Today, I bring you one of Kirby's one-time only attacks, and a true work of art in its simplistic use but complicated long-term effects. Paint Kirby! Paint hasn't been around that long. In fact, it's as old as Mirror, and just as used. Kirby Super Star is where it's from, and Paint Kirby.... didn't get many apperances even in that game. That's likely because the ability is only granted by two boss creatures, and otherwise ONLY available to a crackshot Mixer. Yes, it's that hard to get. When wandering through the Great Cave Offensive, if you decide to take every possible path to get every treasure, you'll evntually come across a boss known as Chameleo Arm. And yet again, it has a case of the bad projectiles. You COULD use them as ammo, but if you swallow them, Kirby will get his Paint ability, which is infinitely better, and not just because of Kirby's backwards gray cap (which is a pallete swap of the cap used by Wheel Kirby and Yo-yo Kirby). Speaking of the cap... I'm guessing most modern artists would wear something like that WHILE painting... but it seems more suited to professional painters than artists. It's also the ONLY ability cap to be perpetually seen on a one-shot ability (unlike Cook and Microphone, which only show their caps during the attack animation), another unique feature. I'm not sure who exactly got the idea that Paint Kirby wears a red beret and carries an artist's broadstroke brush... he carries a regular paintbrush (of the fence painting variety), and I jst explained the cap. Kirby will also get this ability by inhaling a small orange blob released by Heavy Lobster in Revenge of Meta Knight... the SECOND time you face the mechaincal reject from a seafood restaurant, that is. The blob is released every third opening of Heavy Lobster's claws, until you USE Paint against it.

So, on to the attack. Kirby will pull out his paintbrush, and the screen explodes in color, as he radiates paint from it, splattering everything. The world is your canvas, Kirby! This attack is called the Paint Out. It's a fitting name, as it wipes the screen clear of enemies, and does decent damage to bosses and minibosses. AND, it has secret (not really) effects against the bosses that give it up. Chameleo Arm releases them three at a time (Mix potential, though you risk getting hit - and they HURT), and if you use Paint Out, his colors change, and he takes damage. If he's clinging to the wall, he'll fall off, restarting his attack pattern from the ground. Not only THAT, but if he goes invisible, Paint will reveal him. Use it three times, and he's finished. If he goes down while invisible, when he dies, he appears to be a bit faded, something ONLY Paint can cause (it won't work with any other ability if he's invisible, he just dies normally. Same with everything INCLUDING Paint if he's visible). Against Heavy Lobster... it will paint the golden (or is it yellow?) chrome crustacean a deep crimson, and he'll be blinded... during Revenge of Meta Knight, do this (don't hit the lobster too much, or Paint Out will kill him off) for some despairing banter from Meta Knight's subordinates. However, you're on a tighter schedule than what Mario gets in most of HIS games, so it helps if you have a helper to recall and copy back its ability. You see, while blind, Heavy Lobster usually ends up facing/moving the wrong way, and walks backwards a lot. This lasts until the battle is over. However, as if not knowing for sure if he'll use the fire (which becomes a longer lasting stream of flames as he gets weaker) or the miniature lobster wasn't a bad enough situation... now he'll likely face away from you and fire, and it may not be so safe to fly in front of him, in case it's the flames. Add to that, the miniatures occasionally break on their own when he releases them (they're also red and blinded), and you might lose out because the time expires and Meta Knight takes over Dream Land! So, it may be better to forego the laughable dialogue between the captain and the Meta Crew, and just beat him down with an ability. Use Paint against him in Halfmoon or The Arena for the same results (against a different background) without the time constraint. And, just because it's limited use, doesn't mean it's limited access. You can get the ability into other areas without Mixing. Take it, then have a helper kill the boss. I took it to Halfmoon, and found out that Paint Out does 70 damage. 70. That's the same as some of the moves used by Suplex Kirby, or a Tomoe/Arm Throw from Fighter Kirby... the power of a thrown enemy. Well, paintball may be painful, but it's not DEADLY, unlike being cooked/nuked/sung to by Kirby. So the attack strength makes sense. If you get it in Milky Way Wishes, you can't view it (or Cook, or Crash, or Microphone if you manage to Mix it from Chameleo Arm's blobs) in the pause menu, since it's not associated with a Helper and isn't selectable. In fact, you COULD make a mistake and override it with something else, so be careful.

The animé also features Paint Kirby. AND Paint Roller (complete with extremely thin legs). Of course, Paint Roller is his (her?) usual self, painting things that come to life. Kirby gets this ability from Paint Roller, and... aside from the backwards cap (only gray instead of red, since Wheel Kirby already has red), he also copies Paint Roller's rollerblades. The transformation sequence... I recall it to involve Kirby skating, and a painted rainbow... the background was the same star scene we get whenever Cutter, Bomb, or Mirror Kirby appears. I'm not sure how Paint Kirby attacks, though. He's getting the ability from someone who had a variation of it, and one we later saw with Ado and Adeleine. I think THOSE TWO are the reason some fandom gives Paint Kirby the beret and artist's brush. I recall that in a fanfic somewhere. The episode he gets it in is called "Royal AcaDededemy", and at the time I write this, it's about a month or so away from the dubbed version airing (I think it's seven or eight weeks). It's the 77th episode - immediately following the first REAL appearance of Crash Kirby... two overkill powers in such close proximity could be hazardous to Nightmare's health. He should just give up, but then we wouldn't have a show to watch (or if we did, it'd be loaded with nasty Dark Matter beings).

Colorful, unique, and rightfully rare, as its main use lies within its special effects. I rate Paint Kirby a 9/10, given that it can't beat Cook and Microphone, but is still very appealing... and I seem to be naturally drawn to artists (no pun intended). I hope HAL decides to bring Paint Kirby back in a future game.