Bottomless pit
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A bottomless pit (also referred to as just a pit) is an off-screen or otherwise "out of bounds" area that will cause Kirby or other playable characters to be defeated or be forced to return to the stage if entered. These areas feature in every main series Kirby title, and are usually marked by a black or gray border. A bottomless pit can only exist beneath the bottom of the screen, and if no other indications of its danger are present, the player can recognize a bottomless pit if the camera doesn't keep scrolling down as Kirby approaches it.
When enemies or other items fall into a bottomless pit, they are removed from the game, though they can usually still respawn if Kirby leaves and comes back, as per usual. This method is often used to dispose of otherwise invulnerable enemies like Shotzo, which can fall into a bottomless pit if its supporting block is removed.
Some games may make use of an assisting item or feature to save the player from instantly being defeated by a bottomless pit. In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, holding a Reviving Tomato in the inventory will result in the player being revived as usual when falling into a pit during certain boss battles. In the same game, it is impossible to lose a life via falling down a pit after said bosses are defeated as Kirby will be forced back onto solid ground if he does. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, turning on Helper Magolor will result in him coming to the rescue to fish out any player that has fallen into a bottomless pit.
Some bosses like Mecha-Kracko, Yin-Yarn, and Queen Sectonia also utilize bottomless pits as a hazard, which can be dangerous if the player is attempting to maneuver around various attacks.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the first main series game to make bottomless pits not result in an instant loss of life without any assisting methods. Instead, falling into a pit causes Kirby to simply lose a small amount of HP then return to the field of play, similar to Kirby's Blowout Blast and Kirby 3D Rumble.
In spin-offs[edit]
Spin-off games also feature bottomless pits, with some in games like Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble and Kirby: Canvas Curse still causing the player to lose a life. However, falling into them in some games may instead give a different penalty that may simply deduct from their points or induce HP losses.
In Kirby's Dream Course, these areas are referred to as OB (short for "out of bounds"). In 2P Game, falling into an OB zone subtracts 2 HP from the player and causes them to instantly lose the current Copy Ability they have.
In Kirby Air Ride, falling into a pit will either slow Kirby down or cause his vehicle to respawn with minimal HP. In Air Ride, the only course to have bottomless pits is Celestial Valley, and the Sand course in Top Ride features a crumbling quicksand pit that can sometimes empty. Stage 1 of Destruction Derby also has stones which can be busted, revealing bottomless pits that can be fallen into.
In Kirby's Epic Yarn and its remake, falling into a bottomless pit will cause Kirby to be pulled out by Angie, causing him to drop his beads along the way. In Devilish Mode, it additionally results in the loss of one Life Piece.
In the Kirby 3D Rumble sub-game in Kirby: Planet Robobot and Kirby's Blowout Blast, falling into a bottomless pit will cause Kirby to lose points and a sliver of his health, then respawn on the main area of the stage. This mechanic would eventually carry over to the main series in Kirby and the Forgotten Land.
There is only one bottomless pit that can be accessed in Kirby Battle Royale, with that being the Apple hatches in the Apple Scramble. If a hatch opens below the player, they may fall into it and be temporarily taken out of the game, in a similar fashion to a KO.
In Kirby's Dream Buffet, the various stages featured in Race and Battle Royale modes have bottomless pits, but falling into one simply causes Kirby to Hover automatically and slow down. By repeatedly pressing A several times, the player can hover out of the pit faster and return to normal play, but larger or stunned Kirbys have a higher tendency to fall into a pit and be temporarily removed from gameplay for a while.
Gallery[edit]
Kirby jumping over a bottomless pit from Kirby's Dream Land 2
Kirby and Rick jumping over several bottomless pits in Kirby's Dream Land 3
A bottomless pit from Kirby Super Star Ultra
Kirby encountering a bottomless pit in Stage 2 of Cookie Country in Kirby's Return to Dream Land
A bottomless pit from Kirby: Triple Deluxe
A bottomless pit from Kirby: Planet Robobot
The only accessible bottomless pit in Kirby Battle Royale is the Apple chute in Apple Scramble.
Falling into a bottomless pit in Devilish Mode in Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn results in a loss of one Life Piece.
Kirby recovering from a bottomless pit in Kirby and the Forgotten Land
