There's plenty of animals in Kirby. It's generic enough of a term. What the ability entails is the presence of claws and digging. Unless it was a burrowing bear -- a Bearrower! -- then it's not likely.

And, please, Chilly, keep the TWIS-2050 turned off. That'd be better for us all.

Well, there's something called the "Kirbj" series. It's, you know, like actual Kirby games and is not, as most Kirby fan games are, a bunch of unrelated content with the facade of Kirby in a watered down and tired game play format.

There is a Kirby Fan Games page on the site for a reason. Okay, I guess not. Most of those things are pretty lame.

0) Meta Knight themed, huh? Very daring today, aren't we?

1) If he had a Spanish accent, he shoulda had a Spanish sword, like a rapier, and not the golden leaf that his functional blade turned into.

2) The wings were technically an addition to Meta Knight, and we don't actually know whether or not he had them. I believe they are technically a transformation of his cape, and his cape was tossed aside in his first appearance back in Adventure. Given that the top-tier fan-favorite is akin to Kirby, heavy body modifications are not outta the question when it comes to innate abilities. Maybe he ate a Flapper off camera? Maybe he kept a Babut in his shoe? Have you checked his shoes? I thought not.

3)

I can dig it.

4) I am going to say "no" since I don't know what nonsense you are speaking off. Not every fandom has crossover. You don't see me sayin' that ol' Knight should be more like Zelgadis, despite how much cooler it would make him: part demon, part golem, terribly voice acted after the first few appearances. See? Straight over your heads. Doesn't feel so nice, now do it?

5) Sean Connery (rest in peace).

6) No one was wondering this as it wasn't a thing until you explained it, which wouldn't have needed explained until you stated it, which was only stated in its explanation. Ouroborus much!?

Little known fact: Kirby's body is made out of 2000% sugar, making consumption of the pink puff a caloric rush that no other sweet can match. Now you're stuck chasin' that Puff-the-Magic Dragon.

0) I don't remember who you are, so my attitude is unfazed by your presence. Currently, I'm sittin' at a four, maybe? Kinda chilly here. Let's see how that progresses.

1) Taking over the world is a lot of work. Are you aware to the amount of minutia that goes into the day-to-day runnings? Nah, too much work. Now, destroying the world, on the other hand. Just call me Noah Jr.! Means of destruction: rainbows, for the sheer irony.

2) Clearly, spuds make a better medium for the inevitable topping mountain. Sure, the chips can better scoop it, but the base-to-topping ratio with fries is more agreeable. Really, the tortilla chips in nachos are just like the "real fruit juice" in any product that claims to contain "real fruit juice".

3) I know you mean this as a joke, but have you considered how absolutely frightening the powers of a street cleaner are? They weight in at ten tons, and you do not want to ignore that warning label with the thunder coming from the hand near the business end. Forget the rainbows, this will be the means to the end now!

4) "genious to" (sic). I got some baaad news for ya, Sorida. Why don't we have a seat while I show you this mirror.

5) """"Friends""""

Anyhoo, clearly it is frequently inquired just how I am able to type with boxing gloves on. Yep, that's what people ask me, and not some actually popular answer guy.

6) Pretty sure that I cannot repeat that question here, what with the kiddies' peepers unshielded. But, I do get asked it every time I donate blood, and I am beginning to be insulted.

The fun part is that there are multiple possibilities with this one, and each of them is awful.

7) Hugging/touching the Ometon. My wrath is more "mild" and less "caliente".

8) The Nintendo franchise, singular? Like, the multitude of series are all part of one connected universe? This changes everything! Barely!

Lessee he'e, non-Nintendo titles... Well, I can look over and see Armored Core, which is a fantastic series which I have owned and played multiple titles to. Reverse-joint legs, FTW~!

9) False, these foods are, in fact, identical to one another. I should know, after all, being kinda Mexican.

A) Lies! I find a plot hole and slip out into freedom. There's always a plot hole. It's not like these things are written with the utmost of concern for canon, after all.

B) I have jellyfish for brains. Wanna taste? Oh yeah, two The Slayers references, this is now a thing.

C) A crimson marauder (surprisingly not a reference to the Inverse Universe). Life. Cringe. Ax. Yum.

D) Are the exploded heads related to the cookies? You know what, don't tell me. I wanna eat them.

0) I dun think that an official iPod has any gears or cogs in it, given that it has no mechanical, moving parts. Pretty certain that they just contain overpriced pomp and sweatshop workers' tears.

1) I feel excluded. Sure, I've never played Okami, but I may be a Daimyo. You don't know what I've been up to behind the scenes. Maybe I time traveled to feudal Japan. Who is to say?

2) This literally describes every game in the series. Do you not pay attention, or are you just doused with "pep brew" at the time of writing this?

3) You're not the boss of me. I'll watch what I wanna watch. Perhaps the third season of a previously mentioned anime.

