Ask Guru Gobbo #112

It could very well be Bubble rather than a new Water ability, but there are some things that have me leaning more towards Water. For starters, the hat is different. Rather than suds, it is a crown of waves. That's a good first indicator. It continues with the actual enemy. It's not just that it's different, as they change all the time, but the foe is pointy-topped like a typical droplet of water. That comes across more watery than bubbly. Finally, the actual attack is very distinct. Kirby spits up "a shape" that arcs and falls. Bubbles don't really follow gravity. Being pockets of air, they drift. This is a globule of liquid that splashes upon impact.

I mean, yeah, it could be Bubble, sure. There's also the chance that the molecules of my body and chair will synch up, and I'll slip right through it. Possible? Yes, but probable? Not really, given the body of just loose facts presented. Now, granted, it's not nearly that unlikely, but that's just the scenario I pull from my book of scenarios. Wait until I find reason to pull out my flamethrower chainsaw analogy.

1) No is my best guess and the probable answer. Zero was part of the Shinichi Shimomura "Dark Matter Trilogy", and there seems to be some character embargo within those titles. While Dark Matter and 0 have similar enemies appearing in games, like Dark Mind and Drawcia Soul for a stretch, it's not them... him... whichever. Since they aren't used in games really and even their direct acknowledgement is skirted around, it seems unlikely that a in line named Zero-Three (or cubed?) would be making any sort of appearance.

2) Really? A fan of the Ometon? The spiky ball or the individual? Because one would have not much behind it to be fanned for, and the other does more to be hated for. Anyhoo, I don't make those pictures, so I can't help you there. Maybe the Ometon can hook you up, however.

Help! I don't have a whole lotta capacity for expression! I don't even know what emotion this is supposed to be! Maybe its Surprised-I-have-a-fan-for-some-reason?

3) My favorite mini-boss is Bugzzy.

1) Two months? Apparently, somebody got in a temporal rift of some sort as this place only went without Gurus or Uncle Gobbo sanctioned activities for one full month, January 2009. Sniff. I guess no one cared for what was done in December.

2) The animated series tried its best to be more than just a cartoon about Kirby. It tried to be a "slice of life" that adults could relate to, as well. At least, that's what I think it says on the Anime page. If Ivy said it, it's good by my book.

3) Yeah, I ... I guess I still accept sheet music. I pretty much accept anything that can be reasonably submitted to the site since I don't really think it's too known who handles what anymore, pretty much meaning atrophy and apathy. The only thing about sheet music is that it should be presented in a fashion like the sheet music that already exists on the site. I didn't set the standard, but I think consistency is a good point to uphold.

1) While I'm not certain how it is played off in the animated series, the in-game Bonkers, from what I have always assumed, just has shadow over his eyes. It's just an ever present shading that keeps his oculars masked. If they were eyewear in some fashion, a shine or other marking would be present on them to show dimension and separation between lens and frame. No, I think they are a black void as it is just that, a lightless spot created by his pulled down cap and prominent jaw.

2) T.A.C., being modeled after a stereotypical cat burglar, should be slinging his bag of booty over a shoulder. However, he doesn't really have much of a body to speak of, being mostly a head. I always just took it that the off-side of his sprite was where the deal went down, a common trick to dodging explaining certain situations within games when designers have no idea how to make it look good. Or, to set up a safety net for myself, it's no bag, it is his back! And it's disgusting!

3) Heavy Lobster, for certain, is a construct. It was built just like the Halberd in my take, and probably around the same time. There's no organic qualities to it what so ever. It's mech-o-matic. However, there's a blurred line that comes between what is or isn't alive in Dream Land. Plenty of enemies seem like they should be just metal and other materials tossed together, like Shotzo, Bomber, or Kaboola, and it raises some confusion about what is what. What has to be remembered is that Kabu is stone, Rocky is too, and Puffy is a cloud. Life comes in all kinds on Pop Star, and off. Why, a buzz saw is alive on other stars. It's a wacky galaxy.

As for Heavy Mole, I've always viewed him as more of a cyborg, but he'd probably make more sense as a large digging machine. The eye just gives me the impression of a chewy, caramel center. Caramel is, of course, what resides within the cores of all Dream Landers, which is why Kirby likes to eat them so much.

Wheelies, at first, were presented as completely organic beings that were just shaped like tired. There wasn't any real reason to question it. However, once the dawn of Wheelie Rider came about, and the several more in Air Ride, they started being more mechanical. I would say it's just barding, armor plating for a steed, that give them this added detail. Or, maybe, they turned cybernetic. Jaw ("Joe" in Dream Land 3) has a propeller caudal fin, so it's not like its unheard of.

Dyna-Blade, I never liked. The thing just clashes too much with the Kirby style. I've never even thought for a second that the gigantic bird could be anything outside of farm raised. It has very elaborate plumage, and what looks to be a jewel encrusted vest, but the chicks can be seen to grow up to be like her in appearance. Of course, I could really see why a robo-confusion would be raised after seeing her in the animated series. 3-D animation equals stiff and lifeless.

4) Yes and no. Since both were part of the Shinichi Shimomura era, many ideas and characters were borrowed between the titles. The angel does have a similar appearance to the Ripple Fairies but looks like Ado at the same time. Maybe less twiggy. The primary difference is, of course, that the angel had feathers while the fey had insectoid wings. Couple that with the two distinct bodies have absolutely no relation or other shared conjoining, it begs why such could even be considered. However, it can't be said that after having that character designed that the idea for a star populated by other sweet li'l girls didn't pop into the game maker's minds.

