Many people don’t realize that Kirby is one of the most-used franchises in the Nintendo roster. He’s been a part of every console and handled generation since his creation and at times has had multiple titles on a single system. What’s more, the team at HAL Laboratory have had no issues and twisting the formula to keep the games fresh like with Planet Robobot, Air Ride, and even the Nintendo Switch title Kirby Star Allies.
The team clearly have a lover for the pink puffball, and a new art book teased a future for the franchise that might grow it once again. Shinya Kumazaki, the game’s director, had this to say about the past and future of Kirby:
“We say this every game, but the team and I overcame many difficulties making Star Allies. Sometimes these projects don’t quite come together, but ‘Star Allies’ overcame the odds and became a game with a lot to offer. Some of the Dream Friends were a challenge to include, to the point where we weren’t sure if we could include some of them at all, but we wanted please the fans who have supported the series and included all the Dream Friends from across the Kirby franchise. There is always a sense of uncertainty at the beginning of a project, and it’s natural we were hesitant about including some of the Dream Friends, but we worked together to make it happen. When working on the three free updates for the game, we encouraged all team members, young and old, to give their input on what they thought fans wanted to see. It was very difficult to organize all the suggestions, but I think Star Allies is a compilation of Nintendo and the Kirby team’s efforts.
With its release, we’ve finally broken the 11-year drought of side-scrolling titles on consoles. We also added cooperative multiplayer that fans have waited for, another accomplishment that the staff feel great about. And now, finally, we can move on to the next phase! I still try new things at work every day, talking with my colleagues about where to take the series next. Together with them, even if only to please a single fan, we’re planning for the next stage of our future. The team is a culmination of the best aspects of the Kirby franchise, and we hope you’ll look forward to what we have coming next.”
It seems like there is more from this franchise on the horizon, so stay tuned!
