'For detailed information about this series, see: WiKirby or Kirby Wiki
Kirby, the main character of the series.
For the Disney series: see Kirby Buckets.
Kirby is a series of action-platformer video games by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory.
The series stars the titular pink spherical hero from the planet Pop Star. Kirby has the unique ability to inhale his enemies and gain new powers from them; known as Copy Abilities. Kirby faces countless enemies throughout his many adventures, including the gluttonous King Dedede and enigmatic Meta Knight, though he has on occasion teamed up with the both of them.
Video Games[]
A total of 29 original Kirby games have been released (counting Kirby's Toy Box as a single game), plus 11 remakes or compilations making a total of 40 releases in the Kirby series:
Main Games[]
17 games have been released in the Kirby series that are considered main episodes, since they expand the series' plot and feature platform gameplay:
- Kirby's Dream Land (April 27th, 1992) for Game Boy and Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console
- Kirby's Adventure (March 26th, 1993) for NES, Wii Virtual Console in 2007, Nintendo 3DS in the "3D Classics" series, Wii U Virtual Console, NES Classic Edition, and Nintendo Switch Online
- Kirby's Dream Land 2 (March 21st, 1995) for Game Boy and Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console
- Kirby Super Star (March 21st, 1996) for SNES, Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, and Nintendo Switch Online
- Kirby's Dream Land 3 (November 27th, 1997) for SNES, Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console in 2013, and Nintendo Switch Online
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (March 24th, 2000) for Nintendo 64, Wii Virtual Console, and Nintendo Switch Online
- Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (April 15th, 2004) for Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, and Wii U Virtual Console
- Kirby: Canvas Curse (March 24th, 2005) for Nintendo DS
- Kirby: Squeak Squad (November 2nd, 2006) for Nintendo DS
- Kirby's Epic Yarn (October 14th, 2010) for Wii
- Kirby Mass Attack (August 4th, 2011) for Nintendo DS
- Kirby's Return to Dream Land (October 24th, 2011) for Wii
- Kirby: Triple Deluxe (January 11th, 2014) for Nintendo 3DS
- Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (January 22nd, 2015) for Wii U
- Kirby: Planet Robobot (April 28th, 2016) for Nintendo 3DS. A series of 4 Kirby amiibos were also released alongside the game, including Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede and Waddle Dee.
- Kirby: Star Allies (March 16th, 2018) for Nintendo Switch
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land (March 25th, 2022) for Nintendo Switch
The "New Challenge Stages" from Kirby's Dream Collection are also sometimes considered a main entry in the series.
Other Games[]
Other 12 games have been released in the Kirby series, that are either puzzle, sports or fighting games. Kirby's Toy Box is actually eight different minigames released separately, but being due to the Satellaview's game forumula is considered a single game in eight episodes:
- Kirby's Pinball Land (October 29th, 1993) for Game Boy and Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console
- Kirby's Dream Course (September 21st, 1994) for SNES, Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console,and Nintendo Switch Online
- Kirby's Avalanche (February 1st, 1995) for SNES, Wii Virtual Console, and Nintendo Switch Online. Known as Kirby's Ghost Trap in Europe. Basically being the international version of Super Puyo Puyo, it was never released in Japan.
- Kirby's Block Ball (December 14th, 1995) for Game Boy and Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console
- Kirby's Toy Box (February 8th, 1996) for Satellaview. A series of Kirby minigames released separately, that are: Baseball, Arrange Ball, Cannon Ball, Guru Guru Ball, Pachinko, Pinball, Ball Rally and Hoshi Kuzushi.
- Kirby's Star Stacker (March 18th, 1997) for Game Boy and Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Called Kirby no Kirakira Kids in Japan.
- Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble (August 26th, 2000) for Game Boy Color
- Kirby Air Ride (July 11th, 2003) for GameCube
- Kirby Slide (November 2003) for e-Reader. Only released in North America.
- Kirby: Battle Royale (November 3rd, 2017) for Nintendo 3DS
- Kirby Fighters 2 (September 23rd, 2020) for Nintendo Switch. A sequel to Kirby Fighters Deluxe.
- Kirby's Dream Buffet (August 17th, 2022) for Nintendo Switch
Additionally a medal game called Kirby of the Stars: Magical Tower of Medal Land was released in 2007.
