“ | Put pedal to the metal, and surge ahead with a Dash! As long as you've got speed, you're invincible, baby! Just watch out for potholes!” |
— Wheel's Flavor Text • Kirby: Triple Deluxe |
Wheel is one of Kirby's Copy Abilities.
General Information
The Wheel ability is made for getting to places fast and taking out enemies along the way. Normally wearing a backwards red baseball cap, Kirby can turn into a big pink wheel that zooms along the ground, destroying nearly any foe or obstacle and making Kirby almost completely invulnerable - he is susceptible to damage only when turning. An obvious downside to this is that although he is fast and damages enemies on contact, he is very hard to control, especially because he is incapable of jumping in some games. The Wheel ability is best used on flat terrain and in places where projectile-throwing enemies are sparse.
The Helper for this ability is Wheelie. Kirby can board this Helper to become Wheelie Rider, a makeshift pseudo-ability that behaves very similar to the regular Wheel ability.
In Kirby: Squeak Squad, whenever Kirby drives over sparks, flames, or ice, the wheel will take on those elements and gain their properties. Ice Wheel Kirby can freeze the body of water he is on. Use of Spray Paint makes the wheel itself change color with Kirby.
In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Wheel received a charge move which increases Kirby's speed. The ability hat was given extra detail as well; it now has white lines and a star on it.
Move Set
Move | Controls | Description | Element |
---|---|---|---|
Dash | B/Y |
Kirby rolls forward rapidly as a Wheel. When his path is obstructed by a wall or dangerous obstacles like spikes, he crashes and his roll ends. Having the Copy Scroll allows Kirby to roll over certain terrain and imbue himself with elemental properties. |
None |
Turn Jump | B + → (Repeatedly) | Kirby jumps a little when rolling, however it also erases invincibility frames from Kirby, making him open for damage. | None |
Brake | B (Moving) | Kirby stops rolling. | None |
Slow Down | B (Held) (Moving) | Kirby slows down. This attack also takes away some of his invincibility frames. | Fire* Ice* Electric* |
Downshift |
↓+↓(in mid-air) |
Kirby drills straight downwards before continuing to dash. | None |
Rocket Start | ↓(Held)(Moving) | Kirby charges up, then dashes forward at a high speed. | None |
Sky Wheel |
A (during Rocket Start) |
Kirby sends himself soaring through the air, doing flips. | None |
Kirby Air Ride
In Kirby Air Ride, Wheel can be obtained by inhaling a Wheelie (or Wheelie Bike) in Air Ride mode, or by collecting its patch in City Trial and in several of its Stadiums. As it is a Copy Ability, only Kirby can transform, and not Meta Knight and King Dedede.
While in Wheel Form, Kirby turn into a faceless wheel with two circles containing a star on both sides. He has above average speed, and is slightly less maneuverable than most Air Ride Machines. The player can pick fast machines to cover straights and use Wheel (or Wing) to cover sections with turns - this is especially important in checking off several time attack checkboxes.
Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Wheel Kirby appeared in both racing-themed episodes of the anime, where of course it's the most useful. It keeps the same look, with Kirby turning into a pink tire with a star-shaped hubcab, but gains no extra powers- just pure speed. Even when it looks like all is lost, Wheel Kirby can zoom past all opposition. It's his fastest ability after Jet, though he does still get tired after a while.
In the transformation sequence, Kirby waves a checkered flag around until a tire hits him and he spins around, the tire appears on his head where it turns into the red cap, which Kirby fixes so it's on backwards.
Transformation Sequence
Wheel transformation |
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Flavor texts
Game | Flavor text |
---|---|
Kirby turns into a wheel and can move at super speed! But watch for obstacles and excess speed! | |
Roll over your enemies! Call a helper and ride the Wheel. Watch out for thorns and don't speed! | |
I ride like the wind! Fast! Too fast! | |
Use lines to turn sharply! | |
I ride like the Wind FAST! TOO FAST! | |
Roll to be nearly invincible or ride a Wheel Helper! Beware thorns and holes. | |
Put pedal to the metal, and surge ahead with a Dash! As long as you've got speed, you're invincible, baby! Just watch out for potholes! |
Trivia
- Wheel Kirby's hat is the same as those of Yo-Yo and Paint Kirby's hats, but with a different color palette (Yo-yo's is purple, Paint's is gray).
- Wheel Kirby's artwork for Kirby's Adventure shows the wheel that Kirby turns into as gray instead of pink. The wheel also has a face in the artwork, which is not present in any game.
- Like other Copy Abilities in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror and Kirby: Squeak Squad, part of the ability's color is affected by Spray Paint (in this case, the tire Kirby transforms into).
- In Kirby: Squeak Squad, when Wheel Kirby is standing still, every few seconds he will fix his cap.
- While Wheel did not appear in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Needle can roll into enemies with a dash attack similar to Wheel.
- Wheel is the only copy ability in Kirby: Triple Deluxe that returned from a previous game that does not make an appearance in Kirby's Return to Dream Land.