Kirby Developer HAL Laboratory Teases New Projects For 2021

I was going to comment that the Switch could do with a mainline Kirby game and then I remembered that Star Allies existed. That wasn’t the most memorable game which is a shame after Planet Robobot was so good.

I expect something different, something not about Kirby.

@nessisonett Agree 100%. I do think that Star Allies would have done much better if the game launched with all the dlc included with the base game, though I do think we're do for another Robobot/3D Deluxe/Return to Dreamland.

@SeantheDon29 Perhaps we could see another Kirby Super Star? The SNES and DS versions are both brilliant.

I like Kirby and might buy something new... but we have seen quite a bit of him over the recent years...

@nessisonett Knowing our luck and Nintendo's recent track record, we'd probably end up with an overpriced port of the Anniversary Collection for $60 with slightly higher resolution.

I hope they make a Kirby game thats more advanced this time, maybe even full 3D or at least something halfway like Mario 3D Land/World.

Kirby's formula has been stagnant since 64. The games are still fun, especially Planet Robobot, but there is so much more potential to this franchise.

Kirby cafe all over the world would put Starbucks ourt of business.

Maybe this’ll be the year we find out if HAL’s really making that 3D kirby game? I’m game for that!

Or just another 2D game would be fine by me

We're due for an experimental Kirby game after the one in 2018. Here's hoping it's for Switch.

It’s nice to see that they want as many people to enjoy Kirby s possible but I hope the next Kirby game offers some more challenge. I didn’t get Star Allies only because the demo made it seem like my hand was held the whole time. I need some challenge! (Like Kirby’s Adventure)

I'm surprised that we haven't yet seen another proper Kirby game since Star Allies considering that the 3DS got its fair share of them. Star Allies was so forgettable that I would have preferred a HD port of Planet Robobot instead.

@nessisonett I wish Sakurai would come back to direct just one more Kirby game. KSS still remains one of my favorite games. The progression was different, the varied takes on the gameplay were all good imho, and the introduction of movesets for powers was very neat. Made doing boss rushes with the different abilities interesting. Also co-op in a side scrolling platformer at the time was very neat. The enemies were more aggressive and respawned so fast in the original game too. Something I kind of wish remained in later titles but yah. Besides KSS, Planet Robobot was great too. I think Star Allies suffers under the weight of it's insistence on fanservice over gameplay. I would have gladly traded in some of those other characters for more actual game and levels/bosses.

Still crossing my fingers for a beautiful 3D Kirby title on Switch someday soon.

More likely is an actual Kirby Cafe cooking game, which would be such fun.

@Kirby_Girl Absolutely agree on wishing Sakurai would return to Kirby for one last swan song. Sakurai cannot just be chained forever to Smash Bros! His immense talents could be applied to a myriad of projects, like helping with Pokemon, helping create a new IP for Nintendo, etc. (all pipe dreams unfortunately)

@ChromaticDracula Kirby's Adventure isn't really particularly hard either. The design philosophy around Kirby games was always been about accessibility. It's even something Sakurai said about Adventure's development. I actually think the Extra campaign in Star Allies plus extra spicy boss rush make Star Allies the harder game.

Please, please be a good classic-style game.

I hope they expand the blowout blast style

Kirby Warriors

I'd love to ether see a full on 3D kirby game, or a cool new 2D game, maybe even with a hand drawn art style, and something new to revive the franchise.

Surprised that no mainline Kirby platformer has been announced yet. It's been nearly 3 years since Star Allies.

@nessisonett Robobot was much better than I expected. The mechs added so much more to the game.

I'd be happy with a reworking of the combat system and I wouldn't need any gimmicks. I think Kirby could use some character action game elements added in to deepen the combat.

Hopefully an EarthBound collection for Switch maybe:

EarthBound Beginnings (Mother 1 - Famicom) = surprise
EarthBound (Mother 2 - SFC/SNES) = fun
EarthBound Ends (Mother 3 - GBA) = warmth

Hopefully the next mainline game is much better than Star Allies. I love the Kirby franchise and think it's one of Nintendo's most enjoyable series, but that game was one of my single biggest disappointments on Switch. 100%ed the game in like my first 5 hours because there was zero challenge.

