30 years of Kirby: Ranking Kirby's spin-offs

There have been more than a few Kirby spin-offs in the last three decades

August 1, 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the North American debut of Kirby. Throughout the month, I’ll be covering Kirby’s games, creating rankings, and thinking about the past and future of the series. Previous entries in this series can be found through this link.

A new mainline Kirby game releases, and then the spin-offs follow. It’s been this way for some time now at HAL Laboratory, but it wasn’t always this way. Well, the spin-offs were still there, nearly from the beginning, but they would be pretty independent of whatever recent Kirby game had released, and more concerned with tossing Kirby into whatever genre of game the developer felt like making. Tossing with care, of course, as part of HAL’s penchant for experimentation.

So, what better way to celebrate Kirby’s 30th anniversary than by ranking the various spin-offs? Don’t answer that question, just roll with what I’ve got planned for you here.

A couple of notes before diving in: some of these games have been paired together into a single rank, because they’re essentially the same game, or close enough, but released on different platforms. Kirby’s Toy Box, the Satellaview release, is not included here, as that’s not really a spin-off so much as a collection of sub-games. And Kirby’s Dream Buffet isn’t out until two days after the publication of this, so, I’ll just have to revisit later on, won’t I?

Every Kirby spinoff was developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo, though, some of them also have had a co-development situation going on. I’m just saying this here to save space in my little bolded info bricks.

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12. Kirby Fighters Deluxe (Nintendo 3DS, 2014, Fighting)

Kirby Fighters Deluxe might come in last in the spin-off rankings, but it’s not a bad game by any means. It succeeds at its goal of being a Smash Bros.-like experience, except instead of picking characters from a multiverse including representation from an array of Nintendo franchises and publishing friendlies like Bandai Namco and Square, you have a whole bunch of different copy ability-equipped Kirbys to choose from. HAL developed the first Smash Bros. game, they’re within their rights here.

The only real issues with Fighters Deluxe — which is a full-fledged digital enhancement of the sub-game Kirby Fighters that’s found in Kirby: Triple Deluxe — is that it received a superior sequel that dealt with the complaints about a lack of depth in this one, that in turn rendered the “original” kind of pointless.

In Fighters Deluxe, you can play multiplayer and brawl it out with a few computer-controlled alternate-colored Kirbys, or you can fight against (or pair up with) friends using the 3DS’ local networking features. Your friends don’t need a copy of the game themselves, even, as they can download temporary data to allow them to play with or against you. The single-player mode sees you attempting to battle things out as quickly and point-scoringly as possible in order to achieve top rank with each copy ability, and across four difficulties (Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard).

If that doesn’t sound enjoyable, well, there’s nothing else here on offer, but Fighters Deluxe also cost all of $6.99, so it’s not as if you were shelling out for a full retail release to get this.

11. Kirby Battle Royale (Nintendo 3DS, 2018, Party/Arena Fighting)

Kirby Battle Royale reviewed pretty poorly, and the reason is almost entirely to do with the price point. Almost. Battle Royale was a relatively short affair lacking depth, that relied heavily on having friends around who also had the game, as the Download Play options are somewhat limited. It’s the kind of game that screams out for one person buying it and a bunch of people playing together, but it didn’t quite deliver that when it released as a full-priced retail copy, which, for the 3DS, meant $39.99.

You’ll rarely see me complain about game pricing in this space, but Battle Royale doesn’t have more going for it than digital-only Kirby titles you could grab for under $10, and was instead priced similarly to Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot, two mainline titles on the system. A strange decision all around, one that caused me to do something I simply never do with Kirby games, which was to wait until I could get a heavily discounted used copy well after launch. It doesn’t help that it’s one of the late-life 3DS titles without stereoscopic 3D, too, which makes it look worse than other Kirby titles on the system.

Like with Kirby Fighters Deluxe, Battle Royale isn’t bad, but it is mediocre not just for Kirby, but for games in general. The only reason it didn’t rank last here is because Fighters Deluxe was penalized by the “superior sequel” angle — feel free to flip flop the two if you don’t care about that sort of thing as much as I do when it comes to lists. It might have been more interesting if the entire game had been designed around the early tutorial that made it seem like an entirely different game: a top-down Kirby action RPG of sorts, instead of that setup just being solo prep to get you ready for arena battles and party minigames.

