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Heads-up display

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A Heads-up display (often abbreviated to HUD, sometimes referred to as an Information Panel) is a feature in most video games wherein visual information is presented during gameplay which is not present in-universe that allows the player to keep track of various things, including a player character's life, the score, the number of lives remaining, time elapsed and/or remaining, and other information depending on the game. Each Kirby game has a HUD of some kind, though most games have a unique visual manner of presenting the information, in addition to changing what appears on-screen depending on gameplay circumstances and/or the game mode being played. For the sake of simplicity, this page will only discuss HUD elements in the main games of each Kirby title unless otherwise noted.

HUD by game[edit]

Kirby's Dream Land[edit]

In Kirby's Dream Land, the HUD is a white space at the bottom of the screen where the following information is shown:

  • Score (shown as Sc:) - total points that the player has earned during the session.
  • Health (shown as Kirby:) - how much health Kirby has remaining, represented as a meter containing up to six bars.
  • Extra lives (represented with a small Kirby icon next to a number) - how many extra lives the player has left.

When a Mid-Boss or Boss appears on the screen, the score counter is overridden with a new display represented with a menacing-looking face along with a new meter which represents the HP of the foe in question. Notably, this enemy health bar looks different to Kirby's, being more square and contiguous.

Kirby's Adventure[edit]

In Kirby's Adventure, the player is given a more elaborately-decorated HUD, shown in an orange box at the bottom of the screen. The following information is shown there:

  • Health (shown as Kirby:) - how much health Kirby has remaining, represented as a meter containing up to six bars.
  • Score - total points that the player has earned in the game.
  • Status panel - New to Kirby's Adventure is a small box containing an illustration along with some text inset. This panel will usually display which Copy Ability Kirby has if any, but will also change if Kirby takes damage, jumps into a cannon, clears a stage, or for other things.
  • Extra lives (represented with a small Kirby icon next to a number) - how many extra lives the player has left.
  • Limited use copy abilities (represented with a small star icon next a number) - how many times usage of limited use copy abilities are left (only appears if Kirby has a limited use copy ability).

As before, when a Mid-Boss or Boss appears, the score display is replaced by an enemy health bar, though this one takes on a much different appearance, consisting of many tiny bars in sequence with multiple usually being removed whenever the enemy takes a hit.

Kirby's Pinball Land[edit]

Kirby's Pinball Land has its HUD scattered around the screen, occupying each corner save for the upper-right. The information displayed is as follows:

  • Extra lives - represented as distinct icons of Kirby's face, they occupy the upper-left, and accumulate or disappear to represent the amount, with eight being the maximum display number.
  • Score - shown in the lower-left, this is the player's total score for the session.
  • Bonus - shown in the lower-right, this is how many additional points are going to be awarded to the player after losing a life, represented by two numbers to be multiplied.
  • Time - shown only during the mini-games, a timer appears in the lower-right above the bonus counter which starts at 60 seconds and counts down to 0.

Unlike previous games, enemy health is not shown during boss fights.

Kirby's Dream Course[edit]

Kirby's Dream Course features a fairly complicated set of HUD elements, though not all of them are present at any one time. During gameplay, the HUD defaults to a bar near the bottom of the screen, which has the following information, from left to right:

  • An illustration typically used to show which Copy Ability Kirby has, but it will display other images too based on the circumstances.
  • The player's signature image, made during the name entry screen.
  • The current hole being played, ranging from 1 to 8.
  • The current shot being taken.
  • Kirby's stamina, represented by up to four "Energy Tomatoes".
  • The number of lives remaining.

When making a move, this bar may mostly disappear at certain moments so as to not obscure the player's view of the proceedings, leaving only the left-most status image. When using the camera to view the board, arrows will appear at the edges of the screen to indicate that the player can keep panning in that direction. When lining up Kirby's spin or shot power, a separate panel appears which has a representation of Kirby along with arrows and meters with which to make the adjustments. Lastly, the 2P Game features a distinct HUD which removes most extraneous information, electing to keep only the statuses of both Kirby and Keeby, their stamina (now represented as more traditional health bars) and the current score of each player.

Kirby's Avalanche[edit]

Due to its nature as a Puyo Puyo puzzle game, Kirby's Avalanche is framed entirely around its HUD elements. At any given time during gameplay, the following information is shown:

  • Score - displayed in the lower-left for the player and the lower-right for the opponent. The total score is momentarily replaced with a multiplier when blobs are being removed, which is later added to the total.
  • Next - shown in the upper-middle, this shows what the next sets of blobs will be for both the player and the opponent.
  • The current stage is displayed in the middle of the board for the single player game.
  • In the lower-middle, a representation of Kirby is shown which displays his reaction to the game's proceedings, though this is purely cosmetic in nature.