The level design was uninspired, each level only had like one collectible that was hidden in plain sight, most of the music was recycled from past games, and it ultimately just felt like a rushed job catered for five-year-olds. Easily my least favorite Kirby game, and I had such high hopes because Return to Dream Land is actually probably my favorite, so I was ecstatic to be getting another console co-op Kirby adventure. Not even the post-launch DLC was enough to entice me back into the game. Oh well.

I really hope HAL steps up their game with this next one and delivers a great new Kirby experience like I've been desperately craving. As much as they've been hyping this new game up, I have high hopes, but I really don't want to get burned again.

@Kirby_Girl oh yeah? I guess I always saw Adventure as having a bit of a challenge to me. I know it’s not tough as nails or anything but the last boss and the later game always gave me a nice challenge. Star Allies sort of seemed very.... beginner... to me. I’ll need to give it another go. Thanks!

Was gifted Kirby Star Allies by my company and was excited to let my kids play it. They played it one afternoon and never touched it again. I haven’t had the chance to play it yet - maybe after I finally finish up Dragon Quest Heroes Collection on Switch. Hit the 100 hour mark so I feel I should be getting close.

2019 they published a small game and a Kirby game. 2020 they published a small game and a Kirby game. I’m expecting the same in 2021.

I want a Kirby Air Ride remake or sequel with online play! That game was AMAZING! Unlikely I know but, hey, Pokemon Snap 2 is a thing....

I would love a 3d open world kirby! I know they can do it and it would be incredible.
Part Time UFO is a little gem as well.

They can remake Epic Yarn again but for a console that isn't 5 seconds from being out the door.

@nessisonett Yeah... the DLC was really good though, and Star Allies also had the absolute best boss rush in the series, a mode I always really enjoy in Kirby games.

I want a proper 3D Kirby game

Don't get me wrong.. I love little Kirby.. But he has been too over saturated this past few years (and not all games were as good as others) planet robobot was superb.. But others fell short. Give him a rest for a year or 2 now & come back with something thoughtful & great

I think the next mainline title will be 3D; it feels like they've been building towards that and we've gotten bits and pieces of their prototypes integrated in some of the last few games, like the more dynamic camera in Robobot and the top down gameplay of Blowout Blast

We truly need a Direct. ASAP.

could 2021 be the reveal or release of the first 3D mainline Kirby game?

@nessisonett i expected the next mainline Kirby on Switch to be the first 3D mainline Kirby game, considering Hal Laboratory stated in 2019, the next mainline Kirby game is gonna be the pinnacle of the franchise, the only way i see the next mainline Kirby game be the pinnacle of the franchise is releasing the first 3D mainline Kirby game.

Kirby 1 remake, kirby 2 remaster kirby 3 port 🤣

Kirby Air Ride 2? Please? Or Kirby Dream Course 2, either or, I love them both. Moreso than the Kirby performers I have to admit.

Actually, make a Yoshi x Kirby dream course! Power ups from both series and Yoshi can become an egg to golf around.

... hey I've always liked the idea of a Yoshi and Kirby collaboration game, don't mind me.

@JohnBlackstar it is easy to miss good games as adults and more so as kids. Star Allies is an absolute riot in multiplayer. Consider telling them the next time they want to play that they can, but only game X (start with Star Allies). A lot of kids forget what they have. Doing this every now and then breathes new life into games we already own. We just went through a month long Mario Maker 2 adventure after making them play it one day.

@Not_Soos I find it funny that ppl think Return to Dreamland was any harder then Star Allies. Both games were real easy imho but its Kirby. An entry level franchise so I'm familiar with that and knew the drill. Still enjoyed the games even now. The whole franchise is def designed to generally be accessible. I do agree that I like Star Allies less then previous games like Planet Robobot tho. I don't think it was because it was any easier in my case since most Kirby games outside of any extra content and the boss rushes isn't particularly demanding for me but because there are some design issues I agree. I wish less time was spent on the fanservice and massive roaster and more on levels and bosses. :/

@Toads-Friend nah. I am happy to have more Kirby games lol plus its Hal Labs making them. Its not like Nintendo themselves are putting all their resources on making all these Kirby games and that's why there isn't like a new F Zero or Star Fox, etc. Nintendo just stalling themselves on their other franchises.