4) You know the saying: less is more. Being a "simple" circle gives the pink puff very little to work with. There are no real details to work with, which can usually be used as cover-up to tricky areas, like bent joints. Just look at all the junk Liefeld threw on characters. So many belts and pouches. So many nineties. Since the Kirb is effectively nek-ed, there is no room for error. Every line has gotta be perfect.

0) Good to know. Not really.

1) Uh... sure?

2) Why would he be on a horse with a whip? A lasso, sure, but a whip?

3) The one that the Poppy Bros. wear, which I assume is the pre-Wii one. Is post-Wii the party hat/stiff conical?

4) Leaf just seems unnecessary. It's like "tornado but with debris".

5) This was asked in 2011, so -- in that context -- yes. I think?

6) I don't know what those are, so the attack has no affect on me. Ignorance, the most powerful defense! Drop outta school, kids, Uncle Gobbo said it's the cool thing to do when confronted with information that both scares and confuses you.

7) Are those the ones that look like the product of a decapitated Bonkers? No, wait, it's just Waddle Dee. Waddle Dee?!

8) Blade Knight: it's too advanced of an enemy to appear in the list.

9) Complete levels while dragging chests and avoiding mice enemies. ... dog.

A) Backdrop is the greatest ability in all of Kirbydom, so much to the point that the term Kirbydom is being used and not even flagged as a typo by my software. You can't prove that there's a squiggly-red under it. What are you doing, spying on my computer? If that were the case, you'd have gone mad, mad from that which cannot be unseen! Mwa-ha-hah!

B) Not really. It's a basic elemental power that can be set apart from the freezing powers, so it seemed only natural. The surprise came when Poison was introduced, effectively mirroring it but cooler. Because poison is always cooler.

C) Um... sure. Is there supposed to be something that I say here? That I could say here?

1) I would first close my eyes, then I'd think. Think... think... Wow, it's really interesting. You should really see it. Boy, imagination sure is magical, ain't it?

Okay, fine, I won't do ya dirty like that. Luckily, friend-of-the-show and frequent doin' stuff guy Dedede-Daimyo made a pretty good mock-up for various characters. And, since he unknowingly checked a box without reading all the fine print well, I can not only use his previous Mailbag artwork submissions but am also entitled to his first born! That's gonna be a dang fine sammich!

Note: Apple pretty much uses the same clause for iTunes.

2) Animal Friends when? They could be like the Pokemon Trainer and tag out through the battle. Make Gooey, Chuchu, or Pitch the rider just for funsies?

S) S? S.

4) The only way the cartoon should be referenced is as a horrible dream to never be revisited.

0) Dang, people have families that large any more? Well, I guess they are pretty grown up by now. Yeesh, probably already having their own kids by now. Stop making the passage of time more crippling to my debilitating existential dread!

1) Hey, I think I referenced the wing/cape thing in this 'Bag. Neato. Anyhoo, you'd be surprised what chaff gets cut to make room for ease of design. A cape is often a hassle and gets in the way of most positioning and character animations. So, to have the best of both worlds, just try: inconsistencies! For when you just don't care that much.

2) I don't really think of many of the puzzle games as being real Kirby games, often because they began their development as unique properties that just had the likeable cream puff plastered on 'em to spice things up. Anyhoo, my go-to would normally be Dreamland 3, but I think its gathered some appreciation in later years as the wonderful game it always was. It's prequel and original-not-really-sequel, however, has no love. Probably due to never getting a remake or appearing on any on-brand emulation.

3) How is Zero not an enemy? It's the enemy of the title! But, I have to agree. Not the initial Zero form, but -- man -- when that eye pops out after you think the battle is done is quite the unsettling surprise.

4) Probably not. Fluff is more a teal shade, not blue. Dark blue is the artistic opposite to pink, but teal is the spectrum opposite when using the RGB system and not just... feeeels.

Hey, I don't remember actually sending this letter. How deep into the pep brew was I that night, nine years ago?

The answer is "very", as the answer is always such.

How progressive that the company is calling us to have us wait for a business or service we never requested.

I mean, I guess that's progress? Seems like something square-pegged into the round-hole for current-year at least.

1) They're alright. But Waddle Dee with a hat? Too cute!

2) Oh yeah. There are random strings of nonsense characters generated from smashing the keyboard with -- I assume -- one's elbow. Sometimes they just say the most inane nonsense and believe themselves to be funny. Nah, man. Nah. Naaah. This here is all finely crafted gold, no wasted movement. For example, why did I choose the elbow as the typing method? Why not foot, or nose? Genius is why! ... probably?

Rick is the best. That's not an opinion. The other guys are specialists while Rick is useful at all times.

0) Iiii... don't think that means what you think it means.

o) Are we supposed to know what a "female firestarter" is? Sounds like one of them pogey mans. Also, I like the idea of a prehistoric Pop Star with dinos and Nean-Dee-thals. Once you went into the fourth-wall breaking travel-through-technology, ya lost me. For shame, person who will never know that this question was eventually answered. How will you sleep at night? Probably the same as you have for the past eight years.

1) This... isn't actually a question. It's a statement, about my name! You don't know who I am!