Kirby's Dream Land 2[edit]

Kirby's Dream Land 2 features a HUD similar to that of Kirby's Dream Land, but with a few additions. The HUD displays the following information:

  • Health (demarcated with the letter K) - how much health Kirby or his Animal Friend has remaining, represented as a meter containing up to six bars.
  • Score - total points that the player has earned in the game, shown below the health bar.
  • A star meter is displayed in the upper-middle of the HUD, which fills up as Kirby collects Small Stars. Once the meter fills completely, the player gains a 1-Up and it resets to empty.
  • Extra lives (represented with a small Kirby icon next to a number) - how many extra lives the player has left.
  • LV - displayed next to the extra lives counter, this shows which level Kirby is currently in, ranging from 1 to 7.
  • An illustration on the right-most side of the bar shows the player which Copy Ability Kirby has, if any.

Like before, when a boss or mid-boss appears, the score display is overridden with the boss's health bar, denoted with the letter "E".

Kirby's Block Ball[edit]

In Kirby's Block Ball, a space is left at the top of the screen for the HUD. The following information is presented there:

  • Extra lives - represented as a Kirby icon next to a number, this shows how many lives the player has remaining.
  • Status - just below the lives counter, a small portrait can be seen which shows Kirby's current status, particularly which Copy Ability he may have.
  • Score - a number representing the total score the player has accumulated for the stage.
  • Star count - a number next to a small star; this shows how many star blocks Kirby has obtained during the "Target Shooting" rounds prior to the boss fights.
  • Stage and round - furthest right, the stage and round Kirby is currently in are displayed in number form (example: 01-1 is Stage 1, Round 1).

As usual, the score is overridden by an enemy health bar during boss fights.

Kirby Super Star[edit]

Given that there are six main game modes in Kirby Super Star, plus The Arena, each one has its own distinct HUD, at least visually speaking. All of the HUDs have the following information in common, where applicable:

  • Extra lives - the number of lives the player has remaining, represented by a number next to a small Kirby icon.
  • Health - the amount of HP Kirby has remaining (now represented by a continuous meter, rather than in bars).
  • Kirby's status - similar in function to Kirby's Adventure, this shows what Copy Ability Kirby has, as well as other things.
  • Helper health - when a Helper is in the game, a separate life bar appears for it, usually in green as opposed to Kirby's red.
  • Helper status - a portrait of the Helper will appear along with the life bar when the Helper is in play.
  • Enemy health - shows when a Mid-Boss or Boss is on screen, and overlaps the score in some cases.

In addition, the following game modes have the following additional HUD elements:

  • Spring Breeze, Dyna Blade, and Milky Way Wishes - a score is displayed which increments as enemies are defeated.
  • Gourmet Race - a score for Kirby and King Dedede is shown, showing how much food points each has accrued in the race. Additionally, a timer is shown at the bottom which counts up until the race ends.
  • The Great Cave Offensive - a score for Kirby is shown, represented by the "total value" of all the treasure he has collected in "G"s.
  • Revenge of Meta Knight - a timer displays in the center of the HUD which constantly ticks down. If the timer reaches 0, Kirby is automatically defeated. In addition, a space for the Helper's portrait and "Vital" is always shown, even if there is no Helper at play. Lastly, when characters have dialogue, it overlaps the HUD bar.
  • Milky Way Wishes - to the right of the HUD bar, the name of the planet Kirby is currently trekking through is always shown.
  • The Arena - a special HUD is used which removes extraneous information other than Kirby's status and health, and prominently features the opponent's health along with their name. If a Helper is summoned, its icon appears on the same side as Kirby's.

Kirby's Star Stacker (Game Boy)[edit]

There are four main modes to play in Kirby's Star Stacker for Game Boy, though all of them share the same basic HUD, with only minor differences in display. Each game mode has the following HUD elements in common all displayed on the right side of the screen:

  • A representation of Kirby appears in the lowermost portion, who dances about in various ways depending on how the game is going.
  • A preview of the next block set that will drop appears near the top of the bar.

Specific game modes have the following differences:

  • Round Clear - a portrait of King Dedede appears which has various reactions based on how the game is going. Beneath the King Dedede portrait is a number representing the number of stars Kirby still needs to stack. Up at the top, the round and difficulty is shown in the form of a number for the former and an expression of Kirby representing the latter.
  • VS - A portrait of Kirby appears at the top representing the difficulty. In the middle, a star icon appears, along with an indicator to show when the player or the opponent is about to be given more rows of blocks.
  • Challenge - A portrait of Kirby appears at the top representing the difficulty. In the middle, Mr. Star can be seen, along with a score representing the number of stars Kirby has stacked.
  • Time Attack - A timer appears along the top, counting down from 3 minutes. In the middle, Tick-Tock Jr. can be seen, along with a score representing the number of stars Kirby has stacked.

