The general logo for theKirby series, as of 2022.

Kirby is a series of action-platforming video games starring the titularKirby, a round pink creature who defeats his foes byinhaling them andgaining their powers. TheKirby series was created byMasahiro Sakurai, and most games are developed byHAL Laboratory and published byNintendo, makingKirby a second-party series of Nintendo.Kirby's Dream Land is the first game in the series, released in 1992. Complementing the cutesy nature of the series characters and settings, theKirby series was designed to be enjoyed by all ages, with gameplay mechanics generally leaning towards being easy for inexperienced players to understand, while offering lots of modulation ofdifficulty and depth of mechanics to cater to more seasoned players. This design philosophy is summarized by current series directorShinya Kumazaki as "approachable yet deep".^[1] This philosophy arguably extends beyond the gameplay and into the story, setting, and general lore of the games as well, since the surface-level plot of games tends to be very simple, but lots of hidden nuances can be found if the player digs deep enough.

Gameplay[edit]

The coreKirby series consists of action-adventure/platformer games broken down into largely linearlevels and/orstages, where the main goal in each stage is to either getKirby or another player character to the end of the stage (typically taking the form of a star-studdeddoorway) or defeat alarge opponent in the way, with some stages requiring both. Kirby's unique abilities - hisinhale,hover, andCopy Ability - are what define how the stages and enemies therein are approached and dealt with. In particular, due to Kirby's typically unlimited flight capability, platforming is a lesser focus compared to battling enemies, exploring complex terrain, and solving stage puzzles. There are often many ways to approach any given obstacle, though specific optional tasks often require certain abilities and/oritems to perform. While traversing stages, the player needs to be mindful of Kirby'shealth meter, which decreases whenever he touches or is attacked by an enemy or touches a harmfulhazard. Letting the health meter run out causes Kirby to be defeated, and have to restart the area (or stage if noextra lives remain). Health can typically be restored by picking up afood item in the stage.

Most main-series titles feature at least oneSub-Game, which can be played within the main game, or outside it in a menu. Unlike the main game, these can vary wildly in playstyle, from quick-time games to racing games. Many of these are competitive, and can be played with more than one player. These also tend to vary wildly in size, with some being minor diversions, and others being practically full-fledged games on their own. In some games, after Kirby finishes a stage, he plays aGoal Game which can earn him extra lives. Up untilKirby and the Forgotten Land, every main series game was a side-scroller played in two dimensions (even if 3D graphics were used to draw them), though limited 3D interactions were often present in these games starting withKirby 64: The Crystal Shards.

Spin-off titles divert from the main series in a similar manner to Sub-Games, but are much larger in scope and entirely separate titles. These titles often experiment with other genres. Examples of spin-off titles includeKirby Air Ride (a full-fledged racing game),Kirby: Canvas Curse (a "touch platformer" where Kirby has to be guided using theNintendo DS stylus), andKirby's Epic Yarn (a more traditional platformer, but with fundamentally different mechanics compared to the main series).

Games[edit]

Main series[edit]

These are the thirteen main platformers in theKirby series. They are most easily distinguished through the use of the full series name, 星のカービィ(Hoshi no Kābyi, usually translated "Kirby of the Stars"^[2] or "Star Kirby"^[3]), in their Japanese titles. These games are traditional platformers that feature Kirby's signatureinhaling action and (starting withKirby's Adventure)Copy Ability.^[4][5][6]

Whetherremakes count as individual entries in the main series seems to vary. The developers stated in aMiiverse post that they considerKirby: Triple Deluxe the tenth mainlineKirby game, which would exclude the two previous remakes.^[5] Furthermore, when it was decided thatKirby Star Allies would include oneDream Friend from each main series game, remakes were excluded.^[6] However, the internal codename ofKirby and the Forgotten Land is "Kirby15", which counts the two prior remakes of main series games (as it would be the thirteenth mainline game otherwise).

