‘What happens if Kirby swallows a hot man?’ and other Kirby Qs answered

Kirby comprises so many mysteries inside that cute pink stomach. What happens to the creatures he eats? Does he have a skeleton? Could Kirby fall in love?

Dear reader, these are the questions I so usually hear from you in our feedback and on social media. Undeterred by the danger of humiliation, I took it upon myself to get some solutions when given the uncommon alternative to speak with the individuals who know Kirby finest: the administrators of his video games.

HAL Laboratory’s govt director Shinya Kumazaki and skilled director Tatsuya Kamiyama have been in San Francisco to have fun (one yr late) the thirtieth anniversary of the long-lasting anthropomorphic orb. After giving a presentation to a large, packed corridor on the Game Developers Conference, Kuamazaki and Kamiyama sat down with me to speak Kirby lore.

We spoke at size concerning the artistic course of behind Kirby video games, and I can be sharing extra of that dialog quickly. But because you’ve waited many years to know what happens when a Kirby swallows one other Kirby, I didn’t need you to attend one other day for a solution.

Image: Nintendo

Polygon: Will or might Kirby ever fall in love?

Shinya Kumazaki: I really feel like Kirby is a impartial character. It’s actually the participant’s emotion that will get displayed and realized on the other facet of the display. I feel that’s what makes Kirby distinctive. Because of that, we strive to not have Kirby categorical feelings which may not be felt by the participant. Extreme feelings, like anger or crying.

With that stated, if inside the story there’s a sequence the place the participant would possibly really feel like they’re falling in love with somebody — if that’s the expertise we design — then I don’t assume it’s not possible to have Kirby’s eyes flip into hearts. Or possibly Kirby is blushing. I don’t assume that’s outdoors the realm of chance.

With that stated, we haven’t had a title within the sequence that centered on falling in love. For me, personally, I hope Kirby stays the sort of character who takes issues as they arrive.

Tatsuya Kamiyama: But what I can say is what Kirby does love is scrumptious meals!

If you chop open Kirby, what would the within seem like?

Kumazaki: Dreams. Filled with desires. Of course, we wish to preserve a mysterious facet to Kirby. So I’ll say we are going to preserve it a thriller.

Image: HAL Laboratory/Nintendo

What happens if a Kirby swallows one other Kirby?

Kumazaki: Kirby’s capability is to swallow and copy an object’s capability. In previous video games, there can be instances when a yellow Kirby received swallowed by a pink Kirby. Pink Kirby would spit it out. So actually nothing would occur. In phrases of sport design, we haven’t created something particular response related to that.

But given Kirby’s capability is to repeat, and it swallows a Kirby with the identical capability, nothing would change. Though I do assume it could be humorous if it made two Kirby.

What happens to the creatures Kirby swallows and the place do they go?

Kumazaki: Because the bottom world is a fantasy world, it’s not like they get swallowed and digested within Kirby. Because that may be jarring, and as a result of we made the sport to be approachable, having that sort of excessive or violent expression would possibly negate making the sport so approachable.

Instead, we’ve this comical, humorous depiction the place the enemies poof. When an enemy or creature will get swallowed by Kirby, they could disappear however they do resurface some place else on the earth.

Image: HAL Laboratories

At GDC, you confirmed superheroes with Kirby. Are these personified variations of Kirby? Or are they superheroes impressed by Kirby?

Kumazaki: That was for the viewers to know what kind of hero Kirby thinks of, when he thinks of a hero. So it’s not personified.

A former co-worker (Wired’s Megan Farokhmanesh) attended the GDC panel with me and was struck by the superhero Kirby. She raised an vital query: If Kirby swallowed a hot man, would he flip into a hot man?

Kumazaki: I feel your pal may need observed the muscle tissues and energy the pictures depicted. I feel Kirby’s capability can be according to that. And he’d most likely have a hat related to it. But his face wouldn’t flip into hot Kirby.

Not sharp angles.

Kumazaki: Still spherical.