Each game mode also has minor decorative differences for the HUD.

Kirby's Dream Land 3[edit]

Kirby's Dream Land 3 features a HUD bar in the lower portion of the screen, much like previous main-series Kirby games. This bar has a wood-grain theme and displays the following information:

  • On the left side, a white box can be seen which is blank when Kirby has no ability, but will feature an icon representing any copy ability Kirby has when he acquires one. Another such box is visible on the right side, which represents Gooey's ability.
  • Along the upper-middle of the HUD are five small blocks representing Kirby's health, which shrink in size to represent half-increments. When Gooey is out, one of the yellow blocks is removed to make room for four blue blocks on the right side to represent Gooey's health.
  • In the middle of the HUD is a number that represents the number of extra lives the player has.
  • Surrounding the extra lives counter are six star-shaped icons which represent the number of Star Pieces Kirby has collected. Each star icon fills up in fifths, and when all are fully filled, a 1-Up is given to Kirby and the icons reset.
  • The bottom portion of the HUD is reserved for boss and mid-boss health meters, and is empty when neither are present.

Notably, Kirby's Dream Land 3 is the first main-series game to not have a score display as part of its HUD.

Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)[edit]

Kirby's Star Stacker for Super Famicom has a similar set of HUD elements to its Game Boy predecessor, but the elements of it are spread out over a wider and more decorated screen due to the increased graphical capabilities of the new system. There are a few notable differences to mention, as follows:

  • Round Clear now has Kirby and King Dedede standing on opposite sides of the game board on star platforms, and the number of stars Kirby needs to stack is now represented as Dedede's "HP".
  • VS and Story Mode now feature two boards simultaneously on screen: One for Kirby, and one for his opponent. Likewise, the next block preview shows for both screens.
  • Story Mode features the two combatting characters standing next to each-other, jumping when a new row of blocks appears, and hitting each-other to make rows appear on the opponents' board. The number of new rows set to appear is represented as stacks of medals underneath the respective characters. Story Mode also features an in-game timer for the whole set of rounds, though this can only be seen when using an inputted player name, as opposed to the "guest" account.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards[edit]

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards features a simplified HUD bar that occupies the lower portion of the screen at all times during regular gameplay. It bears a similar style to that of Kirby's Dream Land 3, and displays the following information:

  • The left side features a box that displays how many extra lives the player has in number form.
  • The upper-middle of the bar has six "eggs" which show how much health Kirby has.
  • The lower-middle of the bar is a meter in thirty sections which shows how many Point Stars Kirby has collected. Once the meter fills, it resets and a 1-Up is awarded. During mid-boss and boss fights, this meter is overridden by the enemy health bar, which displays in red.
  • The right side of the bar has two white panels, which can contain Kirby's copy ability. When both are filled with icons, Kirby has acquired a Power Combo.

In this game, the player has the option to change the look of the HUD bar to one of five different settings, as follows:

  1. The default wooden look
  2. A blue whiteboard-like look
  3. A knitted red floral-design look
  4. A crayon-drawn look
  5. A black and blocky digital look

In the Japanese version, the fourth option is replaced with a display showing traditional Kanji symbols in place of the regular numbers and ability icons.

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble[edit]

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble has a HUD similar to that of classic Game Boy Kirby games, though with a bit of a different layout:

  • The left end of the bar features the score. During boss fights, this is replaced with the enemy health bar.
  • The middle features Kirby's health, as a line of three pink blocks that can increase or decrease in half-increments. During boss fights, this health bar can increase up to five blocks.
  • Right of the health bar is the point star counter, which is removed during boss fights to make room for Kirby's potentially increased health.
  • Right-most is the timer, which counts down continually during gameplay, and defeats Kirby if it reaches 0.

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land[edit]

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land is the first main line Kirby game to ditch a HUD bar in favor of just having various displays hovering over the screen without a backdrop. Despite this, the same information is displayed to the player as in Kirby's Adventure, though the status image is not always visible. In Meta Knightmare and Boss Endurance, the score is replaced with an incremental in-game timer.

Kirby Air Ride[edit]

Kirby Air Ride is a much different case than any of its predecessors due to being in an entirely different genre (racing as opposed to action/platforming or puzzle). As with Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, its HUD elements hover over the main screen rather than being confined to a bar or something similar. Each game mode in Kirby Air Ride features a different set of HUD elements, though there are similarities, particularly between Air Ride and City Trial.

