Kirby's Avalanche facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kirby's Avalanche |
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North American cover art
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| Developer(s) | Compile HAL Laboratory |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) | Kazunori Ikeda |
| Producer(s) | Masamitsu Niitani |
| Programmer(s) | Takayuki Hirono |
| Artist(s) | Koji Teramoto |
| Composer(s) | Akiyoshi Nagao |
| Series | Kirby Puyo Puyo |
| Platform(s) | Super NES |
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| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Kirby's Avalanche, known in Europe as Kirby's Ghost Trap, is an exciting puzzle video game. It was developed by Compile and HAL Laboratory, then published by Nintendo. This game was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in North America and Europe in February 1995.
This game is actually a Western version of a Japanese game called Super Puyo Puyo. Instead of the original characters, Kirby's Avalanche features many beloved characters from the Kirby series. Interestingly, this game was never released in Japan, making it unique among Kirby titles. The game has been re-released for players to enjoy again. It became available on the Wii's Virtual Console service in July 2007. More recently, it joined the Nintendo Classics service on July 21, 2022.
Contents
How to Play Kirby's Avalanche
The way you play Kirby's Avalanche is very similar to Super Puyo Puyo. In the game, groups of two colorful blobs fall from the top of your screen. Your goal is to quickly rotate and move these groups. You need to make sure they land in a way that matches colors.
When four or more blobs of the same color touch each other, they disappear! Any blobs above them will then fall down to fill the empty space. If you can make a chain reaction, where one group disappearing causes another to match and disappear, something special happens. Rocks will fall onto your opponent's screen. These rocks take up space, making it harder for them to play.
The more blobs you pop and the longer your chain reactions, the more rocks your opponent receives. These rocks can only be cleared if you pop a group of colored blobs right next to them. You lose the game if the middle columns at the very top of your screen fill up with blobs or rocks.
The Story of the Game
The story begins with King Dedede setting up a big "Avalanche Competition." He challenges Kirby and other friends from Dream Land to see who is the best at this puzzle game. The competition takes place at the Fountain of Dreams.
Kirby bravely accepts the challenge. He journeys through a forest, battling many of his old enemies in Avalanche matches. These foes include familiar faces from Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby's Adventure, like Whispy Woods, Kracko, and Meta Knight. Kirby's ultimate goal is to reach the Fountain of Dreams. There, he faces King Dedede in a final showdown to win the coveted Cup!
Different Versions of the Game
While the main way you play Kirby's Avalanche is the same as the Japanese Super Puyo Puyo, their looks are quite different. The Japanese version's story focused on characters named Arle Nadja and Carbuncle. These characters were popular in other games like Madou Monogatari.
For the Western release, Nintendo decided to use Kirby characters instead. This was done to make the game more appealing to players in North America and Europe. It helped connect the puzzle game to the popular Kirby series.
Graphics and Sound
Kirby's Avalanche was released later in the SNES's time. Because of this, it features very bright colors and advanced graphics for its era. The game's music is also special. Most of the songs are remixed versions of tracks from other Kirby games, like Kirby's Adventure and Kirby's Dream Course. There is only one original song from the Puyo Puyo series itself. The game also includes various voice samples, which was a nice touch for the time.
Kirby's Personality
One interesting difference is how Kirby and his opponents talk in the game. In the Western version, Kirby and his foes have full conversations. They even "trash-talk" each other in complete sentences! Kirby's personality in this game seems more sarcastic and ready for a challenge. This is quite different from most other Kirby games. Usually, Kirby doesn't speak much and is generally a very friendly character.
