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Version 1 - Kirby's Adventure (1993) / Kirby's Dream Course (1994) / Kirby's Dream Land 2 (1995) / Kirby's Block Ball (1995) / Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997) / Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000) / Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005)

Not content to have only one electrifying ability, Spark Kirby appears! When copying the aptly-named Sparky in Kirby's Adventure, Kirby gains its ability to surround itself with deadly sparks. Kirby can hold this spark attack indefinitely, making it a helpful defensive ability that can protect as well as attack.

Spark would quickly become one of the more common Kirby abilities, appearing in a number of titles that predated - or opted against - ability hats. In the Dream Land games and 64, Spark became one of the abilities that could be combined with an Animal Friend (in Dream Land 2 and 3) or another ability (in 64) to make a wide variety of different attacks. One appearance of note is Dream Course, in which Spark Kirby appears a brilliant green when attacking.

Despite its prominence, Spark Kirby would not make an appearance in Kirby Super Star, and so would miss out on its first opportunity to get an ability hat. Instead, Spark was seemingly subsumed into the Plasma ability, which was an electrical ability which gave Kirby the ability to create an electrical shield with a "static electricity" charging mechanic. Keep this in mind for later.

Version 2 - Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002) / Kirby: Right Back At Ya! (2003)

As Nightmare in Dream Land included all the same abilities as Adventure, it's only natural that Spark Kirby returned. Its electrical barrier became larger and more imposing, and its design did some... interesting things. Spark Kirby actually has two extremely distinct designs in Nightmare in Dream Land - this one is the design that appears in the official art for the game as well as in the anime. It adopts a similar hat to Plasma, in-game being a recolor of Fire Kirby's hat just like Plasma was in Super Star, and turns Kirby green just as Plasma did. However, the in-game sprite for Nightmare in Dream Land has an entirely different crown - copying Fire's - and more jarringly isn't green at all! Since Nightmare in Dream Land did have colored Kirby abilities, this is a bit of a strange one.

One final note is that, in Right Back At Ya!, the special animation that plays when Kirby becomes Spark Kirby initially has Kirby's head spew green fire, likely a tribute to how Spark Kirby is portrayed in its in-game sprite.

Version 3 - Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002) / Kirby & The Amazing Mirror (2004) / Kirby: Squeak Squad (2006)

Amazing Mirror and Squeak Squad use the same sprites for Spark Kirby as Nightmare in Dream Land, but Squeak Squad also includes new official artwork depicting this version of Spark Kirby clearly. In-game it's a recolor of Fire Kirby, featuring the iconic two-pronged crown, but the art also gives it a full head of potent sparks much like it was portrayed in other official art and while attacking. In these games, Spark's head also took on a distinctive teal hue, more similar to Plasma's green than the light blue that would be used later.

Version 4 - Kirby's Return to Dream Land (2011)

When Spark returned to gain a full Super Star-style moveset on the Wii, something odd happened. Not only did Spark get an entirely new crown design - featuring a notably larger gem and some cool colored bands - but it also absorbed Plasma! In Return to Dream Land, Spark took on Plasma's charging mechanic and nearly all of Plasma's moves, adding on Spark's iconic electrical barrier and a few extra to round it out.

Version 5 - Kirby: Triple Deluxe (2014) / Kirby: Planet Robobot (2016)

Finally, and seemingly putting the final nail in Plasma's coffin, when Spark returned in the 3DS duo of Kirby games, it boasted a slightly modified design with a greened crown gem and, damningly, a distinct new style to the electrical sparks spouting from Kirby's head, giving them a more "solid" design very similar to the design for Plasma's crown seem in Kirby Air Ride and the cancelled Kirby's Adventure GCN. With that, Spark Kirby finally took its place as the go-to electrical Kirby ability, and would reign forevermore over Plasma, its brethren. No hard feelings, Plasma --

Wait, in Star Allies Plasma came back? And Spark was nowhere to be seen? Welp. I guess there's enough room for modern Kirby to have a handful of electrical abilities after all!

One final note, this version of Spark Kirby also was portrayed as green in at least one piece of official art, though only in a Japan-exclusive card game as far as I'm aware.