Air Ride[edit]

During standard gameplay in Air Ride mode, the following HUD elements can be counted on:

  • The upper-left shows a circle containing a number which indicates the player's current placing in the race, which can range from 1st to 4th. During the Free Run and Time Attack modes, this circle is not present, since there are no opposing racers.
  • The upper-middle shows the timer, which increments in minutes, seconds, and centiseconds during the race. This is the main indicator of the player's performance in Time Attack and Free Run.
  • Between the placing icon and the timer, icons representing enemies and the other racers will appear in boxes briefly if the player lands an attack on that enemy/racer.
  • In the upper right, a small minimap can be seen showing the broad layout of the course and the player's position on it, along with the positions of the other racers where applicable.
  • Beneath the minimap is a fractional indicator showing the player's current lap on the left and the total number of laps on the right.
  • In the lower-right is the player's Charge gauge and speedometer. The speedometer displays miles per hour (mph) in the North American version of the game and kilometers per hour (km/h) in other regional versions, showing the speed to a precision of two decimal points. The Charge meter surrounds the speedometer on both sides, and gradually fills up as the player builds charge, either by braking or gliding. The meter then releases that charge to give the player a boost when those actions end. Lastly, when the racer has a status effect (such as Kirby gaining a Copy Ability), a special illustrative effect is added to the mix to represent this.

There are a large number of additional HUD elements that can appear based on circumstances and game mode, as follows:

  • When playing with more than one player, the game has to split the screen in various ways and add/alter various HUD elements. In two-player mode, the screen splits horizontally, additional P1/P2/P3/P4 indicators are added in the lower-left to denote who uses which portion (which is also colored to match the player's color), and the minimap is replaced with a progress bar in-between the screens. In three and four player mode, the screen is split into four equally-sized rectangular portions, with the minimap filling one portion if there are three players. Other HUD elements (aside from the timer and progress bar) are copied, simplified, and given to each player's screen.
  • During Time Attack and Free Run, after completing a lap for the first time, a text display will appear in the lower-left which shows the player's current/best times for the lap(s).
  • If playing with "Damage" enabled in the options, an HP bar appears on the right side of the screen, which eliminates the player if it becomes depleted.
  • When playing on "Time" mode, rather than "Laps" mode, the timer is set to count down from a specified amount instead of up, and the race ends upon running out of time. The laps counter is replaced with a number that measures distance raced (in feet for American English and meters in other versions), and having the highest distance at the end of the race is the goal.
  • Certain Copy Abilities, such as Plasma and Bomb, have additional meters that appear when using the ability, to indicate the relative strength or distance of the attack.

Top Ride[edit]

Due to its simplified nature, Top Ride features many less HUD elements than the other two racing modes. Its overhead view and small courses also mean that there are no splitscreen considerations to be made, as a single camera is all that is needed to keep track of all four racers. The HUD elements of Top Ride are as follows:

  • The upper-middle shows the timer, which increments in minutes, seconds, and centiseconds during the race. This is the main indicator of the player's performance in Time Attack and Free Run.
  • Along the bottom, up to four counters are shown which belong to each racer, showing their relative placings and the current lap they are on.
  • The lower-right shows a circle containing a number which indicates the total number of laps needed to complete the race.

City Trial[edit]

City Trial features largely the same HUD elements as Air Ride mode, with the following exceptions:

  • The placing icon and laps counter are removed due to this mode not being based around racing.
  • The HP meter is present by default, and can grow or shrink in length depending on how much HP Kirby's machine has.
  • A large complicated map of the city appears in the lower-left which shows players' relative positions.
    • In two-player split-screen, the map is on the bottom left corner of the screen belonging to the player with the lowest port (i.e. whoever is closest to being P1); in three-player split-screen, the map is in whichever quadrant is not being used; in four-player split-screen, the map is not present at all.
  • The timer is set to count down by default, with the city portion ending when time runs out. The timer increments during Free Run mode.
  • During certain events, a compass appears that directs the player to the location of the event, also giving them a distance measure to their target.

Certain Stadium events also have their own HUD elements. For more information about those, check the various Stadium match pages.

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror[edit]

Due to being directly based on the engine for Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror has largely the same HUD style and many of the same elements. There are a few crucial differences, however, which are as follows:

  • Kirby's health meter has been altered, giving him thinner bars that match his current color. This health meter can be expanded by finding Vitality hearts.
  • In the lower-right, the score counter has been replaced with a set of text that tells the player which area they are in.
  • In the upper-left, a small Cell Phone icon with an energy meter in three pieces shows the player how much battery power Kirby's cell phone still has.
  • Next to the battery meter, icons representing the other Kirbys and which abilities they have show up when those Kirbys are not in the same area.
  • Enemy health meters have been reworked somewhat, having been given a yellow color and now showing the name of the enemy in question. This game is also unique in the fact that all enemies have health meters that appear in the lower-right when they are attacked, instead of only mid-bosses and bosses.