2) This technically falls within the criteria that you fined, so Project Geeker! And I just found out that it had executive production by Douglas TenNapel. How did I not make that connection prior? It explains so much!

3) "This game is only a title and a confusing blurb. There is no actual gameplay to speak of. How did it get this far down the pipe? What are we to even review?!"

4) Morx2. I imagine that'd just be final-form Marx but with the red "feathers" of O2 and a giant eye inside its mouth.

5) Heartburn. I am very greasy, don'tcha know?

What? I don't have any actual abilities. I don't shoot fire or generate electricity. I'm just a person! Yep, no secret, hidden abilities here. Totally not a super villain at night. Who said I was trying to take over the world? Sounds like nonsense to me, heh-heh.

6) Hey now, we don't have the rights to that song. Cut that stuff out before we get sued!

1) Sure, okay. Not really a question and not really a statement about RMD, either. "Great writing, he blew stuff up." Are these connected? Is there something that I am missing? Is writing like action movies and it just needs explosions? In that case...

2) That's your take? Here, I thought shows have taken a stark up-tick. Now, I'm gonna separate "baby" programs and children's programs, which is a distinction that I believe you are already making, but shows in the 80s and 90s were often just glorified half-hour commercials for toys. Now they have plots and character growth. That was really hard to find before where now it seems pretty common. Might be some nostalgia goggles tinting your view there. I should know, having thought that He-Man was good until revisiting it in adult years. Garbage, through and through.

As far as language is concerned, I usually hear sailor talk from preteens, so everything is going into the toilet, yay?

Methinks one is making too great an effort. I bet you aren't even this "raocow". I bet you are a Mitch or -- worse -- John!

Get out and never come back, you assumed-liar! Which, pointing out the previously pointed out pointy time point, is likely to be true from this point forward, and probably-Johnny will never know that probabl-he played right into my request. Sucker!

(note: time is pointy as it is a cactus. science.)

Yes. Wait, maybe. Were these already done? Are these already updates that I posted years ago? Great, now I am questioning my very own doings, and whether or not the term "doings" is even a thing!

Magic? Time travel? A potion that nerfs apathy?

These things are available on Amazon, right? Everything can be found there.

That's the strange new direction we're takin' this baby: we're askin' the Q's to youse~! First on the choppin' block: since when did I start saying youse? Have I relocated to the east coast? Does this mean I can finally get some decent lobster? What will come of my shellfish allergy?

All these questions and none will not be answered next time!

I dunno how you're gonna beat that Link's Awakening cameo where the Kirb just flat-out eats the protagonist of the series. Really, wasn't this the set-up for Smash Bros.? I'm gonna say yes because I call the shots here, and they are very high proof.

Fun fact, you can get above two-hundred if you tamper with the atmospheric pressure and temperature. I mean, probably. Right, science?

0) So you strolled on here after a number of years away and thought "Wow, it hasn't been updated in what looks like years. I'll ask a question here and expect an answer." You, sir- *checks handle* -madam, have yourself some optimism.

1) I... still need to purchase it. Even now in the future. Do have the switch, tho'.

2) Pretty sure that's just the latest iteration of Smash Bros. with less options, ain't it? And it has not only Kirby, the King, and Meta Knight but, you know, all those other franchises. Sounds like a fuller package than Kirby with powers fighting each other.

3) Robobot, hands down. The gimmicks between the two alone have a stark and clear winner. In the latter, you can apply abilities into massive robots that modifies the gameplay and introduces interesting takes on puzzles and other opportunities. In the prior, you... had a glorified cut scene with the super-inhale. You didn't do anything, play-wise, with this power. It just pulled everything away each time you used it. Cool, thanks.

4) You're stealing my time? Hey, give that back! I need that to waste on boring, daily minutia. And the holidays are nigh, and my family is sooo boring. Especially my brother.

Oh, here I thought you were gonna say somethin' along the lines of: "Hey, Jun, ya are 'bout two years too early with your End-is-Nigh sigh toutin'."

Ha-hah, because everything is awful, even outside the walls of the spectrum spa.

It probably has more to do with the technological restraints of the system and the available graphics. For example, available foods when your screen can display four different shades of cream spinach: a lump with the letter M, a speckled leaf, a bottle of pre-Monster Energy Drink pep liquid, and a splotchy ellipse? Foods available with a sixteen-bit system and actual color palettes: actual food.

Then there's the cartoon, which just changed things because its very existence was only to spite Kirby and his fan base. Fight me.

Wow. It really is a touching note that we should cap this very special, eggnog edition of the Mailbag on. It really is easy to forget in today's fast-paced world that always seems to be teetering on the edge of plunging into chaos with very windy conditions reported for the foreseeable future, (comma not necessary but feels needed) that we made people happy. Don't have to change their lives or even make their day, just part of it.

Touching? Schmultz? Hey, that's not the 2010 flavor! We were mystery flavor, not ... um, cherry? Butter rum? Did I just make up butter rum?

Happy Holidays from the ... uh... Mailbag Brothers?