Boxart	Title	Console	Original release date	Notes
						Kirby's Dream Land	Game Boy	April 27, 1992 August 1, 1992 December 1992 December 1992	–
	Kirby's Adventure	Nintendo Entertainment System	March 23, 1993 May 1, 1993 December 1, 1993 December 1, 1993	–
	Kirby's Dream Land 2	Game Boy	March 21, 1995 May 1, 1995 July 31, 1995 July 31, 1995	–
	Kirby Super Star	Super Nintendo Entertainment System	March 21, 1996 September 20, 1996 January 23, 1997 January 23, 1997	Inconsistently but occasionally known asKirby's Fun Pak in Europe and Australia.
	Kirby's Dream Land 3	Super Nintendo Entertainment System	November 27, 1997 March 27, 1998	Never saw an original release on the SNES in Europe or Australia, but was later released in those regions viaVirtual Console andNintendo Switch Online.
	Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards	Nintendo 64	March 24, 2000 June 26, 2000 June 22, 2001 June 22, 2001	–
	Kirby & The Amazing Mirror	Game Boy Advance	April 15, 2004 July 2, 2004 October 18, 2004 December 23, 2004	–
	Kirby: Squeak Squad	Nintendo DS	November 2, 2006 December 4, 2006 March 1, 2007 June 22, 2007 September 13, 2007	Known asKirby: Mouse Attack in Europe.
	Kirby's Return to Dream Land	Wii	October 24, 2011 October 27, 2011 November 25, 2011 December 1, 2011 September 6, 2012	Known asKirby's Adventure Wii in Europe and Australia.
	Kirby: Triple Deluxe	Nintendo 3DS	January 11, 2014 April 17, 2014 May 2, 2014 May 16, 2014 May 16, 2014	–
	Kirby: Planet Robobot	Nintendo 3DS	April 28, 2016 April 28, 2016 June 10, 2016 June 10, 2016 June 11, 2016	–
	Kirby Star Allies	Nintendo Switch	March 16, 2018 March 16, 2018 March 16, 2018 March 16, 2018 April 26, 2018	This is the first main series title to be released on the same day in most regions.
	Kirby and the Forgotten Land	Nintendo Switch	March 25, 2022	This is the first main series title to be a 3D platformer instead of a 2D one.

Spin-off games[edit]

These are games that do not follow the traditional formula of the main series, and take on a wide variety of genres.

Boxart	Title	Console	Genre	Original release date	Notes
							Kirby's Pinball Land	Game Boy	Pinball	November 27, 1993 November 30, 1993 December 1, 1993 1993	–
	Kirby's Dream Course	Super Nintendo Entertainment System	Sports	September 21, 1994 February 1, 1995 August 24, 1995 August 24, 1995	–
	Kirby's Avalanche	Super Nintendo Entertainment System	Puzzle	February 1, 1995 April 25, 1995	Known asKirby's Ghost Trap in Europe and Australia. Based onSuper Puyo Puyo. Never saw a release in Japan.
	Kirby's Block Ball	Game Boy	Action	December 14, 1995 May 13, 1996 August 29, 1996	–
	Kirby's Star Stacker	Game Boy	Puzzle	January 25, 1997 April 7, 1997 October 20, 1997 October 20, 1997	–
	Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble	Game Boy Color	Motion-controlled action	August 23, 2000 April 11, 2001	Never saw an original release on the Game Boy Color in Europe or Australia, but was later released in those regions viaNintendo Switch Online.
	Kirby Air Ride	Nintendo GameCube	Action/racing	July 11, 2003 October 13, 2003 February 20, 2004 March 30, 2004	–
	Kirby: Canvas Curse	Nintendo DS	Touch-controlled platformer	March 24, 2005 June 13, 2005 November 25, 2005 April 6, 2006	Known asKirby: Power Paintbrush in Europe.
	Kirby's Epic Yarn	Wii	Platformer	October 14, 2010 October 17, 2010 February 24, 2011 February 25, 2011 September 1, 2011	–
	Kirby Mass Attack	Nintendo DS	Touch-controlled platformer	August 4, 2011 September 19, 2011 October 27, 2011 October 28, 2011 December 1, 2011	–
	Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe	Nintendo 3DS (eShop)	Rhythm/platformer	July 23, 2014 August 29, 2014 September 24, 2014 February 13, 2015 February 13, 2015	Based onDedede's Drum Dash fromKirby: Triple Deluxe.
	Kirby Fighters Deluxe	Nintendo 3DS (eShop)	Fighting	July 23, 2014 August 29, 2014 September 24, 2014 February 13, 2015 February 13, 2015	Based onKirby Fighters fromKirby: Triple Deluxe.
	Kirby and the Rainbow Curse	Wii U	Touch-controlled platformer	January 22, 2015 February 20, 2015 May 8, 2015 May 9, 2015	A spiritual successor toKirby: Canvas Curse. Known asKirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush in Europe and Australia.
	Team Kirby Clash Deluxe	Nintendo 3DS (eShop)	Action/role-playing	April 12, 2017 April 13, 2017 April 13, 2017 April 13, 2017	Based onTeam Kirby Clash fromKirby: Planet Robobot.
	Kirby's Blowout Blast	Nintendo 3DS (eShop)	Platformer	July 4, 2017 July 4, 2017 July 6, 2017 July 6, 2017 July 6, 2017	Based onKirby 3D Rumble fromKirby: Planet Robobot.
	Kirby Battle Royale	Nintendo 3DS	Action/fighting	November 3, 2017 November 4, 2017 November 30, 2017 January 19, 2018 February 1, 2018	This is the first game in the series to feature full online multiplayer.
	Super Kirby Clash	Nintendo Switch (eShop)	Action/role-playing	September 4, 2019 September 5, 2019 September 5, 2019 September 5, 2019 September 5, 2019 September 5, 2019	A successor toTeam Kirby Clash andTeam Kirby Clash Deluxe.
	Kirby Fighters 2	Nintendo Switch (eShop)	Fighting	September 23, 2020 September 24, 2020 September 24, 2020 September 24, 2020 September 24, 2020 September 24, 2020	A successor toKirby Fighters andKirby Fighters Deluxe.
	Kirby's Dream Buffet	Nintendo Switch (eShop)	Action/racing	August 17, 2022	–
	Kirby Air Riders	Nintendo Switch 2	Action/racing	November 20, 2025	A successor toKirby Air Ride.

