Today we’ll be taking a look into Nintendo’s ever-popular pink puffball, Kirby.
Perhaps thanks to his simplistic design, Kirby has won the world over having released more
than 20 games that have gone on to sell over 34 million copies worldwide.
However, did you know that the Kirby series has undergone numerous changes between regions?
By far the most well-known are the differences between the covers of the Japanese and North
American versions of the Kirby games.
This has even earned itself its own TV Tropes page titled “American Kirby is Hardcore.”
As the packaging for the American releases often changes Kirby’s happy and carefree
expression seen on the original Japanese covers to one that is angry.
Nintendo of America’s notorious advertisement for Kirby’s Avalanche and Kirby’s Dream
Course from 1995, featuring a mugshot of a scowling bandaged Kirby with gritty stubble,
[4] is often cited as the beginning of Kirby’s “hardcore” American trend.
But Nintendo of America’s attempts to make Kirby seem tougher date back as early as his
very first games.
In a 1992 commercial for Kirby’s Dream Land, Kirby is compared to “Dashing Superguy,”
who may have him beaten in strength, but the narrator instead touts that Kirby’s appetite
makes up for it, as it “has a mean bite.”
Compare this to the Japanese commercial for Kirby’s Dream Land released the very same
year, which alternatively features a young boy happily singing while drawing Kirby.
The 1993 American commercial for Kirby’s Adventure took this a step further with Kirby
pulling off a number of cool stunts before stating, “…Kirby, he’s cute till you
cross him, then he’s one tough cream puff.”
Nevertheless, an angry Kirby would not be seen on the cover for any of his games in
the west until 2002 with the release of Kirby’s Nightmare in Dream Land.
While it is true that the majority of Kirby games since then, including Kirby Air Ride,
Kirby Canvas Curse, and Kirby’s Return to Dream Land, continued this trend, a few games,
such as Kirby Super Star Ultra, did not.
Instead sharing cover art nearly identical to the original Japanese release.
After years of speculation Shinya Kumazaki, the director of Kirby: Triple Deluxe, commented
on this in an interview with Gamespot.
To quote:
“For the Japanese versions we are, at HAL, involved in everything throughout development,
including the package design.
The most powerful image of Kirby is that cute image, we think that's the one that appeals
to the widest audience.”
He goes on to explain that, for his home country of Japan, “Kirby's cuteness is his biggest
draw...”
However, things are seen differently in North America.
Kumazaki mentions that Nintendo of America calls the shots in the US and provides HAL
with "feedback and insight" into the market.
He goes on to state:
“What we have heard is that strong, tough Kirby that's really battling hard is a more
appealing sign of Kirby, so that's what we feature in the US.”
The director explains that it depends on the title though, as some of the more recent Kirby
games feature a “Tough Kirby” even on the Japanese box art, pointing towards his
own game.
Released in 2014, Kirby: Triple Deluxe was the first Kirby title to have an angry Kirby
on the cover art across all regions.
Also note the removal of the cannon-like enemy from the North American cover which remained
intact in every other region.
This was possibly done to bring it in line with the ESRB’s “Principles and Guidelines
for Responsible Advertising Practices,” which prohibits “Graphic and/or excessive
depictions of violence” from video game advertising including “guns/weapons [being]
pointed toward [the] reader/audience.”
Triple Deluxe’s direct sequel, Kirby: Planet Robobot from 2016, as well as 2017’s Kirby
Battle Royale have since followed suit, containing an angry Kirby on the box art throughout every
region.
Speaking of Kirby covers in other regions, since 2002 the box art for the European releases
of the Kirby games have gone back and forth between using the “angrier” North American
art, as seen with Kirby: Canvas Curse, or Kirby: Power Paintbrush as it is known in
Europe, in 2005…
Or using the happier original Japanese art, such as with Kirby’s Return to Dream Land,
or Kirby’s Adventure Wii as it’s called in Europe, in 2011.
But packaging art hasn’t been the only thing that has changed on Kirby’s travels overseas.
For instance, even the art within the games themselves have been modified, such as in
1997’s Kirby’s Star Stackers.
In the original Japanese version of the game Kirby can be seen humorously sobbing tears
of joy on the Versus Mode results screen.
Whereas in the international releases Kirby’s expression was noticeably toned down.
Another example can be seen with the Normal Mode’s Round Clear screen where Kirby and
his animal pal Rick enjoy a picnic together.
The Japanese game sees Rick enjoying some onigiri, or rice balls, while Kirby holds
hanami dango, a sweet treat traditionally consisting of 3 rice dumplings colored pink,
white, and green, skewered on a stick, overhead with what seems to be a thermos at his feet.
