Alongside Kirby's Return To Dream Land Deluxe being announced at September's Nintendo Direct, a new copy ability that harkens back to a previous Kirby game was revealed: the Mecha Ability. While already unusual, as this will be the first copy ability introduced in a Kirby game that is a remake, the abilities it grants Kirby seem to bear a striking resemblance to the Robobot Armor last seen in Kirby: Planet Robobot. Though these two mechanics serve different functions in their respective games, fans believe that the newest Mecha Ability has been directly inspired by this armor.
This latest theory has led to speculation whether this could mean that future copy abilities might have their origins in earlier Kirby games and may be similarly introduced in remakes like Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. For example, since the Robobot Armor is specific to Kirby: Planet Robobot, its one-time appearance despite being a much-loved concept could have been the reason why HAL Laboratory considered revisiting the design. This compromise for players might offer Kirby some creative freedom for reimagining its games and abilities, and could be hinting at future plans for Planet Robobot.
The Robobot Armor Compared to The Mecha Copy Ability
Released back in 2016, Kirby: Planet Robobot's main selling point was that that Kirby would be able to pilot his very own robot mech. Called the "Robobot armor" per the game's namesake, this armor essentially beefs up Kirby's durability and allows him to deal with devices, heavy objects, or large enemies he'd otherwise be unable to handle. However, another of Planet Robobot's selling points for this gimmick was that the Robobot armor could also use Kirby's copy abilities in its own ways, with up to 14 different modes for the armor each with its own moves reflective of whichever ability Kirby picks up.
Functionally, however, the Robobot Armor and the Mecha copy ability are not exactly the same. For instance, the Mecha ability does not allow Kirby to take on other copy abilities, nor does it grant Kirby increased durability. Instead, Kirby can shoot enemies from afar using a laser and use a powerful punch up close, with an additional area-of-effect attack using an explosion. The comparisons that have been drawn between the two focus primarily the visual style of both being based on the mecha trope prominent in Japanese media with series like Gundam and its own games.
Future Inspirations For Kirby's Abilities And Games
The new Mecha copy ability sets two new precedents: new abilities can be introduced in remakes, and they might be inspired by previous mechanics. Therefore, future abilities and games could follow in Return to Dream Land Deluxe's footsteps. For example, games such as Kirby: Canvas Curse and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse that made use of the DS touchpad or the Wii U gamepad alongside its painting motif could similarly inspire a future copy ability. It could perhaps even develop upon Kirby Super Star Ultra's Paint ability that had been limited to boss fights and expand this, or the Artist ability could be reimagined for future games.
But while the potential is there and fans are now hopeful this opens the door for future Kirby games to get creative, it may be that the Mecha ability and Robobot armor are only alike by coincidence. Across the Kirby series there have been many variations of copy abilities, so creating new ones must be a challenging process to ensure the series remains fresh and innovative. Therefore, since mecha genre video games are popular, HAL Laboratory may have drawn inspiration for the new ability from that genre without deferring to the Robobot Armor.
However, given that the Robobot armor is arguably one of Kirby's most popular gimmicks and that Planet Robobot was released only a few years ago for the 3DS, it seems highly unlikely that HAL Laboratory was oblivious to the similarities these two shared. Without official confirmation of a link between the two mechanics though fans can only speculate on their connection and what this means for future games. For example, if Kirby will be returning to Dream Land with this latest remake, then the new Mecha ability could be hinting towards a return to Planet Robobot too as part of HAL Laboratory's next stage for Kirby.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is set to release on February 24, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