Remakes, compilations, and re-releases[edit]

These games are re-releases of older games for newer systems, often enhancing graphics and adding additional content.

Boxart	Title	Console	Original release date	Notes
						Kirby's Star Stacker	Super Famicom	June 25, 1999	A remake of the Game Boy title of the same name. Never saw an original release on the SNES outside of Japan, but was later released internationally viaNintendo Switch Online.
	Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land	Game Boy Advance	October 25, 2002 December 2, 2002 September 26, 2003 January 27, 2004	A remake ofKirby's Adventure.
	Kirby Super Star Ultra	Nintendo DS	September 22, 2008 November 6, 2008 November 13, 2008 November 27, 2008 September 18, 2009	A remake ofKirby Super Star. It retains its North American name in Europe and Australia, despite the original game being renamed toKirby's Fun Pak.
	3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure	Nintendo 3DS (eShop)	November 17, 2011 November 17, 2011 November 17, 2011 April 25, 2012	A recreation ofKirby's Adventure, featuring the same spritework and gameplay but with enhanced color, shading, and 3D effects. This version also removes the frame drops the original version had.
	Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition	Wii	July 19, 2012 September 16, 2012	A compilation ofKirby's Dream Land,Kirby's Adventure,Kirby's Dream Land 2,Kirby Super Star,Kirby's Dream Land 3, andKirby 64: The Crystal Shards that also includes an original game mode calledNew Challenge Stages, a soundtrack CD and 45 page book containing artwork and other behind-the-scenes information covering Kirby's history, released to celebrate theKirby 20th Anniversary. Never saw a release in Europe, Australia or South Korea.
	Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn	Nintendo 3DS	March 7, 2019 March 8, 2019 March 8, 2019 March 9, 2019 April 12, 2019	An enhanced port ofKirby's Epic Yarn.
	Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe	Nintendo Switch	February 24, 2023	A remake ofKirby's Return to Dream Land. It retains its North American name in Europe and Australia, despite the original game being renamed toKirby's Adventure Wii.
	Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World	Nintendo Switch 2	August 28, 2025	A downloadable expansion forKirby and the Forgotten Land that improves the game's performance and adds a new story. This upgrade pack can be purchased standalone or as a bundle with the original Nintendo Switch game.

Other games[edit]

The followingKirby games are small spin-off or peripheral titles. They are not considered to be part of the coreKirby series by Nintendo or HAL Laboratory (they are either not mentioned inKirby's History at all or mentioned but not considered a title proper, none are included in the"Series History" section of theKirby Portal website, and in general are never present in any list ofKirby series titles).

Boxart	Title	Console	Genre	Original release date	Notes
							Kirby's Toy Box	Super Famicom (Satellaview)	Various	February 8, 1996	A collection of mini-games broadcast over theSt.GIGA network, exclusive to Japan.
	Kirby Slide	Game Boy Advance (e-Reader card)	Puzzle	December 2003	AKirby-themed puzzle slider mini-game.
	Kirby: Sparkling Medal Land[7]	Arcade machine	Various	March 2006[8]	A licensed medal throwingKirby game byAtlus that includes 15 different minigames based onKirby: Right Back at Ya!.
	Kirby: Magical Tower of Medal Land[9]	Arcade machine	Various	December 2007	A licensedKirby game by Atlus. Mentioned in the Japanese version ofKirby's Dream Collection Special Edition.
	Kirby: PakuPaku Gourmet Race	Arcade machine	Action	December 2021(location test) October 2022(general)	A licensed Kirby game distributed by Bandai Namco. The machine underwent a location test at namco Lazona Kawasaki between December 24, 2021 and January 10, 2022.[10] Later in 2022, Bandai Namco announced the game would roll out first to namco locations starting on October 24, 2022[11][12], followed by a more general rollout across game centers nationwide starting on November 16, 2022.[13] The overall object of the game is to lob as many balls and (less abundant) Maxim Tomatoes as possible into Kirby's mouth, in two rounds (with points doubled for the second round) and a bonus "Goal Game".[14] The machine features a voiceover and clips of Kirby's voice, as well as music fromKirby Super Star including "Gourmet Race" and "Invincible Candy".[15]

Canceled games[edit]

There are at least six knownKirby games that were under development at some point but were never released. They are regarded ascanceled games.

