HAL Laboratory News Articles
Wednesday27th Aug 2025
Video Kirby And The Forgotten Land Is A Dream On Switch 2 - Here's Our Side-By-Side Comparison
It's a mouthful
Kirby's big 3D adventure is getting the ol' Nintendo Switch 2 Edition treatment tomorrow as Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World arrives on the newer console. Our verdict is already in — and we think this is now, definitively, Kirby's very best outing — but besides the expanded content and new levels, this upgrade...
Tuesday19th Aug 2025
News In Kirby Air Riders, The Pink Puffball Isn't The Only One Who Can Use Copy Abilities
Uh-oh...
Masahiro Sakurai has revealed something about Kirby Air Riders that shatters Kirby lore into a thousand pieces — Kirby isn't the only one who can use Copy Abilities anymore. Yep, with the Switch 2 game introducing a whole swathe of Kirby characters to the racer, to make things "fair", now Waddle Dee, King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Cappy...
Friday21st Feb 2025
Anniversary HAL Laboratory Is 45 Years Old Today
Kirb your enthusiasm
Whip up a last-minute cake and bring out the candles because we have a big birthday on our hands, folks. HAL Laboratory, the company behind Kirby, the OG Smash Bros., EarthBound and another boatload of beauties that we'll get to in just a moment, has turned 45 today. Yep, on 21st February 1980, Mitsuhiro Ikeda founded HAL with...
Monday10th Feb 2025
Rumour Kirby: Planet Robobot Will Indeed Come To Switch, It's Claimed
Another stopgap?
Before Kirby and the Forgotten Land swooped in with its excellent 3D take on the classic Kirby formula, Kirby: Planet Robobot for 3DS was widely regarded as the best entry in the series. Now, according to reliable leaker Nate the Hate, the 2016 platformer may be getting a similar treatment to Luigi's Mansion 2 HD with an upcoming...
Friday15th Nov 2024
News EarthBound 30th Anniversary Merch Will Include A Giant Mr Saturn Plushie
Big zoom
Classic SNES RPG EarthBound, known as Mother 2 in Japan, celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year — yes, really, no need to pinch yourself. But Nintendo and Hobonichi will be continuing to celebrate this seminal game later this month with a variety of promotions and merchandise in Japan. Let's start with Hobonichi and a brand...
Tuesday22nd Oct 2024
News HAL Laboratory's Lovely Physics Puzzler 'Part Time UFO' Has Been Delisted On Mobile
Switch version is still available
The mobile version of HAL Laboratory's Part Time UFO has been delisted from storefronts as of today, the game's official Twitter has announced. But don't worry, the Switch version isn't going anywhere. Shared on Bluesky by AK, Part Time UFO's original mobile release is no longer available to download on mobile...
Monday29th Jul 2024
News Super Smash Bros. N64 Storyboard Artwork Discovered
Depicting the opening movie
The original storyboard documents for Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64 have been discovered online. David V. Kimball, a marketing director and content creator who has previously made videos about Super Smash Bros. Melee, stumbled across the design documents — drawn by Masahiro Sakurai — by using the Wayback...
Monday20th May 2024
Random Sakurai Cut Dolby Surround From Kirby Game To Trim Player Wait Time
One second too long
Super Smash Bros. developer Masahiro Sakurai has frequently demonstrated his desire to make game experiences as smooth and accessible as possible for the player. In a recent livestream event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hamster's Arcade Archives series, he talked on-stage with fellow creator Hideki Kamiya (Bayonetta,
Sunday3rd Mar 2024
News Pop Up Parade "Pull Back" Kirby Car Now Available To Pre-Order
A new Good Smile Company release
Last month, Good Smile Company teased new figma including a Pop Up Parade version of the Kirby car, based on his transformation in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. This item is now available for pre-order and will set you back USD $25.99 (or your regional equivalent). It's estimated to ship in Q4 2024 and even zooms...
Monday19th Feb 2024
Random Japan Is Getting Another Mother-Themed G-Shock Watch
Earthbound celebrates 30th anniversary this year
The cult hit EarthBound (Mother 2) is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, so naturally, that means that Japan is getting another collaboration between Mother and watch manufacturer Casio. Due for launch on 14 March, 2024 via a lottery purchase system, the 'Mother Red's GW-6900' follows a...
