Exploring Kirby’s Shape-Shifting Possibilities And Limitations

Few games have captured the creativity and imagination of generations like Nintendo’s Kirby franchise. The lovable character has built a loyal fan base, many of whom showed up to the recent Game Developers Conference to hear directly from two of the individuals responsible for bringing Kirby into the modern age.

They said a mouthful

In Kirby’s latest adventure, the malleable, pink hunk of goo gets to set off in “mouthful mode,” which gives him the ability to take on the shape (and certain characteristics) of whatever he eats.

That sounds pretty straightforward, but as the developers explained, there was a lot of debate about what should happen to Kirby after he eats an object.

Using the power of flight as an example, general director Shinya Kumazaki explained that it’s not as simple as just allowing Kirby to swallow an airplane. Developers did consider that option, but they opted for something a bit more oblique.

“Rather than swallowing an airplane, maybe Kirby can swallow something that’s in the arch shape and then use the shape of his body to take on wind and that’s how he flies,” he said.

Playing by the rules

In upholding the values and traditions that Kirby games have built along the way, the team behind “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” had a few important rules about how Kirby would behave:

• He’s got to remain cute: That means limiting how certain parts of him (like the distance between his eyes) stretch when he eats something.
• He’s a unique hero: Instead of seeking to destroy villains, Kirby is a pure-hearted protagonist without a lot of emotion.
• He’s a blank slate: His ability to take on the shapes and characteristics of what he eats is a reflection of his neutral presence in the video game universe.

Chris Agee April 1st, 2023

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