

"Kirby" was chosen from this list because it sounded like it could be the name of an American performer. A list of suggestions for alternate names was provided by Nintendo of America. Īlthough Sakurai originally intended for Kirby's name to be Twinkle Popo, Nintendo turned this down, believing that it would not appeal to American children, and would thus limit the international appeal of his game. This is because John Kirby's family received a special pre-release copy of Kirby's Dream Land as a gift from Nintendo of America in 1992, proving that the company had a connection between the two in mind from the earliest stages of the character's creation. However, there is more evidence in favor of Kirby having been indirectly named after Nintendo's legal counsel, John Kirby of Latham & Watkins LLP, who defended Nintendo against a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Universal Studios over the similarities of Donkey Kong to King Kong. A theory from within Kirby's fandom is that Kirby might have been named after the Kirby Company, which manufactures vacuum cleaners and suits Kirby and his inhalation abilities.

Masahiro Sakurai has been quoted as saying he does not remember how Kirby got his name. When asked about what was being considered during Kirby's design within the anime, the reply from Nintendo was that besides considering the ease of staining of colors and drawing, Kirby should instantly associate with people, be easy to remember, and easily become familiar. Sakurai was deeply involved during the development of Kirby's anime known under the same name as Kirby's Dream Land’s Japanese name (星のカービィ Hoshi no Kābī), and dubbed under the name Kirby: Right Back at Ya! in North America. Kirby's original name, Popopo, would later be referenced in Kirby Mass Attack, as it is set on the Popopo Islands. The game was renamed 星のカービィ ( Hoshi no Kābī) meaning "Kirby of the Stars" in Japan, and became known internationally as Kirby's Dream Land. Despite the developers keeping Kirby's model, he was known as ポポポ ( Popopo) for a time before being renamed Kirby. Over time, Sakurai grew fond of the placeholder sprite, and preferred it over the conception of the original protagonist of the game it was being designed for, so Kirby became the star of his first game. He was originally created as a blob placeholder sprite for the game, originally titled "Twinkle Popo" (ティンクル・ポポ Tinkuru Popo). Kirby was conceived by Masahiro Sakurai, a video game designer then under HAL Laboratory's employment when designing a game for Nintendo's Game Boy. Kirby Fighters 2 Review – 2 Kirby 2 FuriousĠ2 October 2020 Character design Conception “įirst you draw a circle, then you dot the eyes, add a great big smile, and presto, it's Kirby! ”Īn early magazine scan of Kirby as Twinkle Popo for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. His adventures take him throughout Dream Land and occasionally into local star systems for various reasons, and he has saved his homeland, and even the universe, many times. Kirby lives in his dome-shaped home in Dream Land, a country on his home planet Planet Popstar.
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The Kirby series is frequently merchandised by Nintendo, although most of its products are only released in Japan. In addition to his video game appearances, Kirby has been featured in his own anime series, many manga publications in several countries, comics in numerous countries, and even an educational video co-starring Mario. or published by HAL for co-developing studios. The series has been running for three decades, and over thirty titles have been released under Kirby's name, most of which are developed by HAL Laboratory, Inc. He made his debut appearance in 1992, starring in Kirby's Dream Land. Kirby is the titular main protagonist of Nintendo's Kirby series of video games. Taeko Kawata (Kirby and the Story of the Dream Spring) “
