Ask Guru Gobbo #49

1) I would think they could do that, but I haven't heard anything about the games release anywhere outside of America and Japan. They originally just tagged "Deluxe" onto Adventure for its remake, but, then again, that was only in Japan where it was called "The Fountain of Dreams" or something to that effect. Obviously, we got Nightmare in Dream Land, but this was also done for a cross promotional effort to link Kirby to the new animated series. They could very well change the title to "Fun Pak Ultra" to fit with the region, but it would equally go with the seemingly international Super Star Ultra.

2) They logically were mashed together, but, unlike with the two flaming abilities, they didn't produce the same logical separation. Fire spewed tongues normally and turned into the classic Burning fireball when dashing. Likewise, Ice spit out a chilly breath when standing but then put up the Freeze shield when dashing? It worked, I guess, but you'd think you would want a protective shield attack when standing still, either by ducking or by rapidly pressing the button. I guess I'm fixed up on ol' Blanka's electric attack.

3) They used the animated series' character design for Meta Knight since... that's how they integrate things. It's just like how the masked warrior wields Galaxia in Brawl rather than his true blade, Master. People relate more with the animated series than they do to his game appearances. I really can't blame them. When you compare the one-hundred episodes to a handful of brief appearances in games, one certainly outweighs the other. I can't blame them for it, but I still don't have to like it.

4) Fatty Whale was a pretty major boss. Well, not really, but he was a boss. In the previous remake, certain foes got the ax like Rolling Turtle, Bounder, and Spiny who were replaced with PhanPhan, Gip, and Needlous. It's pretty easy to cut these guys out since their replacements were exactly identical in behavior. For Fatty, replacing him would require another large, slow moving, aquatic who foe shot a stream of something straight up and jumped a lot. If they did change him, he'd be exactly the same, effectively. I don't know if they would give ol' Fatty the cute make over like Rolly got, but I don't think it's likely.

1) It's hard to tell, but they are not. You can see that the Kirby sprite in Super Star Ultra appears to be a bit larger and doughier, especially when running. I've compared it side by side to the same type of running sprite from Squeak Squad, and it's a whole new beast. That means that all you sprite-ripping monkeys will have to start your hard work all over again. Ha-hah!

2) From what I can tell, and what has been expressed, a friend can only join in on the adventure play of things as the recruited helper. Whether or not they've added something for the helper to do while there's no ability, I don't know. I guess they just sit around and be bored. However, the added mini-games and Gourmet Race allow multiple players. I assume this about Race since a screen shot shows a pink and yellow Kirby running alongside King Dedede.

1) I made the mistake of saying that I'd take all sorts of questions and submission, including theories. This was meant more like theories to why things were or to explain things that were glibbed over or didn't make sense in the games and such. However, the sweetest honey catches the most flies, and Meta Knight is a hollow, plastic bear! I completely agree with you, however. There's probably not anything big and dark about his past or reasons, at least there probably wasn't. With how he, undoubtedly, spiraled out of control with his popularity, the game makers will probably try to pull some lame stunt like making he and Kirby brothers. Oh, man, if that happens, I swear, I quit.

2) It probably wouldn't drop down to once a week without warning. You'd probably see a trickle effect. First, every other day, then every two. Again, output is determined by input, and while I've probably been getting about the same amount of submissions, the bar has been raised slightly. Questioners like yourself, Theorizer, Prophallus, and other keen blokes whom names I'm neglecting to include make the grade, but then some people just seem to feel they have to ask something every day, even if they don't have a good question in mind. "What would Wario do in Kirby's world?" is not a question anyone cares about!

3) Truthfully, I use Pokémon (and often Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda) for comparisons and references since it is relatable. It's another video game series and is popular enough that when I mention it, people know what I'm talking about. The mythological ones, well, don't really ring many bells in most folks.

Anyhoo, you guessed correct, I've been bitten by the Poké Virus, and have been since the late '90s. Games, toys, plushes, I have a mess of stuff meeting my adoration, most all of it from the chromatic generations. It took me forever to finally get into the metallics, and I haven't even bridged into the crystalline waves or further. However, I've been trying to keep savvy on them as new info comes out, just so I know.

I did this since I was a big(ger) player back on Blizzard's old Pokémon Battle Simulator, but I couldn't really keep up with the evolving strategy and use of "ubers" in battles. I mean, my favorites are Beedril and Vileplume, not to mention that all the next few top entries also share Poison type. Since I play with what I like, and what I like is garbage, I sucked it up. Anyhoo, some part of me still likes to know what latest tactics are available and how many old monsters have been inferiorated. Pretty much, yeah, all that I liked.

