Plasma
“ | Tap the +Control Pad to make and store an electric charge! Plasma shots go through walls. | ” | — Super Star Ultra quote |
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Plasma is a Copy Ability introduced in Kirby Super Star. The Plasma ability allows Kirby to charge up and fire beams and waves of electricity at various levels of strength, depending on how much energy has been built up. At maximum power, these shots are capable of going through walls and enemies alike, though charging them up requires the unknown reader to mash rapidly on the D-pad or analog stick.
In most iterations, Plasma is capable only of firing shots forward, but in Kirby Star Allies, shots can also be fired upward. Upward shots however do not pass through walls or ceilings.
In Kirby Air Ride, Plasma's shots have homing properties, but the ability is limited-use (like every other ability in that title), with the more powerful blasts causing the ability to be lost faster than lower-level ones.
In most titles where Plasma appears as an ability, it is provided by Plasma Wisp, who can also appear as the Helper for the ability. In Kirby Star Allies, Plasma is provided and represented by Plugg. When obtaining this ability, Kirby gains a jagged diadem with a green circular gem inset, topped by green frizzy energy that resembles flames. Kirby also may turn green when equipping this ability.
Similarities to Spark
Although never appearing in the same titles together, Plasma and Spark have shared attributes numerous times in the Kirby series. The hats are similar, though Spark's is typically less green. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Spark had gained an expanded move-set for the first time, and many of those moves were directly based on Plasma, giving the impression that the two abilities had been fused into one. This was seemingly solidified as Spark returned in Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kirby: Planet Robobot with the same attributes. This trend was broken, however, when Plasma returned in Kirby Star Allies, gaining a number of new abilities. One of the most notable examples is that Plasma now maintains a constant barrier when charged to at least medium, which resembles Spark's, as it can damage enemies. As such, unlike Fire vs Burning and Ice vs Freeze where the latter was incorporated into the former, it is unclear what relationship Spark and Plasma will have in future titles.
Moveset
Kirby Super Star (Ultra)
In Kirby Super Star (Ultra), all Plasma's attacks do electric damage, except the hand hitbox of Plasma Needle/Arrow.
Plasma moveset in Kirby Super Star (Ultra) | |||
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* Rotate (d-pad) to charge up! | |||
Skill | Button Execution | Damage (Star Bullet=52) | |
Plasma Needle | Needle: 5 (Super Star) / 8 (Super Star Ultra) Hand: 4 | ||
Plasma Arrow | Arrow: 10 Hand: 14 | ||
Plasma Spark | 30 | ||
Plasma Laser | 32 | ||
Plasma Wave | Wave: 40 Backfire: 40 (Super Star) / 16 (Super Star Ultra) | ||
Plasma Barrier | 6 |
Kirby Star Allies
In Kirby Star Allies, Plasma provides the Zap element like other electric-based abilities. The Plasma Spark attack is removed.
In addition, Plasma has its signature Friend Ability: Thundersplash, which requires Plasma + any Splash element attack.
Plasma moveset in Kirby Star Allies | |||
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Skill | Button Execution | Description | Damage (Star Bullet=52) |
Plasma Needle | Kirby fires a short-ranged horizontal plasma needle. Can be fired rapidly. | 5 | |
Plasma Charge | Kirby can make an electric charge up to 3 levels (small, medium, large). | N/A | |
Plasma Arrow | Kirby fires a middle-ranged horizontal plasma arrow. The Plasma Charge level is reset after firing. |
10 | |
Plasma Laser | Kirby fires a long-ranged horizontal plasma laser. The Plasma Charge level is reset after firing.
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32 | |
Plasma Wave | Kirby fires a huge long-ranged horizontal plasma blast. The Plasma Charge level is reset after firing.
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Wave: 40 Backfire: 16 | |
Up Plasma Needle | Kirby fires a Plasma Needle upward. | 5 | |
Up Plasma Arrow | Kirby fires a Plasma Arrow upward. The Plasma Charge level is reset after firing. |
10 | |
Plasma Scatter | Kirby fires 2 small plasma scatter blasts upward that create small explosions. The Plasma Charge level is reset after firing. |
Shot: 20 Explosion: 32 | |
Sparking Plasma Bullet | Kirby fires a huge plasma blast upward that creat a huge explosion. The Plasma Charge level is reset after firing. |
Shot: 15 Explosion: 45 | |
Plasma Barrier | Kirby's electric charge creates a barrier that deals minor damage. The barrier's size indicates the Plasma Charge level:
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8→6 (2nd hit onward) | |
Light-Speed Dash | Kirby can dash to 8 directions. Each Light-Speed Dash consumes one level of Plasma Charge.
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20 |
Super Smash Bros. series
Plasma Kirby appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy description
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS trophy description
Plasma Kirby Trophy in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS | |||
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Name | Image | NTSC-U Description | PAL Description |
Plasma Kirby | What does the aurora borealis have in common with lightning? Plasma! And what does Plasma Kirby have in common with them? Hrm. Maybe that was too easy... Anyway, Plasma Kirby can build up plasma using the +Control Pad and fire it with the B Button. You can look up more about plasma if you want, but firing plasma is what's important here. | In the Kirby series, Plasma Kirby is Kirby, but with the ability to fire plasma, and mashing the +Control Pad charges him up! "But what exactly is plasma?" you ask. Well, that's a very good question. Maybe you should look it up yourself. Can't be giving you all the answers, you know. |
Gallery
- Plasma SuSt.png
artwork from Kirby Super Star
- Plasma.png
icon from Kirby Super Star Ultra
Trivia
- The Plasma ability and the enemy/helper Plasma Wisp were originally planned to appear in the cancelled Kirby game for Nintendo GameCube.
- For some reason, Plasma and Suplex don't receive any new official artwork in Kirby Star Allies. The other returning abilities, Cleaning, Cook and Yo-Yo, do receive new official artwork, however.
- In the Japanese version of Kirby Star Allies, the move Light-Speed Dash is called でんこうせっか ("Lightning Speed"), which shares the same Japanese name of the move Quick Attack from the Pokémon series.
- Since Light-Speed Dash acts similarily to Pikachu's Up Smash - Quick Attack in the Super Smash Bros. series, this could be a subtle Pokémon reference.
- Zan Partizanne the Dream Friend's Lightning Dodge functions similarly to Plasma's Light-Speed Dash. Lightning Dodge doesn't require charging but does less damage than Light-Speed Dash in consecutive use.
- Unused data of the Spark Attack, Thunderbolt and Lightning Strike attacks from the Spark abiility can be found in Plasma's Kirby Star Allies moveset files, possibly due to straight copying.
Names in other languages
Language | Name | Meaning |
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Japanese | プラズマ Purazuma |
Plasma |
Traditional Chinese | 電離子 diàn lí zǐ |
Plasma |
Simplified Chinese | 电离子 diàn lí zǐ | |
Dutch | Plasma | - |
French | Plasma | - |
German | Plasma | - |
Italian | Plasma | - |
Russian | Плазма Plazma |
Plasma |
Spanish | Plasma | - |