot enemies that only appeared on that game and their remakes.
jukid from superstar is a great example of a mid-boss that appeared as one of the three new ones on superstar with iron mam and chef kawasaki, the lucky one being chef kawasaki became a semi-popular represetation of the kirby franchise appearing on the anime as a main charater and having some references and appearences of him on other kirby games like return to dream land and star allies, but iron mam and jukid faded to obscurity until they appeared on the remake of super star but after that they din't have a lot going for them but iron mam did eventually appear or star allies as grand mam, but jukid only had appeared on other other media like a few small seconds on the anime, a puzzle on the japanese exclusive snes mario picross and two chapters on the kirby gag manga you may think that's a lot but i'm talking about the main games and he almost got no other mentions. but do you really think that a mid-boss that gives you the suplex ability appearing on the same game as buggzy being another mid-boss that give you the suplex ability that is far more popular than jukid? jukid get's little to no fans because he appears in the game 5 times but only 1 fight has him being something that you are forced to battle without 100% completing the game because you really think that someone is gonna complete kirby super star 100% the first time? the fight i'm talking about appears on revenge on meta knight and when you see him you also see poppy bros sr that is one of the most popular classic mid-bosses that you see in the game, i'm not a jukid fan but i think that he doesn't deserve being one of the mid-bosses that almost doesn't appear on the main franchise because there are a lot of mid-bosses that you never really see again but he looks like one that you would see a few times in the franchise as a semi-main staple of mid-bosses
overall i choose him because he's one of the first ones that comes to my mind of underrated kirby charaters
Woah, this one is huge! Thanks for the comment!
Yeah, there are a ton of kirby enemies that have just kinda stayed stranded on the game they debuted in. You're right about Jukid too, he's a rather interesting case. Not only are a good chunk of his fights optional, but he's the only mini-boss in the game who shares a copy ability with ANOTHER mini-boss (bugzzy, who vastly overshadows him in popularity). It's a shame too, those disconnected grabby hands were a cool mechanic that would be interesting to see expanded upon. That being said, they have been bringing back more old obscure stuff recently. Forgotten land even brought back Korori (those cute lil penguin guys from DL3, who also shared a copy ability with a much more popular enemy). Jukid (among others) might still have a chance!
Rolling Turtle has been trapped on the NES for decades.
@@cooljrgaming9729 dream land 2 has a lot of mid-bosses who never returned or only appears again on dream land 3
Great video, dude! And the background art is really cool.
Antdude said this exact thing during his initial review of Kirby's Return to Dreamland. However if you want my opinion, these SHOULD come back, so I won't have to treat these small cutscenes as small bonuses.
Amazing vid really enjoyed seeing appreciation for the small but necessary and lovable cutscenes one of those aspects I didn't realize so nice and your video definitely made me appreciate them more. Also you was spot on with your comment about how it is more told in modern Kirby games instead of being shown. I feel like a lot of modern games have that problem and not to open a whole different subject but that is why I could never get into Pokemon myself outside of some cases. Great vid definitely subscribing. All the best.
Well, to answer your question, I say Kirby fights for his home country of Dream Land, and by extension Planet Popstar as a whole, so he can continue to live his carefree lifestyle of eating, napping and being with his friends. And if a complete stranger needs help, Kirby's naturally going to lend a helping hand because he's, well... he's Kirby; it's in his nature to help others!
And yeah, I do miss those little cutscenes from the Kirby games of the 1990s; I'd love for them to return in a future game, even if that's unlikely. What's also unlikely is the possibility of bringing back those Copy Ability boxes from Kirby's Adventure and Kirby Super Star; the current ability icons do their job well, but they aren't nearly as expressive. I'm not saying they have to completely replace them either; just stick the boxes in the pause screen while the newer ability icons are shown during gameplay.
All in all, this was a great watch all around. Nicely done here! Oh, and I adore that artwork used throughout the video!
Agreed! Kirby's carefree life is something he'll always defend. And since making new friends is part of the happy dreamland life, he'll help anyone in need; even those who come from different planets! (And of course, because he's just that nice of a guy).
Oh totally, the Copy Ability boxes (I usually call them Ability cards) were awesome! I really like ability icons too, but like you said, there's a way for them to both co-exist.
Thanks for the praise! I'm glad you liked both the video and the art!
This was an amazing video, and I'm also shocked that I've never noticed this till watching this! I'm wondering is there a reason you didn't bring up the star allies animations? Also how have you put 950 hours in fighters 2?!
Lore of Kirby Games are Missing Something: a Kirby Character Analysis momentum 100
This is a good in depth analysis!
Thank you! 🤩
I am going to be honest and say i don't really care about the intro cutscenes for every world that much. But i still want to see it come back in some way and i want see my boi relax with his friends.
Early on I feel like Kirby was just a weird cartoon character. Especially in Super Star where he's this garrish pink color and kinda lumpy and ugly. He's just a bunch of 2D sprites and they had plenty of fun being expressive with poses and faces.
In the 2000s he started being more solid and round. Probably in part because making a lumpy malleable thing in 3D was hard back then, and also because of the anime needing a more consistent character design.