Kirby: Canvas Curse[edit]

Kirby: Canvas Curse is the first Kirby game to feature a duo-screen set-up, which allows a much greater amount of room for HUD elements than single-screen set-ups without cluttering the view of the gameplay. The upper screen of this game is where most of the HUD elements are visible, and the following information is available to the player at any given time:

  • The upper-right portion of the upper screen is dominated by a big map display, which shows the player a simplified overview of the terrain and Kirby's position within it. The map also shows the location of medals and doorways.
  • The upper left of the upper screen contains a small illustration representing the stage Kirby is in, as well as displaying the current level.
  • Along the left side of the upper screen are two counters: the upper one represents the number of extra lives the player has, and the lower one shows how many Point Stars the player has collected. Upon reaching 100 in the point star counter, it resets to 0 and another extra life is awarded.
  • Beneath the extra lives and point star counters is a meter representing Kirby's health. This is set to 4 units initially, but it can increase up to 8 by purchasing more via the Medal Swap.
  • The lower-left portion of the upper screen contains a rainbow-colored meter that represents how much ink the player has available to draw Rainbow Lines. This meter depletes when lines are drawn and replenishes gradually or quickly depending on where Kirby is. The meter can take on different appearances based on what line visuals the player has chosen.
  • The lower-right of the upper screen displays the name of the stage that Kirby is in.
  • The lower screen is normally devoid of any HUD elements, but when Kirby gains a Copy Ability, the icon will appear briefly in the lower-left corner, and then shrink down to just the name of the ability thereafter. The player can discard Kirby's ability by tapping that area with the Nintendo DS stylus.

Kirby: Squeak Squad[edit]

Kirby: Squeak Squad, despite its resemblance to the previous Kirby games on the Game Boy Advance, has a revamped and simplified HUD display which attempts to condense the information as much as possible while still keeping it on the same screen as main gameplay. The HUD elements are as follows:

  • In the lower-left corner is Kirby's status, which reads as "NORMAL" by default but changes when he gains a Copy Ability. If Kirby collected the Ability Scroll for that ability, a small scroll icon will appear alongside the ability icon.
  • Along the bottom is Kirby's life meter, which is set as a continuous bar rather than units of health like its immediate predecessors. This bar's color corresponds to Kirby's chosen Spray Paint, and can increase in length when collecting Vitality hearts.
  • Just above the life meter is the extra life counter, represented as a number next to an icon of Kirby.
  • When fighting any enemy, a separate health meter appears to the right, which remains in place during boss and mid-boss fights. Unlike in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, no name is displayed above it.

The lower screen of the game is devoted entirely to an inventory system called the "Copy Palette". More information about this system can be found on the Copy Palette page.

Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]

Kirby Super Star Ultra takes advantage of the dual-screen set-up of the Nintendo DS to relegate nearly all of its HUD elements to the lower screen. As such, it is the first Kirby game where, for large stretches of gameplay, there are no HUD elements whatsoever on the main gameplay screen. The only exception to this comes when a mid-boss or boss appears, at which point their health bar appears in the lower-right corner.

On the lower screen, there are a number of different elements to look at and interact with, combining the HUD with elements of menus that were previously relegated only to pause screens in the original Kirby Super Star. This includes Kirby's health, his status, the health and status of his Helper, the number of extra lives the player has, and other pertinent information from the various game modes that was covered in the Kirby Super Star section. There are a few additions as well, which are as follows:

  • In general, when Kirby faces down a boss or mid-boss, that opponent's name will show up in the lower screen.
  • In general, the names of locations appear in the lower screen, along with maps where appropriate.
  • In Gourmet Race, a progress tracker can be seen in the lower screen showing Kirby and King Dedede's relative positions on the course.
  • In Revenge of Meta Knight, a "health" meter is added to the Halberd which depletes as Kirby progresses through the chapters.
  • In Milky Way Wishes, a new way to cycle through collected Copy Essences Deluxe is available in the lower screen.
  • In The Arena, a portrait of Kirby battling his opponent is shown in the lower screen, and the game displays both the current elapsed time and the player's best time if applicable to compare it to.

Of the new game modes in Kirby Super Star Ultra, the following can be noted:

  • The HUD for Revenge of the King is more-or-less identical in layout to that of Spring Breeze, though it bears a "Dedede" motif.
  • The lower screen for Meta Knightmare Ultra features an energy meter in the shape of Meta Knight's sword Galaxia, and four different choices for special moves that cost a certain amount of energy per use.
  • Both Helper to Hero and The True Arena have identical HUD layouts to The Arena, but with different visual motifs.