Remakes and Compilations[]
10 remakes or compilations of previous Kirby titles were released:
- Kirby no Kirakira Kizzu (February 1st, 1998) for Super Famicom, Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, and Nintendo Switch Online. Remake of Kirby's Star Stacker only released in Japan although a western localization was announced, titled Kirby's Super Star Stacker.
- Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (October 25th, 2002) for Game Boy Advance and Wii U Virtual Console. A remake of Kirby's Adventure.
- Kirby Super Star Ultra (September 22nd, 2008) for Nintendo DS. A remake of Kirby Super Star.
- Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition (July 19th, 2012) for Wii. It includes the first six main games in the series (Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's Adventure, Kirby's Dream Land 2, Kirby Super Star, Kirby's Dream Land 3, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards) plus some "New Challenge Stages" based on Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and a museum section including informations on the series and three viewable episodes from Kirby: Right Back at Ya! Due to the presence of the original New Challenge Stages, this is sometimes considered a main entry in the series.
- Kirby Fighters Deluxe (August 29th, 2014) for Nintendo 3DS eShop. A stand-alone version of the Kirby Fighters minigame from Kirby: Triple Deluxe.
- Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe (August 29th, 2014) for Nintendo 3DS eShop. A stand-alone version of the Dedede's Drum Dash minigame from Kirby: Triple Deluxe.
- Team Kirby Clash Deluxe (April 12th, 2017) for Nintendo 3DS eShop. A stand-alone version of the Team Kirby Clash minigame from Kirby: Planet Robobot.
- Kirby's Blowout Blast (July 4th, 2017) for Nintendo 3DS eShop. A stand-alone version of the Kirby 3D Rumble minigame from Kirby: Planet Robobot.
- Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn (March 7th, 2019) for Nintendo 3DS
- Super Kirby Clash (September 4th, 2019) for Nintendo Switch. An expanded version of Team Kirby Clash Deluxe.
- Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (February 4th, 2023) for Nintendo Switch. A remaster of Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
Film & TV[]
- Mario Kirby Masterpiece (1994), an animated movie only released in Japan. It features two different stories, a Mario one and a Kirby one, but they do not interact in any way.
- Kirby: Right Back at Ya! (October 6th, 2001 – September 27th, 2003), an animated TV series composed of 100 episodes, plus two special episodes. Thee last five episodes of the series were aired in North America as a feature-length film, titled Kirby: Fright to the Finish!!.
Publications[]
Manga & Comics[]
- Hoshi no Kirby (October 1992 - October 2010), 12-volume manga by Sakuma Yoshiko.
- Kirby und das Geheimnis des Glibbers (March - June 1993), translating to Kirby and the Mystery of the Slime. Published in the German Club Nintendo magazine.
- Hoshi no Kirby: Dedede de Pupupu Na Monogatari (April 27th, 1995 - October 27th, 2006), 25-volume manga by Hirokazu Hikawa. Released in France in 2020 as Les Aventures de Kirby dans les Étoiles and in North America in 2021 as Kirby Manga Mania.
- Kirbys Grösster Fall (1996), translating to Kirby's Biggest Case. Published in the German Club Nintendo magazine.
- Hoshi no Kirby! Moretsu Pupupu Hour! (August 27th, 2007 - November 28th, 2016) by Asami Taniguchi.
- Hoshi no Kirby: Pupupu Hero (January 2009 - May 2013) by Aoki Kei and Mikamaru.
- Ultra Super Pupupu Hero (2014 - 2016) by Aoki Kei and Mikamaru. A sequel to Pupupu Hero.
A series of children novels by Mie Takase, titled Hoshi no Kirby started publication in Japan on April 12th, 2013, and currently counts 24 volumes, the latest being released on September 14th, 2022.
Links to Other Series[]
Commercial Link: Kirby appears in The Program Picker at CW4Kids.com commercial.