Nowadays Kirby's kind of a pastel pink Sanrio-esque character, and that perfect circle-ness is part of that. He's not a blank slate placeholder character that the devs are squashing and stretching and giving cool powers for the sake of it and sending on wacky adventures. He's Kirby™, the cute, round character who eat things.
They made those cutscenes in Dreamland because it was a novel to see a cartoon character getting into hijinks on a video game console. It was fun and expressive for it's time. Nowadays the world is their oyster, and they'd probably make something cute and passive instead cuz that's what they're going for.
If that's good or bad, that's up to preference. I like those early games a lot, but I appreciate that HAL makes high quality platformers even now. And they still do fun stuff juxtaposing crazy evil imagery with the cute characters.
I need kirby to have quips and comebacks like Spider-Man
Now that'd be something lol
Then Kirby's Avalanche ought to satisfy that need.
Nice video, new subscriber ;)
This actually isn't the script I helped with whoops BUT IT'S STILL BASED
I love this Kirby game!
Damn 1 vid and 1k views your destined for greatness
49th sub
I’m mad that these are just no longer a thing.
Yeah, I wish they never left
1. answering your question on what kirby fights for
i believe he fights for peace, in *every* sense of the word
he fights for the mundane serenity his home provides, he fights for the world that doesn't bide to any rules or civilized norms, he fights for the friends and inhabitants that also flourish within these terms, and he fights for this time he cherishes most
the gentle breeze, the naptimes, the endless comfort his world provides
[ EDIT: now that i have heard your answer, i am VERY glad we basically hit the same conclusion. just as i talked about in the second thing here, i HAVE to mention ANOTHER entry from the "its kirby time" series, a book just showcasing kirby spending time in popstar. it's such a full realization of the world kirby lives in, i'm impressed they were able to do this without the typical conventions that make up an "entertaining" setting, like a proper civilization and such. ua-cam.com/video/slkvuh2KOWg/v-deo.html ]
2. you talking about kirby sharing his food with kine ABSOLUTELY prompts me to mention this one incredible entry in the "its kirby time" book series, that being the "take courage" entry. a story in which kirby seeks out a fruit that is deemed to be so delicious and enchanting. he pushes himself through so many harsh environments to reach it, and upon making it, he sees a waddle dee worn out from his travels. practically without thought, kirby gives the waddle dee the fruit, and expresses to him to "take courage."
ua-cam.com/video/tJ0gq4geHbA/v-deo.html
I already intended to check out the older games (I'm a newer Kirby fan), but this makes me even more interested to do so. I love the newer games a lot, but it definitely would be more impactful if we got to actually see Kirby's bond with some of these one-off characters like Epic Yarn did, _especially_ in Return to Dream Land.... whyyy didn't Deluxe add little cutscenes like that between Magolor and Kirby every time you restored a ship part and started a new area :' )
Fr, that would've been the perfect addition to the game, it would've added a lot to the story and overall experience.
Warper ?!
I agree that it would be cool for the cutscenes to be brought back. I mean I would like if that happened and for the people who don't want to watch them they could just skip them. Simple.
Hey it's PIZZA TIME, I dig the video, it's an especially good video for your first one. I'm looking forward to seeing what else you have to say.
Thanks! If you like this video then I think you'll like the ones I have planned for the future.
For what is right (usually)
awesome super cool kirby guy big fan hell yeah
Haha yeah Kirby awesome super cool epic 😎
I really wish Kirby games kept the cutscene style of 64. Just showing the characters hanging out or caring for eachother gave the 64 team so much life. For comparison, besides the intro and ending, Rtdl cutscenes were you returning a piece of the Starcutter, and Magolor telling you to go to the next area with no interacting between the Rtdl team at all. It just feels like a massive downgrade in comparison
I wanna see more stuff like the Neo-Star cutscene, where instead of just simply moving to the next area, a massive volcano erupts and the entire team has to hurry and chase after the portal. Dedede easily making it, but looking back through the portal to help Adeleine because she can’t keep up is an awesome moment for Dedede’s character, and Kirby inhaling Waddle Dee to make sure he isn’t left behind is great too. Its only 30 seconds, but it manages to be funny, serious, and show the dynamics between the characters
good video
Ima subscribe
I loved this video
Kirby isn't a hero, everytime he does a good thing, it's either bc the bad guy bothers him, or bc someone told him to do so. Like, in kirby adventure and squeak squad, he just go beat up everybody that bothers him to, respectively to have sweet dreams again, and get back his cake. In squeak squad, he literally breaks into dedede's house to beat him up, just bc he has suspicions that he's the one who stole the cake. In kirby super star's gamemode "milky way wishes", a random guy named Marx tells Kirby to collect stars from fountains in other planets, because as he says, it will calm down the sun and moon, and what does Kirby do ? He does everything as he was ordered to, without even bothering to question if it is true or not.
Save everyone
HOW DARE YOU KIRBY IS NOT MISSING ANYTHING
NVM it's been 50 seconds you are correct