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Jump
- This article is about one of Kirby's main moves. For the copy ability, seeHi-Jump. For theSub-Game inKirby's Dream Land 3, seeJumping. For the Sub-Game inKirby: Canvas Curse, seeDash! Jump!.
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AJump refers to the action of forcefully leaving the ground and traveling through the air for a short time before falling back down or initiating aHover or another move. Jumping is an essential action for any platforming video game, and as such, is no stranger to theKirby series.
Overview[edit]
WhenKirby jumps, he makes a considerable distance off the ground, and is able to maintain his speed moving forward, or change direction mid-jump in order to avoidbottomless pits, climb cliffs, or get around other obstacles. In most titles, the height of Kirby's jump depends on how long the jump button is held. While in the air, attempting to jump again will typically result in Kirby puffing up and hovering, which will allow him to stay in the air and move higher, albeit more slowly. When Kirby jumps, his momentum can sometimes be used as a weapon, as heheadbutts enemies directly above him—additionally, jumping and then falling a great distance allows Kirby to perform aDive Attack, which similarly damages enemies below him.
SomeCopy Abilities can enhance Kirby's jump, most notably theHi-Jump ability, which in more recent iterations also allows Kirby to jump in midair. With most other abilities, jumping is a necessary prerequisite in order to perform certain aerial moves.
Aside from Kirby, many playable characters and enemies are also capable of jumping, with some able to jump quite a bit higher than the pink puffball. One of the most famous examples of this isKing Dedede'sSuper Dedede Jump, which can send him rocketing all the way to the top of the screen, then back down. Additionally, nearly all playable characters who cannot fly or hover make use of a technique calledInfinity Jump in order to move through the air. This technique is arguably more effective than Kirby's hover in many instances, because it allows the user to act out of "flying" immediately with most of their attacks, rather than having to let out anAir Bullet first. Lastly, there is a technique in most games featuring multiplayer calledSpace Jump that allows characters to immediately teleport back to the position of player 1, but despite the name, this technique is not really a jump.
Jump variants[edit]
Aside from Kirby's standard jump (and those of most other characters), the following are more notable examples related to jumping:
- TheHi-Jump ability, as mentioned above, revolves centrally around the concept of jumping extra high and allowing Kirby to defeat enemies and break blocks while jumping. InKirby's Return to Dream Land, this ability was reworked, making it feel more like soaring upwards and downwards like a rocket rather than jumping.
- Several other Copy Abilities have attacks that involve jumping to varying extents, and can be used to gain height in lieu of actually using a regular jump. This includes moves likeWrestler's "Flying Grab" and "Meteor Plancha" attacks, severalCircus attacks (most notably "Trampoline"),Fighter's "Rising Break" attack, andStaff's "Pole Vault" technique, among others.
- TheMetal Copy Ability is the only one which inhibits Kirby's standard jump, while other abilities - likeUFO,Cupid, andBall - remove it entirely.
- BothRick and theStomper Boot are unable to jump in midair, but they do possess the ability to jump off the heads of enemies to gain additional height without incurring damage to the user.
- When Kirby jumps inKirby's Epic Yarn, his feetbriefly become a spring. This is purely cosmetic.
- In theKirby Fighters games, theDash Shoes effect increases jump height in addition to attack speed.
- InDedede's Drum Dash andDedede's Drum Dash Deluxe,King Dedede's bounce height off the drums varies depending on how many times the A button was pressed in succession on each landing. Each jump type has a name in the latter game: called "normal jump", "High Jump", and "Super Jump" in ascending order of height.
- InKirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World, Kirby can obtain theSpring MouthMouthful Mode, which makes him continuously do small jumps while standing still and moving around, and lets him perform a high jump to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
- InKirby Air Riders, theHop Star andLeo are able to jump if the rider performs aQuick Spin when not holding aBoost Charge or grinding on arail. If done at the end of a sufficient enough ramp, this will cause Leo to launch forwards a considerable distance.
Trivia[edit]
- Kirby's jumps are measured by multiples of his own height. InKirby Super Star, this was fixed at 3.2 Kirbys high, but in more recent titles, Kirby can jump as high as 4.3 Kirbys.
- Kirby is not able to jump in all his adventures. Examples include all of the touch-basedKirby titles, where theDS orWii U stylus are necessary to get Kirby moving, and most of the ball-basedKirby titles, where Kirby can only roll around and needs external assistance to gain any height.
- InKirby Super Star andKirby Super Star Ultra, Kirby and his Helper can jump off each-others' heads to gain additional height. The same can be done withKirby's clones inKirby & The Amazing Mirror or withKing Dedede,Meta Knight andBandana Waddle Dee inKirby's Return to Dream Land. This is called協力ジャンプ (Cooperation Jump) in Japanese andStep-'n-Jump in English.
- InKirby and the Forgotten Land, if the player presses the jump button just before landing, Kirby will "snap" to the ground and jump again, rather than hovering like he normally would. This feature is called "fuzzy landing" by the development team, and is intended to make consecutive jumps feel more natural if the player misjudges Kirby's distance from the ground.[1]
Gallery[edit]
Artwork of Kirby jumping inKirby's Dream Land
Artwork of Kirby jumping inKirby's Dream Land 2
Artwork of Kirby jumping inKirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Artwork of Kirby jumping inKirby: Squeak Squad
Artwork of Kirby jumping inKirby Super Star Ultra
Artwork of Kirby jumping inKirby's Epic Yarn
Artwork of Kirby jumping inKirby's Return to Dream Land
Screenshot of Kirby mid-jump fromKirby: Planet Robobot
Screenshot fromKirby Battle Royale
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ジャンプ Janpu | Jump |
| Dutch | Springen | Jump |
| French | Sauter | Jump |
| German | Springen | Leap |
| Italian | Salta | Jump |
| Portuguese | Saltar | Jump |
| Spanish | Saltar | Jump |
References
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