Ask Guru Gobbo #15

Commander Vee, from the animated series, is painfully a female. She has noticeable eye lashes that all female characters have and was actually the Princess Rona in disguise. If anyone thought it was a guy, they were very guillible. To add more to the confusion, Vee's title is listed here (that is, the source I'm using) as "lady-in-waiting". How could anyone think otherwise? This was actually one of the few episodes that I have seen and saw the switch-up from a mile awhile. The gender fake-out is often attempted but rarely successful in cartoons. Another series, Zyber 9 (don't even bother YouTubing it), tried to pull this in the first episode. Even though little, I just looked and though, "Huh, I wonder who she is. Wait, why are they calling her 'he'? Are they blind?"

This question has a follow up in Session #26.

This question has even more added in Session #29.

This answer is corrected in Session #32.

That's several good questions. First, tho', I want to make a few points. The "Heart Rod" as you called it, was never officially given a name in the states. It was just that weapon you got at the end of Dream Land 3. Really, it's only name is Love-Love Stick Leave it to America to not take truly awesome names. Also, that rainbow sword really does have a name as simple as Rainbow Sword.

As for the weapon-related abilities, this concept became rather diluted over the course of Kirby games. Well, actually, Kirby game. We all know that copy abilities debuted in Kirby's Adventure. For powers like Sword, Hammer, and Parasol, you ate 'em and popped one out. However, consuming a Blade Knight didn't just give Kirby a weapon. With it, he gained the innate skill and reflexes to wield it effectively. In that way, Kirby is copying the enemy's ability. However, in this same game, you later just pick up a sword to battle Meta Knight, so that whole reasoning sorta breaks down. One could assume that reasonable skill was acquired throughout the rest of the game to competently handle such a blade, but it is still grasping at straws.

But that was more towards universally picking stuff up. The legendary or final weapons of the series are bounding with enchantment and mythical powers, in most cases. Wielding this magical artifacts is empowering, so, yes, it is like Kirby obtains a newfound power by just holding the items.

As for ingesting Galaxia and Warp Star to acquire powers, I really don't even want to get into that. That's the animated series, not the games. They do a lot of farfetched stretches as to what copying an ability actual means. Kirby once devoured a sword shaped bolt of lightning to become ...ugh... "Sword Kirby". Luckily, that wasn't even asked. I was just giving my two cents on that horrendous matter.

The Goku/Lucrido/Fighter Kirby/Ryu fireball charge is a keen observation. The deal with these similar tactics is that the "energy ball" is a legitimate martial arts tactic. The chi ball is a projections of the life force within one's body. Truthfully, energy is gathered within the hands and is released as a projectile. Expert martial artists have even demonstrated this ability and knocked opponents unconscious with their chi. Of course, this isn't real. The effects are entirely subliminal. Simply not believing that anything is there will leave you unphased. However, a fearful opponent will get their lights turned out. I saw this all on the Discovery Channel. It was awesome.

Kirby was created by complete and utter accident. When what would become the original Dream Land was being created, a crummy, simple, place holder was used to represent the main character to be controlled by the player. Graphics come later in game development. First you want things to work, then you make it pretty. This simple, round ball grew on the game creators, particular Sakurai. So, the original protagonist was scraped in favor of Kirby. As for why he inhales and shoots stars, no clue.

8) Coconuts always explode. In truth, this is just a level hazard. If they fell, they wouldn't be of too much danger. The explosion adds difficulty to navigating the otherwise calm, sunny beach. Also, it is Dream Land. Technically, you shouldn't be able to ignite your entire body, swell to four times your original size, or come back from the brink of death by using a tomato. There isn't a real reason why the blow up. Sometimes, you just have to accept that it's a game.

The trophies are stupid. It's really that simple.

Partially touched upon in a prior session, a lot of the trophy flavor text is questionable. And by that, I mean blatantly incorrect. Despite Sakurai being alleged to have double checked everything, I'm sure some faults are in the translation process. These cross series projects have a lot of facts to keep straight, but they don't really impact the actual game any. These fun little tidbits that get collected are certainly on the bottom of the double-check list. Having a function, fun game beats out bonus trivia. However, since Sakurai was off Kirby by the time Amazing Mirror came out, maybe he just didn't know better. Assuming, that is, he personally checked them.

Oh, but I don't just do Ask the Gurus and Ability Reviews updates. I also manage Fan Comics, the Fan Art Gallery (in conjunction with others), and the Frontpage Picture Challenge, which all in all don't collect many submissions between their whole. But on top of that, I started the RR Election '08 and If You Could Make... fan creation showcase. All of these, by the way, were updated at the turn of the month, which I was easily able to fit in and accomplish on time. I also read through a lot of the forums everyday. But that's just what I do here. I also maintain my own website and art gallery and am currently "working" on two games. Plus, oh yeah, I have a full time job that commonly requires unpaid overtime.