Description

<- prev | next ->

Version 1 - Kirby's Adventure (1993) / Kirby's Dream Course (1994) / Kirby's Dream Land 2 (1995) / Kirby's Block Ball (1995) / Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997) / Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000) / Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005)

Not content to have only one electrifying ability, Spark Kirby appears! When copying the aptly-named Sparky in Kirby's Adventure, Kirby gains its ability to surround itself with deadly sparks. Kirby can hold this spark attack indefinitely, making it a helpful defensive ability that can protect as well as attack.

Spark would quickly become one of the more common Kirby abilities, appearing in a number of titles that predated - or opted against - ability hats. In the Dream Land games and 64, Spark became one of the abilities that could be combined with an Animal Friend (in Dream Land 2 and 3) or another ability (in 64) to make a wide variety of different attacks. One appearance of note is Dream Course, in which Spark Kirby appears a brilliant green when attacking.

Despite its prominence, Spark Kirby would not make an appearance in Kirby Super Star, and so would miss out on its first opportunity to get an ability hat. Instead, Spark was seemingly subsumed into the Plasma ability, which was an electrical ability which gave Kirby the ability to create an electrical shield with a "static electricity" charging mechanic. Keep this in mind for later.

Version 2 - Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002) / Kirby: Right Back At Ya! (2003)

As Nightmare in Dream Land included all the same abilities as Adventure, it's only natural that Spark Kirby returned. Its electrical barrier became larger and more imposing, and its design did some... interesting things. Spark Kirby actually has two extremely distinct designs in Nightmare in Dream Land - this one is the design that appears in the official art for the game as well as in the anime. It adopts a similar hat to Plasma, in-game being a recolor of Fire Kirby's hat just like Plasma was in Super Star, and turns Kirby green just as Plasma did. However, the in-game sprite for Nightmare in Dream Land has an entirely different crown - copying Fire's - and more jarringly isn't green at all! Since Nightmare in Dream Land did have colored Kirby abilities, this is a bit of a strange one.

One final note is that, in Right Back At Ya!, the special animation that plays when Kirby becomes Spark Kirby initially has Kirby's head spew green fire, likely a tribute to how Spark Kirby is portrayed in its in-game sprite.

Version 3 - Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002) / Kirby & The Amazing Mirror (2004) / Kirby: Squeak Squad (2006)

Amazing Mirror and Squeak Squad use the same sprites for Spark Kirby as Nightmare in Dream Land, but Squeak Squad also includes new official artwork depicting this version of Spark Kirby clearly. In-game it's a recolor of Fire Kirby, featuring the iconic two-pronged crown, but the art also gives it a full head of potent sparks much like it was portrayed in other official art and while attacking. In these games, Spark's head also took on a distinctive teal hue, more similar to Plasma's green than the light blue that would be used later.

Version 4 - Kirby's Return to Dream Land (2011)

When Spark returned to gain a full Super Star-style moveset on the Wii, something odd happened. Not only did Spark get an entirely new crown design - featuring a notably larger gem and some cool colored bands - but it also absorbed Plasma! In Return to Dream Land, Spark took on Plasma's charging mechanic and nearly all of Plasma's moves, adding on Spark's iconic electrical barrier and a few extra to round it out.

Version 5 - Kirby: Triple Deluxe (2014) / Kirby: Planet Robobot (2016)

Finally, and seemingly putting the final nail in Plasma's coffin, when Spark returned in the 3DS duo of Kirby games, it boasted a slightly modified design with a greened crown gem and, damningly, a distinct new style to the electrical sparks spouting from Kirby's head, giving them a more "solid" design very similar to the design for Plasma's crown seem in Kirby Air Ride and the cancelled Kirby's Adventure GCN. With that, Spark Kirby finally took its place as the go-to electrical Kirby ability, and would reign forevermore over Plasma, its brethren. No hard feelings, Plasma --

Wait, in Star Allies Plasma came back? And Spark was nowhere to be seen? Welp. I guess there's enough room for modern Kirby to have a handful of electrical abilities after all!

One final note, this version of Spark Kirby also was portrayed as green in at least one piece of official art, though only in a Japan-exclusive card game as far as I'm aware.