5) Pitcher Man and the like have round bodies, hands, and feet. Kirby has ... exactly the same. Different sizes, different shapes (slightly), and different faces, yes. Hands, when gloved well in older games, appear as floating spheres next to the individual, so that even fits. What you're looking at is a culmination of vague character traits that amount to a large difference. It would be like standing me next to any chosen site-goer and saying that we are of a wholly different species or what just because of these minor differences. Humanity comes in a large range of heights, forms, and tints. That's one of the reasons I get so peeved when everyone just uses a carbon copy of Kirby to make a "new character". Of course, I go ahead and shove the folks from Broom Hatter to Wizzer in with what I consider a Dream Lander, but the prior statements still hold true. So, yes.

6) The regular icons appear flat because they are processed in a method called "flat coloring", which makes absolutely no attempt at gradient in the name of quickness in processing. It's literally thresholding the ink lines and filling in the white space. The ones on the main page were done in water color pencils. That texture is actually an accidental effect acquired from the microscopic size I draw most pictures at (one to three inches). The branded WCP Boggs were suppose to replace all others, as they certainly couldn't be finely integrated with the existing ones, but after realizing just how much of them I had accumulated, I just shrugged it off and used them for display purposes. They actually required a large degree of color adjustment, being very blanched out when scanned, which is why it probably won't be an adopted method.

7) A fresh face probably would be nice to liven up the very-much-so dead links. So many seem to be dead links or abandoned. Of course, many people confuse Rainbow Resort for the same. Strangely, the last place I knew her site to be is reporting non-existence.

8) I dunno if that'd be the thing I'd try to fly in Interactive Fandom. I try to keep the events limited to thought process and ideas with pictures as an optional submission. I have been, tho', thinking of some type of contest or deal to run in the Gallery to freshen things up since it is known there that everyone is willing to draw. Of course, knowing better from playing the numbers of active members and participating members, that stuff usually just gets kicked to the side, just like Staff Infection.

9) That was all him, truthfully. I would have just smacked up thumbnails placed near one another that linked to the full scope. Then again, I only know HTML. I don't know it extensively.

10) Truthfully, that was part homage, part sloth, and part demonstration. I wanted to make sure folks knew about the Emaki as, really, it's just great stuff. I was also running low on the FPC ideas and wanted that landscape reshaped, so I figured it'd be a good intermediary. Lastly, I wanted people coming to the front page to see a good hand drawn picture to deter the pink-circle-on-a-navy-background-drawn-in-MS-Paint-bitmap I get every so often. It's always navy.

1) Yeah, GameSpy has been getting pretty ad-tastic as of late. First, they had the annoying and ever-growing banners. Next, they had the intrusive page transition ads pick up in frequency. Now, pop-ups? I use things with pretty good pop-up blockers, but, blergle, GameSpy has been getting on my nerves as of late with its crazy ads.

2) I highly doubt it. The game, while delayed as it is, would make a lousy race game. It had too much other stuff going for it to dumbed down to just travel. I don't even know how the stacking would bit would even be used to make an interesting gimmick. Piling could easily make for big, fancy attacks, but for travelling, it'd mainly serve to burden, and players tend to want to go faster when racing. Of course, that's just speculation. It's also speculation that the title will even ... come ... out.

Does this constitute as a "tough question"? 'Cuz, i gotta tell ya, right on the Wikipedia page for Earthbound, it plainly says "HAL" right when you go there. And Kirby, well, unless you go temperarily blind whenever booting any Kirby title ever, you know... Kinda obvious. Right there, smack dab on the bottom of the screen. Just sayin'.

Yes, there is a problem. That "problem" was ruled as you commenting too much in disregard to the rules, holding off-topic conversations and the what-not, which resulted in your name being added to a cut-access list along with a few other folks who did the same. Yep, that's what happened.

Kirby was never one daily. That's just crazy talk. Weekdays, maybe, but Sunday and Saturday? Doesn't sound likely.

Anyways, I'm inclined to say "no". The show has been on for a long time, considering it was just one-hundred episodes. I mean, that's normally maybe a five year run, four at the rate they cut out episodes and rush cartoons. The fact that it remained on air this long is frankly surprising. Most shows, cartoons especially, fade away after they broadcast the last episode. Kirby managed to stick around a good while afterwards, two years, and came back again thanks to the writer's strike and the new show drought. I think it's pretty safe to say that Kirby is gone from television, barring a new series or your local broadcaster. By the big picture, nodda.

Who is Marx. Really? Well, I've gotten and answered "Who's Gooey?", so I guess if Super Star escaped someone's play, it'd be a bit of a mystery. Also, I need another tick to launch this session.

Marx is a resident of Pop Star. Innocent, cheerful, and dressing like a clown, he inspires Kirby to cease the quarrel of the sun and moon in Milky Way Wishes with the legend of Galactic NOVA, an ancient being who can grant wishes if the power of the surrounding stars is collected. Think Dragon Ball with less charging up. However, Marx is a two-faced fink and takes the wish from Kirby, wishing for control of Pop Star and transforming into some sort of glittery monster. He, of course, gets defeated by Kirby, blows up NOVA, gets reborn from NOVA's scraps, and is defeated again in Super Star Ultra for The True Arena's final of final bosses.