| Direction | Series | Date | Description | Type
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Arcana | March 27, 1992 | Kirby makes a cameo appearance during the opening sequence of Arcana. Additionally, the logo for Kirby Quest from Kirby Mass Attack is inspired by the logo for Arcana. |
1 |
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Eggerland | April 27, 1992 | Lololo and Lalala from Kirby are based on Lolo and Lala from Eggerland, while Blocky is based on Rocky; Kirby Mass Attack also features other references to the series. (see details) |
3 |
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Mario | December 16, 1992 | In Kirby Super Star and its DS remake, Mario characters; Mario, Luigi, Toad, Birdo, Peach, Bowser and Wario (remake) cameo in the audience of the final fight in the Spring Breeze subgame and Kirby can collect a Koopa Shell, Phanto Mask and Wario's Bucket as treasures in the Great Cave Offensive subgame. Recurring Kirby boss Kabula fires what appear to be Bullet Bills during some attacks and Kirby's Stone ability has a rare chance of turning into a golden statue of Mario. Kirby appears in Mario comics such as Super Mario-Kun and cameos on a movie poster in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga. |
1 |
|
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Pac-Man | June 1993 | Pac-Man and Inky appear in the comic Kirby und das Geheimnis des Glibbers. Pacto is based on Pac-Man. (see details) |
1a |
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Plok | June 1993 | Plok appears in the comic Kirby und das Geheimnis des Glibbers. (see details) |
1a |
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Kid Icarus | June 1993 | Pit appears in the comic Kirby und das Geheimnis des Glibbers. A Wing of Pegasus is an obtainable item in Kirby Super Star. |
1 |
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Aero the Acro-Bat | June 1993 | Aero the Acro-Bat appears in the comic Kirby und das Geheimnis des Glibbers. (see details) |
1a |
|
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Tiny Toon Adventures | June 1993 | Dizzy Devil and Hamilton J. Pig appear in the comic Kirby und das Geheimnis des Glibbers. (see details) |
1a |
|
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Donkey Kong | June 1993 | Donkey Kong Jr. appears in the comic Kirby und das Geheimnis des Glibbers. The "Kong's Barrel" is an obtainable item in Kirby Super Star; the theme from the Kirby TV show is featured in the Japanese and North American versions of Donkey Konga, while a song from Kirby's Adventure is featured in Donkey Konga 3. |
1 |
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Mega Man | June 1993 | Mega Man X appears in the comic Kirby und das Geheimnis des Glibbers. (see details) |
1a |
|
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Zelda | June 06, 1993 | Kirby appears as an enemy in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, while the Triforce is an obtainable item in Kirby Super Star. There also are other references between the two series. |
1 |
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Stunt Race FX | June 04, 1994 | Kirby appears on billboards in Stunt Race FX. |
2 |
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December 1994 | A "Kirby" tour is selectable in an early version of Uniracers shown in a Nintendo Power preview video. |
||
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Puyo Puyo | February 01, 1995 | Kirby's Avalanche is a remake of Super Puyo Puyo. (see details) |
1a |
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Yuyuki | March 21, 1995 | Chao from Yuyuki appears in the Japanese version of Kirby's Dream Land 2 and with Goku in Kirby's Dream Land 3. (see details) |
1 |
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Wario | June 1995 | Wario meets Kirby in the comic Warios Weihnachtsmärchen; the bucket from Mario & Wario is an obtainable item in Kirby Super Star. (see details) |
1 |
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Trax | March 21, 1996 | Moto Shotsos from Kirby Super Star are based on the tanks from Trax. (see details) |
3 |
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Metroid | March 21, 1996 | The Screw Attack ball is an obtainable item in Kirby Super Star, while Metroids and Samus appear in Kirby's Dream Land 3. (see details) |
1 |
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F-Zero | March 21, 1996 | Captain Falcon's Helmet is an obtainable item in Kirby Super Star. |
1 |
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Fire Emblem | March 21, 1996 | Marth's Falchion is an obtainable item in Kirby Super Star. (see details) |
1 |
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Mother | March 21, 1996 | Mr. Saturn is an obtainable "item" in Kirby Super Star. (see details) |
1 |
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Indiana Jones | March 21, 1996 | You can find a treasure in Kirby Super Star called the "Indy Whip" in Japan. Additionally, the Whip Copy Ability is based on Indiana Jones. (see details) |
3 |
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Pokémon | November 27, 1997 | Gabon from Kirby is based on Cubone and Marowak from Pokémon. In Pokémon Stadium 2, connecting video game consoles to a TV can show images from Kirby's Adventure and 'Kirby Super Star. Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum feature a reference to Kirby. (see details) |
3 |
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Shin Onigashima | November 27, 1997 | Donbe and Hikari from Shin Onigashima make a cameo in Kirby's Dream Land 3. (see details) |
1 |