10. Kirby’s Avalanche (SNES, 1995, Puzzle)

Growing up in North America in the 90s, there were two likely ways that you knew what Puyo Puyo was: you played one of Kirby’s Avalanche or Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine. Puyo Puyo, at that point, wasn’t releasing all of its titles internationally: that would happen with more regularity after the series’ developer, Compile, sold the rights to Sega in 1998 and then went bankrupt a few years later. Sega, between their various re-release lines, has ensured that the world is now full of Puyo Puyo options. In 1995, though, your choices were much more limited. If you had a Sega Genesis, you played Mean Bean Machine, and if you had an SNES, you played Avalanche.

Puyo Puyo is a lot of fun even if it’s not a puzzler I can wrap my head around enough to fully master — Puyo Puyo Tetris kills me, for instance, because I can’t sustain the momentum of the latter through the former — and Super Puyo Puyo, which these two titles were based off of, is no exception to that. The gap between number 11 and number 10 on this list is basically a chasm.

Even still, I’m docking points for it here, though, because Compile mostly placed Kirby and the characters in that universe over preexisting Puyo Puyo ones, which in turn makes Kirby kind of act like a dick instead of being, you know, Kirby. How dare you make Kirby anything but a friendly joy to be around?

9. Kirby Fighters 2 (Switch, 2020, Fighting)

Kirby Fighters 2 was a surprise release back in September of 2020, and the surprise was for everyone. Its existence leaked on Play Nintendo’s website before it had been announced, and so then it was just released because hey, surprise was now impossible. And while it costs significantly more than the game its a sequel to at $20, it also features far more to do. It plays similarly to Kirby Fighters Deluxe, which should be no surprise, while retaining single-player modes as well as local networking and now online multiplayer, as well.

The big overhaul is in how the single-player mode works: now there’s a story mode with a challenge tower that each copy ability can tackle individually or with friends. The story isn’t anything mind-blowing, more set dressing than anything, but the result of it is certainly enjoyable if you’re into the Kirby Fighters gameplay: ladder-style escalating battles that test your ability to stay alive, while allowing you choices for upgrades that could change the way a round plays out. It’s also a good all-ages title, and one where a more experienced player can partner with a less experienced one, and everyone can feel like they’re contributing.

If you don’t like the idea of a Kirby fighter at all, Kirby Fighters 2 won’t change your mind, but if you are in favor and just needed something with more meat on its bones than what the 3DS offering had, Kirby Fighters 2 will give you what you wanted.

8. Kirby’s Blowout Blast (Nintendo 3DS, 2017, Action)

Kirby’s Blowout Blast received pretty mediocre reviews, but I do not care about that at all. It’s a lot of fun! It’s short, yes, and once you’ve done what there is to be done, that’s probably that, but it also costs $6.99. It also plays very differently from any other Kirby experience, as it’s a 3D game where the focus is on scoring combinations, clearing rooms of enemies, and finding hidden coins worth more points, all while being timed.

It’s all about timing and strategy, as you score more points by eliminating a bunch of enemies at once instead of individually, and the way to do that is with a well-timed, and well-angled, projectile blast. Inhale just one enemy, and then spit them out at a cluster of foes, and hope you nail them all to secure the escalating point bonuses that come with that. There are five stages for you to play, with five levels within each. And they all have a tougher EX version with higher scoring thresholds for max rank, too. Then there is the Secret Path mode, which you can only unlock after receiving at least a gold ranking in every prior level (platinum rank is the highest). It’s the toughest stage in the game, as it has you play each of its five levels within all in one go, with one timer and one score for the whole affair. And yes, multiple bosses must be fought, too, which makes it a rough go, since messing up a boss fight can adversely impact your time and final rank.

7. Kirby’s Pinball Land (Game Boy, 1993, Pinball)

Kirby’s Pinball Land was HAL’s third Pinball title, after Rollerball (MSX, NES) and the Game Boy’s Revenge of the ‘Gator (which you can still pick up on the 3DS eshop, while that lasts). Kirby series creator Masahiro Sakurai was the director for Pinball Land, and it stands as the very first Kirby spin-off. Kirby is the ball. You probably didn’t need me to tell you that, but there it is, anyway.

It’s Pinball, but with Kirby, is the easiest way to describe it. It’s not just Kirby slapped on as a skin for a pinball game, either — HAL probably wouldn’t have had Sakurai working on it if that were the case — but very much a Kirby title that happens to be played via pinball. There are three different tables, each made up of multiple screens, and you’ll fight familiar bosses at the end of each table in order to progress. There are warp stars that bring you to minigames where you can rack up an even higher score — use pinball paddles to play soccer, for instance — as well as some measures in place to ensure that losing a “ball” doesn’t automatically end your play: Kirby gets the chance to rebound back up, though, the springboard he can rebound off of will shrink with each use.

