Ask Guru Gobbo #13

According to anything about Kirby ever, in all history, yes, it's a boy. The very first Dream Land instruction manual reports him as a brave young boy. Every official piece of writing refers to him with the masculine pronouns. Even the animated series makes mention of his gender being male.

Now, I can understand the reason this is questioned so much. Normally, people see pink and instantly think, "Oh, it's feminine." I'd hate to sound like a raging liberal feminist when I say that is stereotyping and biased to assume, but it's true. The problem is that there are not much things that are pink that do anything to sway this opinion. That is because, chiefly, nothing wants to be pink. It's labeled as a weak, girly color. White stands for purity, red labels war, purple is royalty, and pink is for floofy, soft, harmless girl stuff. These set definitions are ingrained in our society as well as our minds. I don't think people will ever not raise a brow to Kirby's gender.

It also doesn't help that Kirby's voice actors are also female. Now, girls being boys is nothing new. In many cases, lads are voiced by women. Bart Simpson is a prime example, as well as any other kid in his class, even Nelson Muntz! There's a good reason for this, and it's that guys' voices turn very baritone. They don't start this way, however, so women are called in that can match the childish pitch.

This answer gets further contribution in Session #26.

The most dreaded horror I could think of appearing in a Kirby game would have to a ripped-from-the-animated-series ability. I sighed great relief when I saw that Metal looked nothing like Iron. I think it's pretty well established that I don't really care for the show, but I'm fine with it. I'll stay on one side of the pool, and it can have the other. Now and again some ripples may cross between the halves, and I don't mind that too much. The change in Kirby's suction animation, the appearance of certain ability hats, etc. It's alright. However, if I see a Baton power, I'll go screaming into the night on a non-stop trip to HAL headquarters with a pitchfork and torch. Maybe a flaming pitchfork to lighten the load. That would be a far walk with the ocean between us and all.

Kirby actually can speak, pretty much anyone can. However, there's just never any game scenes with dialogue. Most any story is progressed with narration of what was discussed. Marx and NOVA during Milky Way Wishes is about the only countable example I can think of. However, I want to note that I adore the out-of-character dialogue from Avalanche. I think King Dedede says a little before each round in Star Stacker's challenge mode, but that's not much.

But, back to poyo, the reason he doesn't say it in the games is actually multiple. First, "poyo" was made for the animated series. On top of that, the original just had him make indistinguishable baby sounds, so the whole poyo thing is an American creation*. But, all of that aside, the reason he doesn't say "poyo" in the games is -- why? When would "poyo" ever come up while playing? Would it just play at random times? After he did his end-of-level dance? When he got hit? There's not much in the way of vocal sound bites for Kirby games, or really any. Mix that big pot of reasons together, bake for ten minutes, and it still comes out as tray of cookies that spells, "no reason to".

* This complete flub is corrected in Session #20.

Well, there's no worry in that. I haven't not answered a question yet. Well, okay, I had those few that were accidently deleted, but anyways.

As for the audio recordings, I actually have been meaning to do a KRR Radio bit for some time. One of the cornerstones was answering listener mail. However, the project never really got any steam behind it and kept getting pushed to the side. One of those pushing factors what that I thought no one would send in any questions/letters. Doing these segments has shown me that my view was wrong, but now I like writing these better, anyways. No flubbing, no sound editing, I can change and insert bits easily, etc.

Anyways, I've never been one to stop someone else from doing stuff that relates to ... something or the other. If you want to do a vocalizing of these sessions, go right ahead. However, I may just wind up doing a parody of your parody some day.

The "a question" thing is just arbitrary labeling. I think I snagged that entire form and feed straight from the Mailbag question submission page that I pounded out. The surrounding text to it is rather meaningless. It's basically just to say where you put stuff.

As for your real question, the King Dedede identity situation was priorly addressed. Actually, it was the first thing addressed. I would say more on the matter but there's already enough flying in this Q/A.

The funny, little, icon thing, also known as Squeaky Bogg, can commonly be seen happy on almost any session. In fact, the "Smile" face is one of the most commonly used. Regardless, there it is for ya.

... Erm...

No, I read this before typing up and placing the other response, and I know I shouldn't have it go live, but I like the points made from it. It's true, in the past I have stated that this is a place for serious question. However, as it says on the main page, I shall handle any material based on Kirby, the games, the show, or other publications whether it be a question, theory, thought, or opinion. The priorly referenced chew-out was aimed at "questions", not questions. The those mockeries of the word are those that feature no real seriousness, use elite typing styles, and appear with only capital letters. That's the garbage that doesn't belong here. Well, at least in my sessions, at least. Every Guru probably set their own bar, and mine is lying on the ground.