Kirby's Epic Yarn[edit]

Kirby's Epic Yarn has a very simple HUD, due in large part to the absence of health or extra lives as gameplay mechanics. During regular gameplay, all HUD elements can be found along the top of the screen, and consist of the following:

  • In the upper-left is a counter showing how many beads Kirby and Prince Fluff have collected in the stage.
  • Along the upper-middle is a line of beads that fills up as more beads are collected, reaching medal thresholds at certain amounts. During boss fights, this can also lead to an Area Patch to unlock.
  • In the upper right is the Bead Bonus gauge, which shows how may beads have been collected without taking a hit. Reaching certain thresholds with this awards extra beads to the player.

Additional HUD elements appear during the neighbors' games, including a timer, counters for various things, and a progress meter.

Kirby Mass Attack[edit]

Kirby Mass Attack follows the lead of Kirby Super Star Ultra by relegating all its HUD elements to a separate screen, leaving the main gameplay area completely without a HUD outside of specific situations. The upper screen contains the following information during gameplay:

  • In the upper-left, the name of the level and stage is displayed.
  • In the upper-right, the score is displayed.
  • Along the middle, a fruit gauge is shown on the left side, which either adds another Kirby to the team upon filling, or adds 10000 points. The right side shows either a portrait of Kirby or information about the bonus points.
  • In the lower-left, the player can see the medals they have collected in the stage. Once all the medals are exchanged to Daroach, they are replaced with golden icons of Daroach's face.

During boss fights, both screens are utilized to show gameplay. During these sections, the fruit gauge and number of Kirbys is relocated to smaller counters in the upper and lower-left corners of the lower screen.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land / Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]

Kirby's Return to Dream Land presents a small and relatively unobtrusive HUD which leaves much of the screen uncluttered during normal single-player gameplay. The elements of the HUD are as follows:

  • In the upper-left is a display showing how many Energy Spheres Kirby has collected in the stage. During boss fights, this is replaced with a ship part icon if applicable, or removed.
  • Beneath the ship part display are counters for the number of extra lives the player has and the Point Star counter, which functions identically to the way it did in Kirby: Canvas Curse.
  • Along the bottom of the screen are status icons and life meters for each character in play. Kirby's health and status is always the left-most of these, and other players' statuses only appear when they are in play.
  • In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, an extra icon is added to the upper-left which shows which souvenir Kirby has available to use if any.

During the Challenge Stages, the HUD changes in design, and the upper-left displays the timer and accumulated points in place of the 1-Up and point star counters in the main game.

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition[edit]

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition features six classic titles, which have all been unaltered aside from re-mapping the controls and being letterboxed to various degrees. The extra mode New Challenge Stages uses the engine and layout of the preceding game Kirby's Return to Dream Land, particularly taking cues from the original Challenge Stages. As such, the HUD in New Challenge Stages is more-or-less identical to that of the Challenge Stages, with a few minor touch-ups, such as making Kirby's health bar larger in size.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]

Like previous duo-screen games, Kirby: Triple Deluxe relegates most of its HUD elements from the main gameplay screen on top to the lower screen. The only things that appear on the upper screen are Kirby's health and status, the health bar of bosses and mid-bosses during their fights, and an icon indicating when the player should tilt the Nintendo 3DS system for certain devices when using them. The lower screen contains information about the players extra lives, the point star counter, and how many Sun Stones have been collected in a given stage. In addition, the lower screen has a large space reserved for Assist Stars that Kirby collects.

In Dededetour!, the lower screen is given a "Dedede"-themed motif, and the Sun Stone tracker is replaced with an incremental timer.

Kirby Fighters Deluxe[edit]

Kirby Fighters Deluxe takes its cues directly from the original Kirby Fighters sub-game, though with a few changes. The upper screen typically only displays the life meters of the fighters, including information about which team each fighter is on if applicable. The lower screen is merely used to further detail fighter information in standard battles. In the single-player mode, the lower screen shows the player the difficulty, how many rounds are left, and features a cumulative in-game timer for the whole run.

Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe[edit]

Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe is the only duo-screen Kirby game that regularly makes use of both screens to display gameplay. As such, its HUD takes on a more traditional bar format, located up at the top of the upper screen. The information the HUD shows is as follows:

  • On the left, King Dedede's health bar is shown.
  • In the middle, the score for the stage is shown.
  • On the right, a timer is shown which gradually decreases. If this runs out, King Dedede is defeated.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse[edit]

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse keeps a relatively simple HUD during regular gameplay, similar to that of Kirby's Return to Dream Land. HUD elements are as follows:

  • In the upper-left is a meter that shows how much ink is available to draw rainbow ropes, which depletes as ropes are drawn and replenishes at varying rates depending on where Kirby is on the stage.
  • Beneath the ink meter is the Point Star counter, which rewards Kirby with a Star Dash upon reaching 100, then rolls back over.
  • Along the bottom of the screen are the life meters for each character in play. Kirby's health and status is always the left-most of these, and those of the Waddle Dees only appear when they are in play. Kirby's health is measured in four bars, and the Waddle Dees each get two.