HAL should really make another Kirby’s Pinball Land, and build it around the idea of flipping your Switch around vertically into TATE mode so you get that truer table experience. Or they could not market directly to me, either way is fine.

6. Dedede’s Drum Dash Deluxe (Nintendo 3DS, 2014, Rhythm)

The thing I really enjoy about Dedede’s Drum Dash Deluxe, other than that making a “Deluxe” version of the original sub-game broke the “DDD” naming convention that also doubles as a representation of the sometimes villain’s name, is the effort that went in to making it different than many other rhythm games. You can play Dedede’s Drum Dash Deluxe just fine without actually bothering to master its intricacies: you won’t score as much as you could have, and that’ll keep you from receiving those precious gold and platinum awards you know you want to unlock, but you can still get through the game all the same.

If you want to truly master it, though, then you need to learn how to match not just the obvious rhythms of the song you’re playing along to, but the backbeats, as well.

It might not look like much, but it will take you time to master the movements and timing in order to get it to look as seamless as it does in the embedded trailer above. The music of Kirby is also basically universally wonderful, so focusing a game around that, and one with the concepts this one has, helps as well.

5. Team/Super Kirby Clash (Nintendo 3DS/Switch, 2017/2019, Action RPG)

If Kirby Clash wasn’t a free-to-play game with microtransactions, I’d probably rank it even higher than this. As far as games with microtransactions go, it’s pretty tame, but even a game designed around the idea of not forcing players to pay up in order to experience what’s on offer can go awry, because the options to fork over more and more cash remains for those who can’t help themselves. At least this isn’t a game with lootboxes, because that gacha style of play taps into some real gambling addiction issues, but all the same it’s still pretty easy to see how someone could start sinking a bunch of money into Kirby Clash in order to have enough gems to deck out their party in the best weapons and armor faster than they would if they simply played the game.

All of that being said, the core gameplay of both Kirby Clash titles is strong: Team Kirby Clash was the 3DS original, and Super Kirby Clash is basically the same game, but enhanced in a number of ways for the Switch. The whole point is to team up in groups of four — computer-controlled compatriots or actual real-life ones in local or online play — and take down various bosses from the Kirby-verse, here seen with medieval-style garb. As is your party, which is composed of some combination of warriors, mages, healers, and hammer-wielding badasses. You’ll want to have one of each, most likely, for balance purposes — the sword hero attacks quickly, the hammer lord slowly but with massive strength, the mage can stop time with their magic (no small thing in a game where you are graded on how long it takes to emerge victorious), and the healer, well, heals.

Do enough damage to a foe, and you’ll be able to collect four shards that allow you to do a massive group attack, which can often be key to achieving top times that will lead to high scores. You earn gems to upgrade equipment through an achievement system, through a tree that hands out new gems once per day (the gems are apple-shaped, so of course a tree grows them, that’s just science), and can also use those gems to refill your stamina that allows you to keep fighting without having to wait for it to refill and play more. Whenever you gain a level, your stamina meter automatically refills all the way, and you can also switch between local and online play in order to balance two separate meters — like I said, Kirby Clash is pretty innocuous as far as free-to-play with microtransactions goes.

Like the best Kirby titles, Kirby Clash can be played by anyone, but you’ll want to spend time thinking about strategy instead of just flailing away if you want to score platinum ranks, and you’re not going to be able to just step in and take on the game’s toughest battles even if you’re generally a pro. As a bonus, it is pretty funny to go back to an early boss who gave you trouble once you’ve massively upgraded your equipment in order to take them out in a matter of seconds, too.

4. Kirby’s Star Stacker(s) (Game Boy/SFC, 1997/1998, Puzzle)

Kirby Star Stacker released on the Game Boy in 1997, and it’s a fine puzzler. The goal is to earn stars by making matches of three or more of the same kinds of blocks, which, in Star Stacker, are all representations of Kirby’s friends from Kirby’s Dream Land 2: Rick the Hamster, Kine the fish, and Coo the owl. If the middle columns reach the top of the play area, you lose, but you’re still good to go if it’s just the sides — you’ll spend a lot of time building up and out in order to setup combos that clear loads of space and award you even more stars in the process.

The game has four different modes. Round Clear has five difficulties ranging from "Normal” to “Insane,” and takes place in different environmental regions that’ll look familiar enough to Kirby fans. Once you’ve collected a certain number of stars, the round you’re in ends, and you move on to the next one. Challenge mode is your standard endless puzzle mode, and Time Attack gives you three minutes to earn as many stars as possible.