Friday16th Feb 2024
News Kirby Happy Meal Promotion Announced For McDonald's Japan
Would you like Kirby with that?
McDonald's will be running a new Happy Meal promotion in Japan featuring a bunch of new plush-like Kirby toys. This promotion will begin later this month on 23rd February 2024 and features two waves, with four plush in each one. Fans of the pink puff will have a chance to grab different versions of Kirby (including a...
Wednesday24th Jan 2024
News Kirby Developer HAL Laboratory Recruiting For New Projects
The pink puff will return
HAL Laboratory is constantly pumping out new releases starring the pink puffball Kirby, so what's planned in 2024? While there's no official announcement just yet, unsurprisingly the company is looking towards the future and may already be hiring for its next big project to follow Kirby and the Forgotten Land. As...
Tuesday2nd Jan 2024
News Plans Are Reportedly In Place To Celebrate Earthbound's 30th Anniversary
We all know what we want, though
This year marks the 30th anniversary of EarthBound (known in Japan as Mother 2) and, according to the official X (formerly Twitter) page, plans are in place to celebrate the hefty milestone (thanks, My Nintendo News). What these plans are, exactly, is up in the air at the moment, but we're not expecting anything...
Friday8th Dec 2023
News World Of Goo Is Getting A Sequel In 2024
The physics-based construction puzzler is back
In some surprise news at this year's Game Awards show, a sequel for the famous physics-based construction puzzler World of Goo was announced. It will be released in 2024 and is simply titled World of Goo 2. The original game by 2D Boy and Tomorrow Corporation was originally released on the Nintendo...
Friday29th Sep 2023
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's Game Boy Advance Library
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror returns
Update [Fri 29th Sep, 2023 02:15 BST]: Nintendo's latest Switch Online update for the GBA library is now officially live. This will bump the application up to Version 1.4.0 and adds Kirby & The Amazing Mirror to the collection. Japan has received the same game. Original article [Fri 22nd Sep, 2023 03:05...
Wednesday6th Sep 2023
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's Game Boy Color, SNES & NES Library With Four More Games
Three "Japan-only" titles and a Warner Bros. licensed game
Nintendo has added four more games to the Switch Online library today but it's not the sort of lineup you might be expecting. Three of these games are "Japan only" and were never translated into English. Starting off with the NES lineup, there's the 1993 release Joy Mech Fight. This is a...
Tuesday18th Apr 2023
News Kirby GDC Panel, 'The Many Dimensions Of Kirby', Now Available Online
Celebrating 30 years of Kirby
Kirby got his very own panel at this year's GDC, and for a while, many different outlets were sharing stories on how developer HAL Laboratory brought the pink puffball's adventures into full 3D with Kirby and the Forgotten Land. And now, you can watch the full 50-minute talk over on YouTube. GDC has uploaded the...
Tuesday4th Apr 2023
News Nintendo Is Officially Done With Kirby's 30th Anniversary Celebrations
NEXT!
We're not entirely sure if this one needed to be announced, but it has been... and it's the confirmation on Nintendo's end that celebrations of the pink puff are now officially over! Yes, don't even try to celebrate his 30th anniversary past this date, because according to a message on social media, Nintendo is moving on - just like it did...
Sunday2nd Apr 2023
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - Kirby's Adventure
No copying here
Hello folks! We made it through April Fools' Day, so it's time to say: welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! First off, let's have a quick look back at last week's tussle. Super Mario Bros. 2 (or Super Mario USA) took to the stage, and while it was fairly close, Japan won this fight with 59% of the vote. We're fans off both,...
Friday31st Mar 2023
News Kirby Is Officially A BAFTA Winner, Takes Home Best Family Game
Kirby and the Forgotten Land was Nintendo's only win
Nintendo and the 'Best Family Game' award are bedfellows at this point. And last night's BAFTA Game Awards continued this trend by awarding Kirby and the Forgotten Land with the trophy. But hey, Kirby is a BAFTA winner now, and that's pretty cool! (Thanks GamesIndustry.biz.) Kirby's 3D adventure...
