Ask Guru Gobbo #125

1) Mini-bosses fade away for the same reason a lot of enemies fall into obscurity -- age is everything. The characters who appeared in Kirby's first two games pretty much had themselves rooted into the series as their sprites were recycled across a bunch of titles. Mr. Frosty later appeared in Pinball Land, Block Ball, and Dream Land 2. Someone like Fire Lion didn't get that reuse, excluding the remake reappearance and specifically targeted Nightmare in Dream Land/Super Star Ultra remake reuninion mini-boss bunch.

Truth be told, only really Mr. Frosty had that much exposure. The only other real contender would be Poppy Bros. Sr., who also saw a lot of titles. Bonkers sees a lot of the platformers, any game with Hammer as he's its next-to-only source, but never appears outside of the action/adventure genre. Most all other mini-bosses get a single shot or two and no more. Some, like Bugzzy, give the illusion of more appearances since they happened to be in one of the two titles that have remakes, if not both.

2) He reads this section, I'm pretty sure, so he'll see it. I don't really speak with the guy, really, despite working with 'im.

1) Dream Land was never actually "remade". An abbreviated form of it was included as a subgame within Super Star, but when a whole quarter of the game is missing, or five-eighths depending on your take (that'd be Extra Game in addition to the cut-and-combo of Castle Lololo with Float Islands and the removal of the brief level repeats in Castle Dedede), it's not really a true remake.

Anyhoo, Adventure was only remade since HAL was caught with their pants down with the sudden falling out with Sakurai and didn't know what to do with their developing title. Super Star was only upgraded to an Ultra variety since precedent was already established with Nightmare in Dream Land and the DS revamp could rake in more cash from decade older audience than a Wii Virtual Console port ever would.

Additionally, since HAL seems to hate the works of Shinichi Shimomura and holds ill to his creations, those titles aren't going to be repackaged and presented. Also, they clash with the animated series' style, something that Adventure was molded into and Super Star inspired a lot of. So, since they snub the Dark Matter Trilogy and couldn't feasibly remake anything released this decade, they've remade all viable platforming candidates.

Or, the "TL;DR" version: HAL likes making money while synergizing with the animated series, which in turn makes more money by pull fans of one medium to the other.

2) I think this answer was given in either the previous statement or the previous question.

3) The most powerful ability, undoubtedly, is Smash, but it's a one-night-only act. It combines the other two warring candidates, Hammer and Stone, plus more versatility. Since it isn't as universal an ability, I wouldn't say it should be considered in the running. It was kind of cheap and broken, purposely so, but not broken like Tornado was in Squeak Squad. Totally biased!

Pound for pound, I would honestly put Hammer at the top of the list. It's a heavy hitter and packs a serious wallop, not to mention it has Oni Slaying Fire Strike! That's, like, what? A two hit K.O. on mini-bosses? Outstanding!

Really? Eating and killing the cuddlies of Pop Star doesn't constitute the "10+" suffix? Not even the arrow skewing of Angel? I never really paid attention to the ratings, really. I thought even Mario had the ten for "animated violence" or some bull like that.

But, I'm with you. I don't want nor do I believe that Kirby will ever stray into any of the higher ESRB ratings. Now, if Meta Knight ever gets a break away title, which I also hope never happens, it may get a higher rating.

1) That'd be an "adventure" game. Adventure covers the journey process, such as travel. A real travel game would be like Oregon Trail. It's honestly traveling from point A to B. Kirby is still in the action/adventure genre.

2) My first real experience was borrowing Dream Land from a friend, but, prior to that point, I just remember seeing the commercials on TV. They seemed kind of acid trippy. You had a dough ball spitting things at a tree. A tree! It wasn't even an evil, devil tree of any kind or haunted oak. No, it was a straight, smooth, almost friendly timber. That's really all I remember about the commercial, too. Puff, tree, and spitting. I thought, "Wow, it's not just a game that wants to be Mario. Seems interesting!"

1) Zero does bleed. He gets the pie slit like splits surrounding his eye and launches out crimson ovals. Then, when defeated, his eye blows out and flies around, erupting in a burst of red. I'd call that "blood". That, or its cherry pie filling.

2) Kindar Spirit is a little, oh, occupied with "real life", something I'm ignorant to. But the last few times I tried emailing her, there was no response. That was, I believe, close to a year ago. Yeah, pretty well buried in matters of realness.

1) That skill would be displayed by the Master ability in Amazing Mirror. Since Master is Kirby picking up Meta Knight's weapon, the two go hand in hand. Also, Dark Meta Knight may do that in the battles had with him, I don't remember. The Master bit is enough of an answer.

2) Sleep allows the player to see Kirby's sleepy face.

3) Togezo was probably replaced due questionable legality and its similarity to Spiny from Mario Bros.. Bounder could have very well be done in since it was "too human". Around the time of Amazing Mirror, you notice the likes of Knuckle Joe and Poppy Bros. fading out of the scene. Could be? Rolling Turtle may have been replaced since it wasn't as cute as the elephant option. But, now, the more likely real reason was that Nightmare in Dream Land was not suppose to be a remake. It was supposed to be a new game (of course with nothing like that title, which it is named no where close to in Japan), and enemies are often changed between titles, like how Hothead was swapped out for Burnin' Leo and then returned. Similar enemy behaviors are nothing new. The Wiz is just Paint Roller while Lololo & Lalala have had their motif shared among how many bosses? Answer: a lot! It was probably more of a "whoops!" than a "nuts to those guys" that wound up sticking.

4) It was a nice gesture kiss, or as I skillfully put it, a "congratulatory smacker". It was kinda like "thanks" or "job well done". Haven't you ever played the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game? (rhetorical!) April O'Neil does the same thing when you save her.

1) There's no such thing as a question I'd prefer, just the ones I wish I wouldn't get.

2) This sounds like one recently received. Really, I'd just say, "More animal friends!" and run the franchise into the ground. And of course I'd use my real name in the credits. I have my real name posted on this and other sites I work on. It's not like I hide it.

3) I'm... not really familiar with any development teams. I'm pretty sure the one pulling the current shift will be under heavy review. "This game took how many years to complete?" "You kept on delaying it. I was finished ten years ago, somehow." "Silence!"

4) If anything, Brawl helped with Kirby's 3D game since the models, I do believe, were the same. So they had more incentive to get those frameworks done. Recycling!

There are none that I've ever heard of. The only Kirby comics or manga are published in Japanese and translated by fans. Some are here, but there's not many. Then, of course, there's the German Nintendo Fan Club Kirby comic, but that doesn't count for more reasons than there are in the world.

1) I do not believe that Evil will ever be usurped in my book.

2) The thing is, no one ever plans on Kirby interfering. Dedede, by all real recent accounts, is less bad than good. He never really planned on Kirby trying to do anything. It just happened. Also, typically the sought after prize is broken apart and protected by different bosses, so bringing them all together is almost a recipe for disaster.

3) While King Dedede falls over, I don't think the puffball protagonist ever had any trouble with them. It must be his lower center of gravity.