As usual, a boss health meter appears during boss fights, appearing in the upper-right corner. Notably, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse features an extra life and score system as well, but these are only visible on menu and pause screens.

Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]

Kirby: Planet Robobot uses the same basic HUD layout as the preceding game Kirby: Triple Deluxe, but with small touch-ups to the layout and a visual overhaul to match the futuristic aesthetic of the game. There are a few additions and changes to the lower screen, as follows:

  • The point star counter has been moved to the upper-right corner.
  • The Sun Stone counter has been replaced with a Code Cube counter.
  • Buttons have been added on the left and right sides which activate menus for amiibo and Miiverse respectively. The Miiverse button is not present in the game's Korean version.

In Meta Knightmare Returns, the lower screen is given an overhaul, eschewing the Assist Star space in favor of a layout similar to that of Meta Knightmare Ultra from Kirby Super Star Ultra. This layout features an energy meter and four different special moves which cost energy to activate.

Team Kirby Clash Deluxe[edit]

Team Kirby Clash Deluxe has a very simple HUD setup, consisting of life meters for each member of Team Kirby in the lower part of the upper screen, and a timer in the upper-left corner which counts down, forcing the player to either spend more Gem Apples or resign the fight if it expires. The lower screen merely contains information about the members of Team Kirby extraneous to the fight itself, and at regular intervals, messages appear in the upper screen detailing various events in the fight.

Kirby's Blowout Blast[edit]

Kirby's Blowout Blast features standard HUD elements in the upper screen, occupying the corners. They are as follows:

  • The upper-left corner contains the timer, which defeats Kirby if it expires.
  • The lower-left corner contains Kirby's health meter.
  • The upper-right corner contains the score, and also displays additional text when combos are scored.
  • The boss health meter appears in the lower-right during boss battles.

The lower screen tells the player which stage they are in and what their best score was if applicable.

Kirby Battle Royale[edit]

Kirby Battle Royale has different sets of HUD elements for each of its ten battle modes. Generally speaking, the game opts to have no HUD elements on screen, only making them appear when they are needed, though some battle modes cannot afford this luxury. The following is an overview of how each battle mode handles its HUD:

  • Apple Scramble - For the most part, there are no HUD elements on screen, but a score display will appear whenever the score is updated. Once time reaches 30 seconds, the score display will always display on screen.
  • Attack Riders - At all times, the scores of each contestant or team are displayed in the upper-right, with the relative positions of each score display ordered by amount. When the player is controlling the Blaze Wheelie or Electro Shock Tank, a meter appears in the upper-left which informs the player of when the vehicle is ready to use its attack.
  • Battle Arena - There are no HUD elements whatsoever in the upper screen.
  • Coin Clash - At all times, the scores of each contestant or team are displayed in the upper-right, with the relative positions of each score display ordered by amount. When a player is being possessed by a ghost, the ghost icon will appear over that player's face icon.
  • Crazy Theater - There are no HUD elements during regular gameplay excepting the overlay timer milestones.
  • Flagball - There are no HUD elements whatsoever in the upper screen during gameplay. The score is briefly displayed after a goal is made.
  • Ore Express - There are no HUD elements whatsoever in the upper screen during gameplay. The score is briefly displayed at checkpoints, pausing the game for a moment to show it.
  • Robo Bonkers - The health meter of Robo Bonkers is shown in the upper-left corner, and the scores of each player or team are displayed in the upper-right corner, with the relative positions of each score display ordered by amount.
  • Rocket Rumble - There are no HUD elements during regular gameplay excepting the overlay timer milestones. The score is shown after gameplay has finished.
  • Slam Hockey - The score of the game is constantly shown at the top of the screen, with the leading player or team receiving a crown. At regular intervals, a roulette appears which shows which player is the "target".

In all battle modes that rely on a timer, various milestones are briefly shown in large print overlaying the upper screen when they occur, as opposed to having a regular timer on screen at all times. In the lower screen in each battle mode, the health meters of each contestant are shown.

Kirby Star Allies[edit]

Kirby Star Allies returns to the general HUD layout established by Kirby's Return to Dream Land. During regular gameplay, it features the following information:

  • In the upper-left corner are counters for extra lives and point stars, which functions identically to the way it did in Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
  • Along the bottom of the screen are health meters and status icons for each character in play.

