With the release of Kirby Triple Deluxe for Nintendo 3DS, Hal Laboratory is moving on to other projects. In a recent interview with VG247, director Shinya Kumazaki and other members of his team discussed the possibility of a 3D Kirby game being released, instead of the traditional 2D platformer that spawned the series. The team seems very interested in this concept, as this was the response:
We’re really interested in making a fully 3D Kirby game! I suspect there are also more than a few users who’d appreciate being able to freely run around a sprawling map, fighting with copy abilities.
From that short description, it sounds a lot like Mario 64, except replace Mario with Kirby. Also mentioned during the interview is the urban myth that Kirby was inspired by vaccuum cleaners. Kumazaki cleared the information up by confirming that Kirby wasn’t inspired by a vaccuum cleaner, but rather a simple circle.
I’m sorry to disappoint you, but the concept of Kirby didn’t come from vacuum cleaners. Kirby was designed around a simple circle, the kind of thing anyone can draw, so that he would appeal to a wide range of users.
Some of the other design decisions for Kirby are discussed as well, such as why Kirby was painted pink instead of another color. According to the developers, pink is a color that’s approachable and enjoyed by a wide range of demographics, which is what they wanted for their game. Perhaps that’s why Kirby is always seemingly more angry in America, too.
