Challenging Nostalgia: The Kirby Formula
Recently we shared in the joy that was Kirby Super Star (1996) on stream. While it was a very cute and enjoyable game, we kept noticing how familiar everything about it felt despite being a game that we had never played or even heard of much. It almost felt like it was getting to a point where we were deliberately looking for similarities while playing. The challenge of course was trying to identify what we were looking at despite everything being in a different art style and from a different era of gaming (Nintendo Switch versus Super Nintendo) Then it got us thinking. Aside from obvious spin-offs like Kirby Air Ride (2003), is there a tried and true "Kirby formula" and is the use of a formula lazy?
For us, this idea that all Kirby games follow a certain pattern was actually a warm and wholesome revelation for us. While some may view formulaic gameplay and mechanics across multiple entries in a video game series to be tired, overdone, repetitive, or just uninspired, the care and attention to detail that goes into making a game is what we think sets Kirby games apart from, say, your yearly EA Sports or generic washed out military shooter. So, what is it about Kirby that gets a pass? Well, if there is one thing Nintendo does and does well it’s nostalgia. Nostalgia is that feeling that something is warmly familiar, that feeling of being taken back to simpler times. It's a powerful feeling and Nintendo knows this.
However, there can be problems with nostalgia clouding judgement like the popular phrase "looking through rose-tinted glasses." Essentially, we can get caught up remembering something that wasn't as good we thought it was. This can apply to pretty much anything. For example, what was a movie that you loved when you were younger that doesn't hold up as well as when you were older? Just to name a few for ourselves, we got such hits as "Penguin and the Pebble" and "The Swan Princess"; two movies that were enjoyed many years ago but can't even bear to sit through all the way now. The interesting thing here is that, for the most part, anything can still be enjoyed today in some way thereby challenging the notion of nostalgia. Most movies have had multiple releases to cash in on the modernization of media consumption and gaming is no different.
So back to Kirby. Over the years, Kirby hasn't seen much change to himself or the world around him. He's still a pink puff ball. He still likes to eat and take naps. Generally, the world is also still cute and colorful. What Nintendo tries to accomplish and to avoid those games from becoming stale is giving it some kind of gimmick. Nintendo is the king of gimmicks after all. Just look at the Wii. Yup, gimmick city over there.
While we may look back at a game like Kirby Super Star and think of it enjoyable but otherwise simple experience, the gimmick of it's time was introducing multiplayer. Apparently, this wasn't a staple of Kirby games prior to its release. Fast forward to another much more modern game we've streamed, Kirby Star Allies (2018), the whole focus of that game is multiplayer and working together by combining power ups. In fact, you can play with up to 4 people on one screen. If only Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000) had multiplayer! Nintendo likes to get pretty creative too like using a stylus and drawing lines for Kirby to follow on a touchscreen (Kirby Canvas Curse, 2005) to anything and everything being made of yarn, cloths, and buttons (Kirby's Epic Yarn, 2010). Hopefully someday we can get around to enjoying more Kirby games in the future.
All in all, what we've experienced with Kirby has been just a delight pretty much from start to finish. Looking ahead, we hope Nintendo keeps bringing more creativity and push the envelope more than what they did with Kirby Star Allies. Gimmicks can be hit or miss but implemented right, well, it can create a true gem.