Additional information is added based on the situation and/or game mode as follows:

  • If "Display tips" is set to ON on a brand-new save file, buttons displaying specific actions that can be performed appear in the upper-right of the screen. These disappear temporarily for boss fights and disappear permanently once the player makes it to the Fortress of Shadows Jambastion.
  • During mid-boss and boss fights, the opponent's health meter is shown in the upper-right.
  • In Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!, a cumulative timer is added in the upper-left, along with a display showing how many Power-Up Hearts the player has collected in that level.
  • In Heroes in Another Dimension, a counter is added in the upper-left which shows how many Friend Hearts have been obtained in the stage.
  • In The Ultimate Choice, the life and point star counters are replaced with a score counter and cumulative timer, along with the name of the current difficulty. The score counter and timer disappear during the battles against Void Termina, Void Soul and Void on the higher difficulties.

Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn[edit]

Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn has the same main HUD elements as the original game in the upper screen. The addition of a lower screen allows for more information to be displayed. In regular stages, a display there contains each piece of treasure that the player has managed to pick up in the stage. During boss fights, a decorative illustration shows instead. There are two buttons at the bottom for pausing the game and dropping a Ravel Ability if the player has one at the moment, which can be tapped with the stylus.

In Devilish Mode, the lower screen is now colored purple and pink to match the colors of the Devils, especially We-Devil. A star-shaped life meter is also present which displays how many Life Pieces the player currently has. In regular stages, collected treasures are moved slightly to the left to account for the presence of the life meter.

Super Kirby Clash[edit]

Super Kirby Clash has all of the same HUD elements as its predecessor Team Kirby Clash Deluxe.

Kirby Fighters 2[edit]

Due to being made for a single-screen system and the inclusion of a story mode, Kirby Fighters 2 has had its HUD elements slightly reworked when compared to its predecessor Kirby Fighters Deluxe. During normal battles, the only thing shown on the HUD are the health meters of each fighter, along with icons representing which teams the fighters are on if applicable. However unlike in its predecessor, the specific numerical health values for all fighters are displayed below their health meters. In Single-Handed Mode, an incremental timer is added to the upper-left corner. In Story Mode: The Destined Rivals, story items collected will briefly display in the upper-left next to the timer which counts down, defeating the player if it expires. During boss fights, the enemy's health will appear in the upper-right corner.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land[edit]

Unlike previous Kirby games, certain HUD elements in Kirby and the Forgotten Land will often not be displayed on-screen all the time under certain circumstances. The following info is conveyed during regular gameplay:

  • The upper-left corner features Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee's health bars. Underneath the health bars is an icon showing any held Stock Items Kirby might have on hand. The health bars disappear from the HUD if Kirby and/or Bandana Waddle Dee are at full health, whereas the Stock Item icon disappears if there's none available.
  • The upper-right corner features both a Star Coin counter and a Rare Stone counter. They only appear on-screen if either of the two are collected during gameplay.
  • In the lower-left corner, a small indicator saying "Checkpoint" will flash briefly whenever Kirby reaches a point where he will reappear if he is defeated.
  • In the lower-right corner, mission objectives will appear in a small display whenever they are fulfilled during gameplay. The same holds true after collecting a Piece of Leon's Soul in the isolated isles of Forgo Dreams.
  • On-screen, various tutorial prompts will appear in certain situations, including small video displays and information on controls. This information can also appear in the lower-left depending on circumstances.
  • During boss fights, the enemy's health bar is displayed in the bottom-right corner for the duration of the battle.
  • In the Colosseum, a timer is added to the top of the screen. The only circumstance in which this timer isn't shown is during the final battle of each cup.

Kirby's Dream Buffet[edit]

The HUD for Kirby's Dream Buffet is minimal in most situations, only showing the most important information at any one time, and having pop-up information for certain other interactions. During regular gameplay, a counter at the top of the screen always shows the player how many strawberries they have, while in the lower-right, a small portrait of the player's Kirby along with their username is displayed. Most of the time, the player's placing is shown next to their score, but this is not always the case, particularly not in Single game-modes. During Minigames and Battles Royale, a timer appears in the upper-left corner which gradually ticks down until reaching the last 5 seconds, where it then counts in the middle of the screen.

During Battles Royale and in Free Rolling, A small notification appears at the bottom of the screen whenever the player defeats another one. Additionally, small notices pop up above the player's Kirby at times, such as when they "size up" from eating strawberries or need to hover (showing a stamina wheel). At all times during gameplay, an arrow points toward the player's Kirby to help keep track of his position on the board.

Trivia[edit]

  • According to Masahiro Sakurai, one of the reasons the HUD for Kirby's Adventure was made to encompass the entire lower portion of the screen was to help curtail Kirby's ability to simply fly over obstacles by reducing the overall "size" of the environment.[1]

References