Ooh nice
~Redpanda0310

@buggysdad Thanks for the advice. I was working when they tried it out so I didn’t get to see what mode they were playing. I’ll have them try out what you suggest.

To all those wishing Sakurai would return to Kirby, his comments about Marx during the Sephiroth presentation did not by any means go unnoticed to me. For those of you who missed it, he mentioned that he wanted to make that fight even freakier but was ultimately limited by Nintendo's age restrictions 🤣

My point being, I'd love to see it.

@Kirby_Girl

I can definitely remember dying in Return to Dream Land a handful of times, at least. I think the only time I died in Star Allies was when I mistimed a jump during one of the ally train segments. Return to Dream Land also felt significantly longer, had a hard mode you could unlock, and a bunch of time trials. In the hard mode, you fight EX versions of all the bosses with a different color palette, but Star Allies has you do that in the final world of the already short main game, which just feels lazy to me. Plus, the Energy Spheres were much more difficult to collect. The plot twist about who the actual villain was also genuinely surprised me.

I dunno, I just thought Return to Dream Land had a lot more going for it. Levels were enjoyable to plow through, whereas the ones in Star Allies just bored me. Like the first half of the Meta Knight boss level, where you're just hitting switches to climb more and more stairs. It felt like my intelligence was being insulted. But, of course, that's just my opinion, and I completely respect yours. What I will say about Star Allies is that it's a very beautiful game, and I was glad they brought back the Crystal Shards mechanic where you can fuse copy abilities.

@Not_Soos I remember wishing the EX mode for Return to Dreamland was harder then just a little less life and some enemies being bigger. I actually think the extra mode campaign in Star Allies was more demanding. Some cool puzzling and alt bosses. Although I had forgotten about those power challenge rooms you could unlock in Return to Dreamland!! Those were super awesome!!! They should totally bring those back omg haha. I might try playing this game again soon to retry those. I feel like each game has something I like more then the other. If combined they probably would cover each other's weaknesses but ya. At this point HAL also needs to move on I suppose. At the end I do like both games with Star Allies being a bit more disappointing because it came after RtDL, Triple Deluxe, and Planet Robobot.

Would love either a completely new IP, a Switch release of the 3DS BoxBoy or a compilation of previous Kirby games as Europe missed out previously

If a 3D traditional Kirby game were to happen, then I'm hoping the Super Star gameplay mechanics (multiple moveset Copy Abilities, AI allies, etc.) go along with it. As great the Dream Land trilogy and Adventure were, it's just too difficult for me to step backwards to one-action Copy Abilities.

Otherwise, I could use another 2D traditional Kirby game, provided that it both builds upon and fixes Star Allies' mechanics and such.

@nessisonett Eh, I think Return to Dream Land, Triple Deluxe, Planet Robobot, and Star Allies are all amazing, in my book. Building upon Super Star's mechanics was something I wanted see after Super Star on SNES.

If the series were to go into an "experimental" phase, then I'm hoping Super Star's multiple movesets and AI allies go along with it.

I would like to see Marx in future games

It has to be that rumour 3D mainline Kirby game, really doubt it's another spin-off seeing on how we already had two last year and this year. So 2021 would be the right time for another mainline game, I mean Star Allies came out about 2 years already and next year will be it's 3rd year since it been release.

The sentiments in this comment section are in agreement that a new 3D game would be appreciated, especially if it's better than Star Allies. I would add that they need to take time to give the new game original content. Program a new physics engine, no more reused assets and music, let some overused bosses chill for a while (looking at you, Whispy and Kracko). That really nags at me whenever I buy a new Kirby game--as a college grad, they still look and feel nearly identical to the ones I bought in high school.

On a side note, could we get a new director or two for some side projects? Mari Shirakawa directed Kirby Mass Attack in 2011 as her first director's credit, and it's the best game ever. Kentaro Sei directed the classic Kirby's (Extra) Epic Yarn, Kazushige Masuda did a stellar job on Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, and Takashi Hamamura had great ideas with Kirby: Squeak Squad. I'd love to see what other directors could do with Kirby's world and characters, the stories and gameplay they could bring, and the inspired characters they could design.

I wonder what the new Kirby game will be.

POGGERSSSS I CANT WAIT FOR GHE NEXT GAME WOOO