Kirby (franchise)

The Kirby franchise is a consisting of video games produced by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. It centers around the titular character Kirby, a round, pink creature who lives in a place called Dream Land on Planet Popstar. The franchise was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who is also known for creating the Super Smash Bros. series, and its first installment was the Game Boy game Kirby's Dream Land, released in 1992. On a few occasions, a different game developer such as Flagship, Capcom and Vanpool would develop a Kirby game instead.

The main series in the franchise is the titular Kirby series, consisting of platforming games that involves Kirby having to either save Dream Land from an existing threat or to put an end to King Dedede's mischievous schemes. Kirby has a few trademark abilities such as the ability to hover in midair, usually for an indefinite period of time, and inhaling enemies, many of which grant a Copy Ability, allowing Kirby to make use of the enemy's main ability. Spinoff Kirby games feature various styles of gameplay, such as or, and may feature Kirby as the substitute for a ball. Many of these games have not received a sequel, meaning that they have not spawned into a series of their own. The Kirby franchise has also spawned an anime series titled Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. In total, the franchise consists of over thirty games, and has sold over 38 million units worldwide.