Monday27th Mar 2023
Random It's Okay Everyone, Kirby Doesn't Digest His Enemies
...they just disappear and appear somewhere else
Ever wondered what happens when Kirby swallows his enemies? Well, he doesn't eat them, at least in the traditional sense — that's according to HAL Laboratory's executive director Shinya Kumazaki. In an interview with Polygon at this year's GDC, the publication was dying to know the truth behind...
Thursday23rd Mar 2023
Random Kirby's Dream Land 2's Animal Friends Might Not Be What They Seem
Hamster status: denied
Nintendo has quietly released a patch for its Game Boy emulator on Nintendo Switch Online, and while version 1.1.1 hasn't changed much at all, the one thing it has changed may have a serious impact on Kirby lore. Spotted by OatmealDome after being notified by their followers on Twitter, the description for Kirby's Dream Land...
Tuesday21st Feb 2023
News The First Review For Kirby's Return To Dream Land Deluxe Is Now In
Are the scores pretty in pink?
Kirby's third Switch game in the last 12 months drops on Switch this Friday in the form of Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, a remake of the Wii game Kirby's Return to Dream Land (or Kirby's Adventure Wii if you're in Europe), and ahead of its 24th February launch, the first review has dropped (thanks, Gematsu)...
Friday13th Jan 2023
Video What's Going On With Kirby Right Now?
Will the little guy ever get full?
We have a little over a month to go before Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe flies onto the Switch. This is bound to be an exciting time for those of us who love Kirby and are a fan of the 2011 Wii game, but there will also be many out there who can't help but think, "wait, didn't we only just get a new Kirby...
Wednesday11th Jan 2023
News Kirby Gains New Copy Abilities For Return To Dreamland Deluxe
Oh Mr. Sandman...
We are just over a month away from the release of Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, and the team over at HAL Laboratory has started drip-feeding us new additions to the game. The most prominent of these is the reveal of Kirby's new Copy Abilities - power-ups gained after inhaling an enemy. We already knew of the Mecha ability...
Tuesday10th Jan 2023
Random Masahiro Sakurai Shares Kirby Air Ride Stories In Latest Video
"The game shouldn't be about striving for perfection"
Masahiro Sakurai, the brilliant mind behind a library-full of our favourite Nintendo titles, has moved onto another development story in his latest YouTube video. This time, the discussion is all about Kirby Air Ride as the legendary creator discusses how the idea came to be, development...
Tuesday27th Dec 2022
Video Join Us As We Celebrate 'The MOTHER We Share: Our EarthBound Story'
Mother lovers
It's the second Sunday in May, which means it's Mother's Day in a great many countries around the world (although not in the UK, where Mothering Sunday falls in March). We're celebrating Mother's Day this year in a very special way and looking back fondly on one particular Mother that Nintendo fans around the world are united in their...
Tuesday22nd Nov 2022
Random Fans Believe They Have Found The Original Wood Used In Mother 3 Logo
Wild spruce chase
Ah, the things that people will do while waiting for a localisation. Though it seems unlikely that Mother 3 will ever officially come to consoles out west, we can at least comfortably say that its fanbase has now discovered every last one of the game's details - right down to the wood used on the logo. Symbolic of Porky's takeover...
Monday31st Oct 2022
News Deep Breath, Kirby Mouthful Mode Plushies Are Finally On Their Way
December can't come quick enough
For the most part, Nintendo plushies come and go without catching our attention. Sure, there are some notable exceptions like last week's Judd and Li'l Judd cushions, and who can forget that big round Spheal from earlier this year?? But then you see an announcement like 'Kirby Mouthful Mode plushies are coming in...
Wednesday26th Oct 2022
Random Kirby's Dream Buffet To Become A Literary Classic With Book Adaptation
A smörgåsbord of words
Here's the video game-to-book adaptation you never knew you wanted — Kirby's Dream Buffet, 2022's adorable, snack-based party game featuring the pink puffball, is getting its own novel in Japan, Automaton Media reports. Yep, really. We know that Kirby games can get wild with their lore, but Dream Buffet certainly isn't...