There is a Vs. mode, too, but it requires two cartridges and linked Game Boys to play. Which is one reason why the Japan-only… remake? sequel? is the superior title. Kirby’s Super Star Stacker lets you play multiplayer on one cartridge, since it’s a Super Famicom title, and the standard single-player mode is more story-focused, with Kirby trying to defeat foes via puzzle as he progresses through the game. It’s cute, and Kirby gets to be friendly and Kirby-like — hear that, Kirby’s Avalanche?

Star Stacker is available on the 3DS shop for just $2.99, until Nintendo closes that place down, anyway. Super Star Stacker has never received a North American release, as Nintendo of America decided they were done with releasing SNES titles by then (whereas Japan kept going for a few years yet — Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 wouldn’t release until January of 2000), but you can play it now one of two ways. There’s the same way you go about finding everything that you can’t otherwise get, of course — there is even an unofficial translation out there if you’re into that sort of thing — and there is also setting up a Japanese account on your Switch and then signing up for the Japanese version of Nintendo Switch Online with said account. It’s kind of ridiculous that Super Star Stacker isn’t just an import on the North American NSO, like Panel de Pon and others, but maybe they’ll get around to that eventually.

Update, 9/11/2023: Nintendo added Kirby’s Super Star Stacker to the North American Nintendo Switch Online service, and I wrote it up in full. Once again, complaining works.

3. Kirby’s Block Ball (Game Boy, 1995, Paddle)

I’ve already written about Block Ball in full in the past, so:

It looks like a Kirby game, it sounds like a Kirby game, and it utilizes elements specific to Kirby games to ensure that the end result was a Kirby game in the Breakout style, instead of a Breakout game featuring Kirby. It’s not a massively popular game by any means, but it’s still a vital piece of evidence in the argument that Game Boy, more than with any other Nintendo mascot, belonged to Kirby. It’s also still pretty relatively available, considering it’s 25 years old and even the Video Game Sales wiki doesn’t have a North American sales total for the game. It’s around $20 on Ebay, which isn’t ideal, but if you have a Nintendo 3DS, it’s available on that system’s eShop for all of $2.99. If you like Breakout-style games, or just want to be something of a Kirby completionist, then it’s easily worth the three bucks and the time it’ll take you to get through it.

The best of Nintendo’s attempts to make their own Arkanoid happen, easy.

2. Kirby Air Ride (GameCube, 2003, Racing)

Air Ride sometimes gets flak for not being a deep enough racer, but what gets missed is that it’s a racer designed using the same philosophies that power other Kirby titles. It’s not meant to be complicated: it’s meant to be enjoyed by all, with more nuance and complexity existing for those who want to seek it out. Air Ride is a very simple racing game on the lower difficulties, but master how the racing even works, learn to deploy copy abilities at the right time, and turn up the challenge yourself, and you’ll get a feel for what’s on offer here.

It suffered a bit from existing on the same system (and being published by the same company) as Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and F-Zero GX, and admittedly, it’s not quite at their level, with Double-Dash!! being a classic entry in the series and F-Zero GX genuinely being one of the greatest Nintendo games ever, but these are also all different games for different people. F-Zero GX rules, but it’s also for masochists, and Mario Kart, for all of its general appeal, still requires a ton of knowledge of and mastery of a number of buttons in order to play it beyond the basic 50cc level. Sakurai was aiming to make a game anyone could pick up and play, and dive into further if compelled to do so: as Air Ride played (and played well) with just a single button and the control stick, I’d say mission accomplished there.

1. Kirby’s Dream Course (SNES, 1994, Mini Golf)

Dream Course was actually the first Kirby titles on the SNES, which is funny when you think about it, that a mini golf title with copy abilities debuted on the platform before a more traditional Kirby experience. But it’s also very fitting for Kirby that it happened this way.

From its ranking on the Nintendo top 101:

There is more to it than just “point Kirby in a direction and choose how hard he’s going to roll,” which is the reason why this game works, and works well. You get a choice of where the hole actually is in each stage, because it’s your actions and strategy that make that determination. As Kirby The Golf Ball, you have to defeat a number of enemies before the actual hole appears: the final enemy on each stage is the one that will transform into the hole, and allow you to clear it and move on to the next. So, you not only need to account for traps, angles, enemies you don’t defeat but that shoot lightning at you like Kracko does, and which direction is likely to make you roll right off of the course and spend an extra life, but also, which enemy you least want to attempt to reach in order to defeat it, and would instead prefer that it turn into the hole.

A true classic for the series. You can grab it on the Virtual Console of either the 3DS or the Wii U while those are still up, but at least it’ll still be available on the Nintendo Switch Online service once those shops close.

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