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Famicom Robot | November 27, 1997 | R.O.B. makes a cameo in Kirby's Dream Land 3. (see details) |
1 |
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Super Smash Bros. | January 21, 1999 | Characters, places and items from the Kirby series are featured in all Super Smash Bros. games;Master Hand and Crazy Hand from the Super Smash Bros. series appear in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror;many other kirby games as well as the comic strip Kirby and the Rainbow Curse: Saved by the Rainbow feature references to the kirby series;Kirby and the Rainbow Curse,Kirby: Planet Robobot and Team Kirby Clash Deluxe feature compatibility with Super Smash Bros amiibo. |
1 |
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N-Gang | June 1999 | Kirby appears in N-Gang episodes "Freeze Frame" and "Die Hexe lacht um Mitternacht". (see details) |
1 |
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Picross | August 01, 1999 | Picross NP Vol. 3 and Rittai Picross 2 include images from the Kirby series. (see details) |
2 |
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Star Wars | March 24, 2000 | In Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, the Spark-Cutter Power Combo is a reference to the double-bladed lightsaber. |
3 |
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Godzilla | November 10, 2001 | In Un-Reality TV, Globzilla is a parody of Godzilla. (see details) |
3 |
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King Kong | November 10, 2001 | In Un-Reality TV, King Klong is a parody of King Kong. (see details) |
3 |
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Superman | November 10, 2001 | In Un-Reality TV, Super Dededeman is a parody of Superman. (see details) |
3 |
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Harry Potter | June 21, 2002 | The episode A Novel Approach has a reference to Harry Potter. |
3 |
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The Fight for the FoxBox | 2003 | The Fight for the FoxBox includes characters and actual clips from Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. (see details) |
1 |
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Daigasso! Band Brothers | December 02, 2004 | A medley of Kirby's music tracks is featured in Daigasso! Band Brothers. (see details) |
2 |
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Aoi Sekai no Chushin de | July 30, 2007 | Carvai in Aoi Sekai no Chushin de is based on Kirby. (see details) |
3 |
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Animal Crossing | September 22, 2008 | The Gold Watering Can from Animal Crossing is an obtainable item in Kirby Super Star Ultra; one of the designs in the Animal Crossing e-Reader cards is based on Kirby; in Kirby: Planet Robobot Stone Kirby can turn into a Tom Nook statue, and the game also features compatibility with Animal Crossing amiibo. |
1a |
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Scott Pilgrim | August 10, 2010 | Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game features a star similar to Kirby's Warp Star. (see details) |
3 |
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Angry Video Game Nerd | December 06, 2010 | The Angry Video Game Nerd episode "How The Nerd Stole Christmas" features a reference to Kirby. (see details) |
2 |
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Toilet in Wonderland | December 13, 2010 | A statue from Kirby Super Star can be found in Toilet in Wonderland. (see details) |
3 |
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Mii Plaza | February 26, 2011 | Mii Plaza features an unlockable hat based on Kirby and includes five Puzzle Swap puzzles based on Kirby games. (see details) |
2 |
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Face Raiders | February 26, 2011 | Enemies in Face Raiders perform a dance similar to the "Kirby Dance". (see details) |
3 |
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AR Games | February 26, 2011 | The Star Pics AR game uses a Kirby card, and there also are Kirby refereneces in Graffiti. (see details) |
2 |
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Nintendogs | February 26, 2011 | A Kirby hat is featured in Nintendogs + Cats. (see details) |
2 |
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Pikmin | August 4, 2011 | The core gameplay concept of Kirby Mass Attack is very similar to that of the Pikmin games. (see details) |
3 |
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Dragon Ball | October 24, 2011 | In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Goriath is a reference to Saiyan warriors from Dragon Ball. (see details) |
3 |
|
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Smosh | August 09, 2013 | Anthony gains the power of Kirby in I Have Kirby Powers!. (see details) |
3 |
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Geometry Dash | August 13, 2013 | Geometry Dash features skins based on Kirby and Meta Knight and a ship skin based on the Jet Star. (see details) |
3 |
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Luigi | January 11, 2014 | In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, the battle with King Phanta is a reference to Luigi's Mansion. (see details) |
3 |
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Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | January 11, 2014 | In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Queen Sectonia is said to have been bewitched by a magic mirror and driven mad with the desire for perfect beauty and power. This is a nod to the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. (see details) |
3 |