1) Dream Land 1 was the sole title to have two wholly different versions of play since it was short enough to allow it. Other games tried to duplicate this effect by allowing half the life and no saving, but the first in the series was so short, they could actually change every occurrence of an enemy or change the behavior of a boss. In the larger, more complicated games, this feat just isn't possible, or at least feasible.

2) Much like I told Cake, there's no evidence of this. They mention a Water ability, and it plus several others have been confirmed in the released videos for the game. However, there is no top ability shown anywhere or mentioned anywhere in either the Game Cube or Wii versions of supposedly upcoming title.

3) Waddle Dee wasn't replaced. Waddle Doo wasn't replaced. Poppy Bros. Jr. wasn't either. Broom Hatter, Blipper, Coner, Flapper, Scarfy. Should I go on? Anyways, a change in appearance came with a change in behavior. Blopper chucked frosting at you, Grumples moved faster and less predictably, and even Blatzy fired three rounds before pausing. What could a Gordo do? Moving any faster, and they would have made quite the pickle. They had a set path. There wasn't much for them to change with. I believe, however, that like a lot of things, their damage dealt was increased in Extra Game.

Oh, my. You're in for a disappointment. If You Could Make An Animal Friend was pretty much slaughtered, dominated, owned, and subsequently sold off in tiny bits by the awesomeness that is Dedede Daimyo. I mean, not only were they only one to offer their own picture, beautifully drawn at that, but they drew out all of the classic power combinations to boot. And this isn't even taking into account the fact that he got how an Animal Friend was suppose to behave, especially with copy abilities. I mean, really, I wonder if some of the submitters even had played any of those older games before because some of them had me questioning it.

That's a good point. I don't believe I've ever stacked up all the wrongs done by the game to the one I oh-so loved. Many of them are little hitches that they took out to make the game more easily playable and enjoyable. You know, those fun little hurtles that give a game character. Not in the remake, oh no. It had to be pampered and pretty. Now, since I never actually played the remake, most of my knowledge comes from videos watched on-line and Wolf4Knowledge's guide on the changes between games. Thanks, Wolfie!

To start, all of the secret doors were made mildly less secret. Before, there'd be the faintest hint of a door actually being there, but they made it more obvious. I mean, what? Did secret doors go out of style in games or something? People don't know how to look for them anymore? Bah!

Before, hills were a problem to overcome. Trying to walk up them was next to impossible, which was right. You really shouldn't have an easy time walking up a steep incline. However, you can easily do such here. Walking uphill is like going across level ground. It's minor, yes, but lame.

Extra Mode has saving possible. This is kinda stupid but kinda makes sense. They did add a mode after this one that doesn't have saving, so I guess it balances out. Still, tho', they shoulda made you have to do it all in one run to be able to get to the chance to do it as Meta Knight.

The underwater attack, Water Gun, is a further traveling bullet rather than a shorter spout. Underwater play was one of the most difficult things to manage, as it should be. This is one of the saving graces of a held weapon. They provided the best offence beneath the waves. Aiding out in anyway just is wrong.

Some ability changes include Hi-jump being usable after a jump rather than needing a launching point, Backdrop dashing rather than inhaling (I guess that one could be for better or worse?), and Needle being able to be held out indefinitely.

Outside of that, the reduction in screen size resulted in everything being a bit more compact and didn't meet up well. Less screen, bigger sprites, not a good pairing. This threw off enemy timings. I know in a scene from Butter Building, for example, some perched Bronto Burts normally weight patiently for Kirby to get close before taking off. In the new version, they launch about when Kirby touches the ladder. Way lame.

Now, to throw in some peeves: Meta Knight not tossing some of the Invincible Candies, no more Ouch! icon, the existence of hats, no crane game, and the lack of a revolving Butter Building! And those, there, are some of my personal reasons. Granted, they are all minor and insignificant, but when you roll them all up in a Katamari Damacy ball, it gets pretty large, sticky, and unpleasant.

I think I've said it multiple times, but I've never played the game, Squeak Squad. I don't even own a DS. Can't really opinion that too well. I mean, I would guess that Storo would be the slow, easily handled type and that Doc would be a little more predictable in his movements. Spinni, who I'm taking is the faster of them, would probably give a more chaotic and quicker pace of fight, so why not that one?

1) Uh, there doesn't seem to be any record of any change occurring or being mentioned anywhere. Are you sure there was actually a change made? The move is called the Tomoe Throw. I can't imagine they'd call it a "trove", nor would the master be "nutralized". That would be stuffin' him with vitamins. Being neutralized makes more sense, or any sense, really.

2) ... If it is on YouTube, can't folks just go to YouTube and watch it? I'm not linking to that cesspool in a cesspool.

Aaah... classic.