Kirby Warrior did get that question, and I've probably answered a lot that he's gotten. Like you said, he stated it was debatable, which is exactly what I did. Many things stated in other Ask the Gurus Q 'n' As are presented as "here's the answer". I tend to focus on "why is it the answer". I try never to give a one-line response, if I have ever even done so. He used the reason of different names, which isn't presenting any evidence since the naming difference is the case. I went on to explore that evidence and prove what flaws were behind the defense's theory for motive. If this was a court, my case would have an argument behind it. Kirby Warrior's was more of a shrug. It is the commonly held view that they are different characters, Ado and 'Leine. At face value, they should be different. However, I scratched the surface, at all, in this debate and showed how thin those differences. And that's what I hope I'm providing with each of these answers: insight into why and not just an answer.

And that was just the pre-question answering.

1) Super Star Ultra is known to have to additional game modes on it already. I'm pretty sure these are added sub-games, but with the wording, it sounds something like Meta Nightmare Mode. Anywise, I expect changes on the other subgames, but nothing close to the lines of "More Great Cave". No, if the past has shown us anything, it's that parts will be cut out and made easier, if anything. The TAC home star will probably have a big arrow pointing to it in Milky Way Wishes. Also, I expect there to be some change to general ability use and play. Why, I wouldn't put it passed them to have blocking now guard against grappling attacks.

2) It is quite possible that you did; however, it was done in comedic style. It added to the general reading and flow of the review. That's an aspect that many submissions for the ability review are missing. They are all trying to be SiR6 and write a full, well versed, comprehensive review of a power. We already have those. They are called SiR6's Ability Reviews. These post-SiR6 were suppose to be more specialized and focused, and in some cases comical. The critical analysis of Copy's worth is one that strikes me at the moment as a good set that fleshes out what lies between the cold hard facts of what it does and how strong does it do it.

This was indirectly explained when covering where his ability hats come from, but that was done poorly, in truth. It was mainly stated to tie into that particular question. Alone, I think I can fare it better.

The ability helpers are a physical manifestation of that particular ability. Kirby consumes his foe to retrieve that ability. The foe is, in essence, digested by him. This manifests as a headpiece or a weapon which he then wields. However, that inanimate icon was once a living creature. In much the same way Kirby eats and copies the enemy's ability, he can abandon and resurrect the being, too. However, since has digested it, the creature has gone through a type of processing, making it good now.

Or not. I mean, that all sounds good in theory, but it's more of just a game mechanic. The regurgitation theory does have something going for it, at least.

Truthfully, nothing comes to mind. I know there are links between some game villains and real life inspirations, like the Chain Chomp of Super Mario Bros. 3 being a real life scare from a chained hound. But this, a mallet mashing mallard (or, for your penguin pushers, a monarch), probably doesn't float that boat. It's been quite some time since a big blue bird has bludgeoned some blundering bystander. Some time if not forever.

I know that the in-game voice of the great King is provided by Kirby's creator himself, Masahiro Sakurai.

1) I have never played Brawl, or the previous Smash Bros. title, at that. I am way behind the times.

2) Masahiro Sakurai has admitted publicly that he does not know where the name "Kirby" has come from. However, these publicly stated I-don't-knows can also be read as a please-don't-sue. It is assumed that a link comes between the pink blob and the vacuum cleaner company of the same name. This is called coincidental. Another curiosity is a lawyer who represented Nintendo in a huge case that saved the company. His name? John Kirby. Whether or not this is true, no one is talking.

3) I don't even know why your friend would think that. Kirby is a 100% HAL property. He's never had any ties with Sega or any Sega gaming consoles.

4) Kirby's favorite thing to munch on is the red, ripe tomato. However, the animated series said, "Why be consistent?" and changed this to watermelon. So, depending on whether you mean Kirby from the games or from the television, the answer will differ.

5) Those additional features on Super Star Ultra sound like they should be more than harder versions of the previously existing subgames. From what has been released about Meta Knight Ultra, we know that the masked enigma is training for the ultimate battle? Of course, since the King plays second fiddle to the faux-Kirby, nothing about his game mode has been leaked.

6) This is a lie. You prefer cobbler. The all knowing Guru has spoken.

7) You... can't tell? Well, Laser produces a single, thin, straight shot beam that travels forward. It can strike angled walls and bounce off at 90°. Plasma is a straight fired shot that has to be "charge" by moving Kirby around to generate energy. This can be released as a blast small as a needle that travels a short distance to a massive orb of surging power that flies across the screen. Additionally, Plasma also generates a barrier around Kirby as it is charged.

This series of questions is continued in Session #15.