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NES Remix | April 24, 2014 | NES Remix 2 includes challenges based on Kirby's Adventure. (see details) |
2 |
|
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Death Battle! | December 19, 2014 | Kirby and King Dedede have been subjects for Death Battle! (see details) |
2 |
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Amiibo Tap | April 23, 2015 | Scanning an Amiibo in Amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits can give you access to playing a demo of Kirby's Adventure, Kirby Super Star, Kirby's Dream Land 3, or Kirby's Dream Course. (see details) |
2 |
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Nintendo Badge Arcade | August 6, 2015 | Nintendo Badge Arcade features badges based on the Kirby series. (see details) |
2 |
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Henry Stickmin | November 12, 2015 | Kirby's Warp Star appears as an option in Fleeing the Complex. (see details) |
3 |
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BoxBoy! | January 06, 2016 | Kirby appears in comic strips within BoxBoxBoy and Bye-Bye BoxBoy! and there are some minor references between the two series. |
1 |
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Star Fox | April 20, 2016 | Four planets from Kirby Super Star, Floria, Aqualiss, Mecheye, and Halfmoon, are mentioned on the cover of a travel magazine in Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins. (see details) |
1 |
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Splatoon | April 28, 2016 | Kirby: Planet Robobot features compatibility with Splatoon amiibo. (see details) |
3 |
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Chibi-Robo! | April 28, 2016 | Kirby: Planet Robobot features compatibility with the Chibi-Robo amiibo. (see details) |
3 |
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Taiko no Tatsujin | June 16, 2016 | Kirby and King Dedede are party members in Taiko no Tatsujin: Dokodon! Mystery Adventure and Kirby also returns in Taiko no Tatsujin: Nintendo Switch Version!; Taiko no Tatsujin: Dokodon! Mystery Adventure and Red Version also feature songs from the Kirby series, with a Meta Knight costume also available in Arcade games. |
1 |
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Miitomo | September 16, 2016 | Miitomo featured Kirby-themed items. (see details) |
2 |
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Miitopia | December 8, 2016 | Miitopia features a costume based on Kirby, obtainable by scanning the Kirby amiibo. (see details) |
2 |
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Geometry Dash | December 21, 2016 | Geometry Dash features a skin based on Kirby. (see details) |
3 |
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Yoshi | January 19, 2017 | Poochi & Yoshi's Woolly World features a Yoshi design based on Waddle Dee, unlocked by using the respective amiibo. (see details) |
2 |
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A Hat in Time | October 5, 2017 | A TV in the chapter "Train Rush" from A Hat in Time shows a parody of the "How to Draw" intro of Kirby's Adventure. (see details) |
3 |
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Style Savvy | November 02, 2017 | Girls Mode 4 features clothing items based on the Kirby series, unlocked by using Kirby amiibo. (see details) |
2 |
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Part Time UFO | November 14, 2017 | Part Time UFO includes a level with dolls of Kirby characters. (see details) |
2 |
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Pop Team Epic | January 14, 2018 | A Pop Team Epic skit in Episode 2 of the anime featured a menu screen similar to the one in Kirby Super Star. (see details) |
3 |
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SMG4 | April 28, 2018 | Mario enters a parody version of the world of Kirby in "If Mario was in... Kirby Star Allies". (see details) |
3 |
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Annoying Orange | July 27, 2018 | Kirby is mentioned in Ask Orange #43: Pear-achu!. (see details) |
2 |
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Tetris | September 20, 2019 | Tetris 99 featured a Super Kirby Clash theme and a Kirby Fighters 2 theme during limited events. (see details) |
2 |
|
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Transformice | March 26, 2020 | King Dedede's hammer appears in the shop as a hand item. There are also shaman items: Star Block small and large box skins, Kirby ball and anvil skins, and a Meta Knight cannonball skin. (see details) |
2 |
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Meat Boy | December 23, 2020 | The Chapter 6 introduction cutscene in Super Meat Boy Forever is a parody of the intro cutscene from Kirby's Adventure. (see details) |
3 |
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Eddsworld | April 1, 2021 | A tree looking like Whispy Woods appears in "Beaster Bunny". | 3 |
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Any Malu | August 25, 2021 | A tree similar in appearance to Whispy Woods appears in "MÁS NOTÍCIAS...". (see details) |
3 |
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Protect Me, Shugomaru! | November 29, 2021 | Dream Land was mentioned in Chapter 2 of Protect Me, Shugomaru!, as well as other references. (see details) |
2 |
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Mickey Mouse | March 25, 2022 | In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Wonder and Wondy are similar to Mickey and Minnie. (see details) |
3 |
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Spooky Month | November 5, 2022 | Somebody in an Kirby costume can be found in Spooky Month episode “Tender Treats”. (see details) |
2 |