Main characters[edit]

Artwork	Name	Description
	Kirby	Kirby is the hero of the franchise and the primary playable character in each game (with one exception). His powers, which are vital to the gameplay of most installments, include inhaling objects and creatures in order to either spit them out again or steal their ability, as well as inflating himself, enabling him to fly. In most games, he must use his unique powers to save his homeland namedDream Land, the planetPopstar on which it is located or even the entire galaxy from the respective game's main antagonist.
	King Dedede	King Dedede is the self-proclaimed king of Dream Land and Kirby's archrival, though rarely the main antagonist. Although portrayed as greedy and selfish primarily inKirby's Dream Land, where he steals all of Dream Land's food for himself, he often means well throughout the series, but ends up antagonizing Kirby due to a misunderstanding or being mind-controlled by the true villain. Once the misunderstanding has been resolved or the mind-control has been broken, however, he often ends up helping Kirby, most notably inKirby 64: The Crystal Shards andKirby's Return to Dream Land, where he is one of the game's main heroes.
	Meta Knight	An enigmatic character of ambiguous allegiance, Meta Knight repeatedly confronts Kirby during the latter's journeys, often challenging him to a duel. Although seemingly antagonistic towards Kirby, he serves as a stalwart ally to the pink puffball more often than not, and any misgivings they may have had over the sinking of theHalberd seem to have been mended. When Meta Knight is inclined to battle with Kirby, no matter the circumstance, he provides Kirby with asword in order to force a fair fight. He is the leader of a group of warriors known as theMeta-Knights, who Kirby often has to battle against.
	Bandana Waddle Dee	AWaddle Dee who is distinguished only by his blue bandana, Bandana Waddle Dee is one of King Dedede's most loyal subjects, but is also very good friends with Kirby. He can wield both aSpear and aParasol in combat with good efficacy, but he sometimes avoids fighting and aims to help the main characters by tossing themAssist Stars instead. He got his first major role inKirby's Return to Dream Land, and he went on to become a recurring major character in theKirby franchise.

The series has many other characters, some of which have rather significant presences in many games. More information can be found on theCharacter page.

Sales[edit]

As of December 2025, the entireKirby series has sold over 54.67 million copies worldwide,^[16] and 21 games have sold over 1 million copies. For 30 years, the originalKirby's Dream Land was the best-sellingKirby game of all time, but its sales numbers were surpassed byKirby and the Forgotten Land by the end of September 2022.^[17] Currently, the top 3 games in terms of sales are, in order,Kirby and the Forgotten Land,Kirby's Dream Land, andKirby Star Allies.

Note that numbers are based on publicly available sales information, and may not reflect the actual sales numbers.

Games marked with an * only have sales numbers in Japan available.

Trivia[edit]

• Originally, the EnglishKirby logo used a proprietary font, which was seen fromKirby's Dream Land toKirby Tilt 'n' Tumble.Kirby: Right Back at Ya! introduced a new English logo based on the Helvetica Rounded Black typeface, which was adopted withKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land and used for most games up toKirby's Extra Epic Yarn. Coinciding with the 30th anniversary, another new English logo debuted withKirby and the Forgotten Land, using the Seurat Pro UB typeface.
• So far, the platform with the most originalKirby games is theNintendo 3DS, with seven entries (nine if counting remakes and ports).
• At least oneKirby game has been released on almost every non-dedicated Nintendo console, with the exceptions of the Virtual Boy and the Pokémon mini.
• On their official website, HAL Laboratory keeps alist of everyKirby game they have developed.Kirby's Avalanche,Kirby's Block Ball,Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble,Kirby's Epic Yarn,Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, andKirby Air Riders are not present on HAL's list, despite being officially counted as part of theKirby series, because they were developed primarily by other companies (Compile,Nintendo R&D1 and/orTose,Nintendo R&D2,Good-Feel, andSora Ltd./Bandai Namco Studios respectively).

Gallery[edit]

• 
  The general logo for theKirby series used from 2002 to 2022
• 
  The prior logo, text only
• 
  A 3D version of the current general logo for the Kirby series, used inKirby and the Forgotten Land
• 
  Japanese logo for theKirby series, as of 2022
• 
  Series symbol fromSuper Smash Bros., which is a model due to theNintendo 64's inability to display high-resolution sprites

External links[edit]

• Kirby Portal - Japanese official series website
• The Official Home of Kirby - English official series website
• Kirby official Twitter (@Kirby_JP)

References

• Series