How do I do it? It's not really a question of, "How do I?" but more, "Why can't anyone else?" There are enough hours in the day. You just have to not spend them on MySpace, YouTube, or LiveJournal.

The name "Squeaky Bogg" actually came from "Squeaky Gobbo". Gobbo was a nickname I got from a rockin' Aussie as a pet form of "Goblin". I found out, sadly, that "Gobbo" happened to be creatures in a game series, Croc. Not wanting to even appear to taking names from franchises, I switched it to my fail safe, "Bimblesnaff Bogg". The "squeaky" part is due to it being the form assumed, which I always likened to a squeaky toy. There's the classic, humanoid Mad Goblin avatar I used and then this dwarfed, cartoonish form which was created to assimilate to the Kirby community. I could have just used a green Kirby or ... Goblin Kirby, but how original would that be? In my book, not.

For the record, I think your handle is great. I'm an avid supporter for names that are not lame, such as video game character followed by some numbers that will undoubtable be dropped as interest in said video game wanes in favor of the next temporary interest in the named's life. Hey, that's the same reason I go by "Bimblesnaff". Nobody, ever, has that taken.

A statement is corrected in Session #19.

There are not many made-up abilities I would like to see in Kirby games. Unless, that is, you were to scrape up some powers from already existing foes. If abilities could be taken from Trident Knight or Ax Knight and still be made unique, I would be pleased.

There's not much in the way of abilities I wish they would include since, for the most part, they are always there anyways. Parasol and Beam? I'm good. More often, I am concerned about how they will include abilities and the details surrounding that. I would really like it if Mirror made a come back but if it actually worked off of reflecting enemy's attacks back at them rather than a deadly wave of glass shards. Paint is another one I think could be brought back. Much like how Magic was upgraded (?) from a one-shot to a regular power, I think it could be pulled off. Enough fan ideas and games propose such an action, so it has supporters and notions behind it.

That was probably a poor choice of words on my part. It should have been "additionally" or something to that affect. The statement really is linked to the rest of my reason. But, anyways -

All the Super Star single appearance powers are surrounded with strategy and unique aspects to them. They had a single appearance but a great impact on players. What do all of the end-of-game powers offer? You shooting stuff. Every one of them (save the Rainbow Sword and Master) just throws out a star or morphing heart star. You just shoot stuff. You have no real choice on the matter since it is your only option. And what would a Master review exactly be? "It is all win and 0% fail." It's an end-of-game over-powered power. There's not much knocking to be had.

It's also a real estate issue. Space should be reserved for where there is likely to be reviews written. I know its unlikely that Balloon will get much said about it, but it's a regular ability just like Light. And that's only two spots in two games. To get all of the final abilities and cram them in their own heading would inflate the table three more rows, and for what? Next to no reason. Now, should there be the time where all of these final powers get floods of reviews that aren't bad from several different sources, and this amount rivals that of other abilities, then they'll get their own headings. I like making webpages efficient and have no problem changing them should they need changed. But, until that day, nuts to them!

For someone named speedy, you don't read it! See, I went that route rather than making light of the fact that I can type things faster than you can read.

The two blobs are, in fact, Gooey and Blob (creative names are go!). The subject of Gooey referred to appears here. As for what "Blob" is, see the Blob/Chuchu identity crisis.

For those of you who want the boiled down facts rather than looking what was said before, Blob was originally Chao, a small girl from Yuuyuuki, another HAL title. The American version changed this since kidnapping little girls is frowned upon here. The easiest new sprite to make was a female version of the gelatinous mess already sacked. Since Blob is an entirely American creation, she was not Chuchu. More to that point, Chuchu is an octopus, not a slime. In truth, saying the two bare a resemblance is a stretch. All females in Kirby about have a bow on their head. More so, since the game was not in color, there is no way to label Blob as being pink or any other color for that matter. And, the real clencher, Blob has a smooth bottom where Chuchu is all nubbly from her curled in tentacles.

Back to the blob of not that name. Little is ever said about Gooey's origins, much like anyone else in any Kirby game ever, outside of the fact that he is made from Dark Matter. I would say that he winds up being captured, as with the Animal Friends, since he is a friend of Kirby. I mean, I don't think that Dark Matter would just kidnap random animals time and again that could help Kirby navigate tough terrain without cause. Logic follows that since they were his friends and were helping him, they got imprisoned. The same can be said for Gooey and Chao/Blob. They apparently offer some means of aid, either in recovered vitality or extra lives, and thus are kept away from the hero.