Kirby Wiki
Register
Advertisement
KPR Susie artwork This article is about the game. For the setting, see Pinball Land.

In this game, the first to veer from Kirby's traditional platforming roots, players helped Kirby explore three challenging pinball worlds by flipping Kirby's bouncy, ball-shaped body. Exciting traps, bonus games, and enemies filled each world. To beat the game, players had to help Kirby defeat several bosses and then win a battle against King Dedede!
— Summary • Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition

Kirby's Pinball Land is a pinball Kirby game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1993, in North America on November 30, 1993 and in Europe on December 1, 1993. It is the first of Kirby's many spinoff games.

Story[]

Intro[]

King Dedede falls on top of Kirby somewhere in Dream Land. He creates pinball bumpers and uses them to jump in the air; Kirby turns himself into a ball and gives chase.

Gameplay[]

Kirby's Pinball Land stars Kirby in Ball form. The game features three pinball tables, called Pinball Lands, each owned by a classic boss or mid-boss of the Kirby series: Whispy Woods, Kracko, and Poppy Bros. Sr.

Kirby's Pinball Land plays like a normal game of pinball, with two flippers used to help keep Kirby in play as he bounces off walls, bumpers and enemies, scoring points by doing so. Each pinball table has three floors; Kirby must make his way up to the third floor, where a Warp Star that delivers Kirby to where the boss resides. After destroying all three bosses, a Warp Star appears that leads to a fight with King Dedede. After defeating Dedede, Kirby is brought back to the level selection screen and can play through the levels again indefinitely.

Lives[]

At the start of the game, Kirby has three lives. Extra lives can be gained by filling the 'EXTRA' letters on the level selection screen, scoring extremely well in some sub-games, or hitting rare 1UP icons in some Pinball Lands.

KPL Springboard sprite

The springboard.

If the ball falls through the bottom of the Pinball Land, Kirby will land on a springboard. If the player presses the A Button at just the right moment, Kirby will launch out of the hole without losing a life. The springboard shrinks over time, and it becomes much more difficult to save Kirby. If the player doesn't press the A Button at the right moment, Kirby loses one of his lives. When all lives are lost, the high score table is displayed, and the player has the option to add their high score to the table if it is in the top four high scores.

Codes[]

  • Play only Bonus Games: Hold ← and Select, then press A or B.
  • Fight only bosses: Hold → and Select, then press A or B.
  • Delete high scores: At the Ranking screen, press ↓+Select+Start.

Sub-games[]

Each table has its own sub-game, which can be accessed from the second floor of each table. When time runs out, Kirby is sent to the third floor.

  • The Whispy Woods Bonus Game is a breakout-style game, using the pinball flippers to keep two Kirby pinballs in play. The Kirbys can break bunches of blocks to score Bonus Points.
  • The Kracko Land Bonus Game is an eating game, where one Kirby walks along some clouds near the top of the screen, and a Kirby pinball is used to knock up different items for him to eat.
  • The Poppy Brothers' Land Bonus Game is a soccer game, where two Kirbys try to shoot past a Squishy goalie into a goal to score Bonus Points.

Characters[]

Playable Characters[]

Enemies[]

Db The following section contains transcluded content from the Database. Source: (viewedit • help)

BoolerBounderBroom HatterCappyChillyChuckieCloudyFlapperGordoHatched ChickHurlyKabuMr. FrostyMumbiesNimbusPoppy Bros. Jr.ScarfySlippySparkySquishyTookeyTwisterUFOWaddle Dee

Bosses[]

Db The following section contains transcluded content from the Database. Source: (viewedit • help)

Whispy WoodsPoppy Bros. Sr.KrackoKing Dedede


Levels (Tables)[]

KPL Whispy Woods Land icon
Whispy Woods Land
KPL Kracko Land icon
Kracko Land
KPL Poppy Brothers' Land icon
Poppy Brothers' Land

Music[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Kirby's Pinball Land/Music

Glitches[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Glitch#Kirby's Pinball Land

Reception[]

KPR Waddle Dee 2 This section is currently under construction

Trivia[]

  • Kirby's Pinball Land is the fifth pinball game developed by HAL Laboratory. Its predecessors were Pinball Spectacular, released in 1983 for Commodore 64 and Commodore VIC-20; Roller Ball, released in 1984 for MSX; Roller Ball, released between 1988 and 1990 for Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System; and Revenge of the 'Gator, released between 1989 and 1990 for Game Boy.[2] HAL Laboratory also contributed Kirby's Pinball Land’s engine to Pokémon Pinball, developed by Jupiter Corporation and released in 1999 for Game Boy Color.[3]
  • Various elements of Kirby's Pinball Land are inspired by or directly reused from Revenge of the 'Gator. The Whispy Woods Bonus Game is largely based on Bonus Stage 1.[4] Additionally, several sound effects are borrowed. One example is the sound produced when Kirby launches from the star in the bottom stage of Whispy Woods Land, is struck by Scarfies in Kracko Land, and is thrown by Mr. Frosty in Poppy Brothers' Land; this is the same sound produced when an alligator tail hits the pinball in Revenge of the 'Gator’s bottom stage.[5]
  • The game's default high-score table, which consists of ZEPHYRA, PHYSALI, DENDROB, and GERBERA, is a reference to the giant mecha anime Mobile Suit Gundam 0083; the robots used by the primary protagonists and antagonists are named "GP01 Zephyranthes", "GP02 Physalis", "GP03 Dendrobium", and "Gerbera Tetra."
  • Kirby's Pinball Land is one of two Kirby games in which the player cannot view the staff credits. The other is Kirby's Toy Box.
  • If the player presses left, select, and A or B on the title screen, the Whispy Woods Bonus Game, Kracko Land Bonus Game, or Poppy Brothers' Land Bonus Game, can be played by hitting the corresponding Warp Star on the Warp Screen; this option can be confirmed if a white fox crosses the screen. When the bonus game is done, Kirby will return to the Warp Screen.
    • If the player presses right, select, and A or B on the title screen, Whispy Woods, Kracko, or Poppy Bros. Sr., can be fought by hitting the corresponding Warp Star on the Warp Screen; this option can be confirmed if a black cat crosses the screen. If Kirby defeats the boss and touches the star-shaped key, Kirby will ride his Warp Star back to the Warp Screen, and the Warp Star to the boss will be replaced by a ball that has the letters E-X-T-R-A flashing on it; the defeated boss will be inaccessible until King Dedede is defeated.
  • Kirby Brawlball, a pinball sub-game in Kirby Mass Attack, is largely inspired by Kirby's Pinball Land. In addition to using the same basic rules, its logo in the Japanese version is based off of Kirby's Pinball Land’s Japanese logo, and both games use a cat to indicate when the player successfully enters a code.
  • Of all the games in the Kirby series, Kirby's Pinball Land has the fastest full-game speedrun. The top run was finished with a time of 5:45 on October 12, 2017.[6]

Related Quotes[]

When Kirby swallows a ball enemy, he turns into a ball and can bounce off of floors and walls. It's tough to control, but well worth it for the strong attack power it gives Kirby. After his debut in Kirby's Adventure, Ball Kirby has popped up in several more Kirby games, such as Kirby's Pinball Land and Kirby's Block Ball.
— Ball Kirby trophy description • Super Smash Bros. Melee

Artwork[]

Box Art[]

Media[]

[]

Gallery[]

External links[]

References[]

Advertisement