As was typical of the era, the international releases replaced these ethnic Japanese foods
with ones that could be more easily recognizable to western audiences.
As you can see, Rick now holds an apple with a box of sandwiches at his feet, while Kirby
holds up a smore on a stick and the thermos has vanished.
For whatever reason though the deviations don’t end there as Kirby’s pose has changed,
Rick’s eye is now closed, and butterflies flutter overhead too.
Japanese foods have been taken out of a number of other Kirby titles, including 2000’s
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards where onigiri was once again replaced with sandwiches in
the international releases.
Curiously though, Waddle Dee can still be seen chowing down on some onigiri in the picnic
bonus round at the end of every stagein every version of the game.
1996’s Kirby Super Star took this to the next level.
Due to the Gourmet Race sub-game, Kirby Super Star contains a great number of food items
for Kirby to devour. 12 of the distinctly Japanese foods were once again changed to
western meals, such as hot dogs, pancakes, and fries.
Another interesting regional change from Kirby Super Star can be seen on the tutorial screen
upon choosing a sub-game.
In the Japanese edition, two vertical slices of a yellow and green V-shaped emblem fly
in from opposite sides of the screen and slam together over text asking the player if this
is the first time they’ve played the sub-game before.
This emblem is officially known in Japan as the “Shoshin Untensha Hyoshiki,” or the
“Beginner Driver’s Sign,” but is more commonly called a “Shoshinsha” or “Wakaba”
mark.
New drivers in Japan must display this mark on their vehicle for a year after receiving
their license, but may choose to leave it on thereafter should they desire.
While this emblem has become synonymous with novices in Japan, it would go over the heads
of most players elsewhere.
Thus, it was simply changed to two slices of a smiling Kirby coming together outside
of Japan.
A similar change could be seen in Kirby: Triple Deluxe as well.
During the tutorial of the Japanese version of the game, players will receive a red circle
upon successfully completing a task.
This is known as a “marujirushi” in Japan and it is used as an affirmation for something
that is correct.
This is especially common on graded schoolwork for example.
The marujirushi was replaced in the international releases with its western equivalent, a checkmark.
The checkmark was also recolored green, probably since green is seen as a more positive color
in many western countries.
In 1995, Kirby’s Dream Land 2 had another reference that was cut for western audiences.
In the game there are rooms where Kirby can free either Rick the Hamster, Coo the Owl,
or Kine the Sunfish.
But should Kirby try to enter one of these rooms while already riding one of his animal
friends he’ll usually find Gooey instead.
However, there’s a very small chance that players will find a girl named Chao in Gooey’s
place in the Japanese version of the game.
Chao is the heroine of the 1989 Famicom Disk System game Yūyūki.
As the Disk System add-on was never released outside of Japan, this adventure game loosely
based on the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West, was never released overseas.
Again, as this reference would be missed by most western players, the international version
of Kirby’s Dream Land 2 replaced Chao with a female version of Gooey.
This also forced the developers to revise the Sound Test and Boss Endurance Clear screens
as well.
Intriguingly, the Sound Test screen in itself is yet another reference to a scene from Yūyūki.
It’s especially odd then that Chao did not consequently get cut out of the North American
release of Kirby’s Dream Land 3 in 1997, and even appeared alongside the star of Yūyūki,
Goku.
Meanwhile, Kirby’s Dream Course would not be so lucky, as the game received numerous
cuts on its way to the west.
This was likely done to cut down the ROM size to fit the game onto a cheaper to produce
1-megabyte cartridge, compared to the Japanese release which required a 2-megabyte cartridge.
These included missing test courses, debug menus, and the Japanese version’s vibrant
animated title screen being replaced with a much simpler one.
The most significant cut however was the animated story cutscene seen after the title screen
of the Japanese version of the game.
Accordingly, the song that plays over this cutscene was removed as well.
Western players on the other hand had to catch the story by reading the instruction manual.
The content of the stories are largely the same, except that while the Japanese game’s
cutscene directly follows Kirby, the North American manual is primarily written from
the perspective of the inhabitants of Dream Land.
Also, in the Japanese cutscene Kirby directly catches King Dedede in the act of stealing
a star from the sky and gives chase.
Whereas in the North American manual the inhabitants of Dream Land simply suspect that King Dedede
is behind the disappearance of the stars, causing Kirby to set off and deal with King
Dedede.
We’ve just scratched the surface of the changes throughout the Kirby series’ lifetime,
but that’s all we have time for today.
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