Kirby Adventure Wii survived the GameCube, coming in 2009
After making the Kirby’s Air Ride racing game, developer HAL Laboratories started on Kirby’s first full-scale action game. The tentatively titled Kirby Adventure was originally announced back in November 2004 for the Nintendo GameCube. The game later showed up in February 2007 on a Japanese 2007 release list as a Nintendo Wii port titled Hoshi no Kirby (translates as Kirby of the Stars). So we’ll nickname the game Kirby Adventure Wii for now. Lastly in December 2007 Nintendo of Japan’s schedule (page 9) confirmed that the game has been delayed to 2008 (and later 2009).
Our enemy-inhaling and morphing friend’s game had a variety of modes, including a substantial single player experience and a wild multiplayer adventure for up to four players. With the Wii’s focus on family-friendly multiplayer games, and Kirby’s huge fanbase dying for a new game, we’d expect Kirby Adventure Wii to be revealed at E3 in mid-July 2008 right next to the rumored 2008 release of Animal Crossing Wii and maybe even Kid Icarus Wii.
Kirby Adventure’s story begins when Kirby sets out to get the stolen Warpstar back from King Dedede. It’s tough going for Kirby when he’s on his own… so it’s a good thing he can catch a ride on the backs of his helpers. Utilizing a new attack system, Kirby can gain power by riding on up to three helpers. The more helpers, the more powerful the attack. It’s up to Kirby to save the beautiful world of Dream Land.
This video shows 21 powers, namely: Beam, Bomb, Broom, Cutter, Fighter, Fire, Hammer, Ice, Parasol, Plasma, Stone, Sword, Tornado, Water, Wheel, Yoyo, Jet, Sound, Ninja, Paint, and Wing.
The cartoony and colorful GameCube version seemed to be running on the Super Smash Bros. Melee engine, so a Wii version could be in development on the Super Smash Bros. Brawl engine. In general there always seems to be a side-scrolling Kirby platformer in development at Nintendo/HAL, so it’s most likely that this GameCube port’s release was delayed from 2007 to 2008 for added Wii-controls and polish. The GameCube game Super Paper Mario was also successfully ported to the Wii, as was the GameCube’s DK Bongo Blast that showed up as a renamed Donkey Kong Barrel Blast on Wii.
Check out all Kirby Adventure GameCube pictures at IGN.
Kirby (星のカービィ, Hoshi no Kābī?, lit. "Kirby of the Stars") is the ninth platform installment of the Kirby video game series, in development by HAL Laboratory for the Wii. Early in development, the game was planned to be a Nintendo GameCube title; however, after failing to be completed in time, development was shifted to focus on the GameCube's successor console, the Wii, instead. First announced in 2005, few details have been confirmed about the title, leading a number of sources to challenge the game's existence. In 2007 Nintendo itself denied that the game was in the works[1]; however, a press release made public on July 31, 2009, insists otherwise.[2]
[edit] Gameplay
As shown in screenshots, levels in Kirby were rendered in 3D, but the gameplay was a side-scroller, like Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. Kirby also used an attack system which allowed Kirby to ride on the backs of up to three other characters, a technique not used since Kirby's Dream Land 3. Kirby was also able to receive abilities from partners or enemies, as in Kirby Super Star. Another return from Kirby Super Star — as well as Kirby & the Amazing Mirror and Kirby: Squeak Squad — was the multiple moves for a certain ability. Furthermore, Kirby was to support up to four-player multiplayer.
[edit] Development
Kirby was first announced at E3 2005, and was then set for the release on the Nintendo GameCube. However, after its first announcement, little information was revealed about the game, and it soon appeared that the game was now set for release on Wii.
On May 26, 2006, IGN released an article stating the release of a "generically labeled Kirby Legend of the stars, based on information found "in a recent Japanese release list found on Nintendo's corporate site". Furthermore, on September 14, 2006, the game appeared on a list of upcoming Wii games set for release in Japan, named Hoshi no Kābī (Kirby of the Stars) in the region. The December 2006 issue of Nintendo Power removed Kirby from its list of GameCube releases, but did not place it on its list of Wii releases.
Matt Casamassina of IGN, posting on his blog, furthered the idea of a Wii release by stating that Kirby would indeed be released for the Wii in 2007.[3] Casamassina compared Kirby to Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, another game that was originally announced as a GameCube title, but eventually released on Wii. Finally, however, at E3 2007, although Kirby was not shown by Nintendo, it was confirmed to "have not been abandoned on the Wii" by Beth Llewelyn of Nintendo of America.[4] However, when asked about the GameCube version, she said "not to forget about Kirby" either.[4]
In the December 2007 issue of Official Nintendo Magazine, it was stated in the "Ask Nintendo" section that a Kirby game for Wii was not currently in development.[1] This is questionable, however, since a press release by Nintendo as late as July 31, 2009 includes the title Hoshi no Kābī as an expected 2009 release.[2] Its release in Europe is also pending confirmation.
