#also anytime Kirby's Dreamland comes into a game as like a minigame

[blog-usemamesaretricky]

Kirby on the Switch - A Speculative Analysis

(Just a quick side note: these predictions were made prior to the Nintendo Direct held on April 12th, 2017, when Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, Kirby’s Blowout Blast, and the New Multiplayer 3DS Game were announced. The predictions have been left unaltered, minus this note.)

 So, with the announcement of the Nintendo Switch, there’s only one burning question on my mind - when are we getting the next Kirby game?

 Honestly, I don’t expect any announcements anytime soon, given that Planet Robobot just released last summer, and we usually have a 2-year gap between most Kirby games. But, given that Kirby’s 25th anniversary is coming up, I would be surprised if nothing was mentioned or even hinted at in the next E3 or two. At the end of the day, I’m almost certain we’ll see at least one Kirby title on the Switch; the real question is this: what kind of game will we be receiving?

 Right now, I have three possibilities for the next Kirby game, based on the patterns that we’ve seen over the past 10 or so years (and a bit of fan speculation/obsessing). I will least them from most likely to least likely, and cover each option with detail, but before we get into all that, let me go over some of my predictions:

 I think we are due for a spin-off title. There is a clear pattern for Kirby games dating back to AT LEAST Crystal Shards that goes something like this:

Main Series (Crystal Shards)

Spin Off (Air Ride)

Main Series (Amazing Mirror)

Spin off (Canvas Curse)

Main Series: (Squeak Squad)

Spinoff (Epic Yarn)

Main Series (Return to Dreamland)

Spin off (Mass Attack)

Main Series (Triple Deluxe)

Spin Off (Rainbow Curse)

Main Series (Planet Robobot)

Spin Off: ?????

Assuming that Nintendo continues to follow this pattern for the Kirby series, this means we should be due for another spin off title.

2. Going along this same vein, I think that the series is going to deviate from the system set up by Return to Dreamland. Meaning, if we don’t get a spin-off, and we get a more traditional game, I don’t think it’s going to use the copy ability system we’ve seen from RtD - PR. I’ll go more into this later and why I think that.

3. Whatever Kirby game we end up, it is going to try to use the new “gimmick” of the console, at least for its first title.  This is more likely if we are getting a spin-off title, but both main series and spin off have been shown to use off the new mechanics (e.g. the 3D in Triple Deluxe, the touch screen for Rainbow Curse, etc.).

4. And finally, whatever game we get, I think it will feature some sort of blast from the past. This has been a theme for many of the Switch’s games announced so far, and I expect Kirby to follow a similar trend.

 OK, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into this! These are, what I believe, to be the three most likely Kirby games for the Switch.

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 3. Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble for the Nintendo Switch

This may seem like an odd choice, but hear me out.  We’ve had all of the Kirby gameboy games re-released onto the console, except Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble on the Game Boy Colour. Why? Because that game was hard to reproduce. Putting it on a DS, which had two screens, would have been too fragile to handle all the flicks and tricks. And while they maybe could have done it on the Wii, perhaps the Wii mote wasn’t up to par and couldn’t attain that precision.

 Finally, it seems we have an adequate means of getting our tilt and tumble game. The Joy Cons seem to be able to achieve a high level of accuracy (at least given by what we’ve seen so far) than the Wii mote, and it gives the option of having two players, since there are two controllers. It would make for a pretty fun party game, or a great solo adventure.

 Also, given that we almost got a sequel for the Nintendo GameCube years ago, titled “Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble 2”, Nintendo clearly thought the idea had potential, so maybe now’s the time to revive it.

 How Will It Use the Switch’s Mechanics? By having the player control and tilt Kirby with the use of the Joycons, probably with one controller rather than two. †here could be a co-op or competition form of gameplay.

 (Now I’ll be honest, I’m not too pumped for this option to come to fruition, but I’d be quite happy and willing to be able to play this game, given how elusive the original Game Boy game is.)

 2. Kirby 64 Sequel (Kirby 128?)

In the Switch’s lineup, we were introduced to Super Mario Odyssey. When it was shown at the Switch Event this past January, we were told that it would be a return to the open concept found in older titles, like Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64 and Super Mario Sunshine for the GameCube.

 While Kirby never made the full jump to 3D, given the minigame we saw in Planet Robobot, it seems that HAL hasn’t given up on the concept. Personally, I don’t think it’s necessary for Kirby games to transition into 3D (in fact, it may do more harm than good), but since Kirby is known to have spinoffs and main series, I wouldn’t mind if 3D gameplay was reserved for, say, only the main series, while the spin-offs kept their 2D style.

 Now, why don’t I think a 3D game will necessarily work? Because of the traditional copy ability system. Transitioning so many abilities into a 3D environment would be an absolute pain in the butt, given that each ability would have to be repurposed for a 3D environment. Some would transition with little trouble (e.g. Wing, Tornado, etc.), but those that are based on standard, stationary one-direction attacks (e.g. Sword, Fire) would need some work.

 So, I think if they were to try and make a more traditional game in 3D, I think they would have to go back to the 64 copy ability system - only six abilities to choose from, but you can mix and match them however you please to get a completely different effect.

 How Will It Use the Switch’s Mechanics? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure with this one. The only things I can think of is, if it goes by the dual copy ability system, shaking one controller to activate one power and both to activate both (e.g. . I know, it’s clunky, but I’m not a game designer. If you have a better way this could work, please feel free to leave a note)

 1. Kirby’s Air Ride for the Nintendo Switch

 Now, this may seem like fanboying, declaring that Air Ride will most definitely come out as the next game (many fans have been saying that since the first one came out). But, just to get any biases out of the way, I have actually never played Kirby Air Ride, and prior to making this list, I knew next to nothing about the game, other than that City Trial was an absolute dream.

 I think that if there ever was a console for a Kirby Air Ride 2 to come out, this would be it. Nintendo has been surprising us with a return to old forms, while still keeping things fresh and new. Kirby’s Air Ride 2 would fit well with this theme - it's taking a look at an older game, but they could make it fresh and new.

 Finally, I think the most compelling argument for this option, is how timely its release could be. What if the announcement for the game came out on the 15th anniversary of Kirby Air Ride?

 My only doubt for this game not coming to light would be a) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe being the main Nintendo racing game on the Switch. I would also be OK with this game not releasing if the original Air Ride was released for the Switch’s virtual console.

 But still, they could call the game K.A.R.S. - Kirby Air Ride Switch.

 How Will It Use the Switch’s Mechanics? Motion control to steer the aircraft. The HD rumble could have a lot of uses here.

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 And that’s it! Those are my speculations on the three most likely games we’ll get if Kirby makes the move to the Switch. I’d be happy with any of these options, but would also be excited if it was something completely different. Nintendo has given us a lot of welcome surprises in its newest console, and I can’t wait to see what the future is for Kirby and the Switch.