Keeby
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Keeby is the name of the yellow Kirby who serves as the second player character in Kirby's Dream Course. He initially wasn't properly named as such, as "Keeby" was originally an internal nickname given by the developers of the game to an otherwise unnamed yellow Kirby.[1] Keeby was properly named in a game for the first time in Kirby's Dream Buffet.
Keeby is bright yellow with large blue eyes and orange feet. Like Kirby, he is also able to obtain Copy Abilities, and plays exactly the same in every respect to his pink counterpart.
Game appearances
Officially, Keeby only appears in Kirby's Dream Course, but generic yellow Kirbys have made appearances in multiple other games in the Kirby series. It has been speculated that these yellow Kirbys are actually Keeby, but no official source has stated that to be the case. Keeby was initially only used internally as a nickname by the developers of Kirby's Dream Course; it is a portmanteau of Kirby's name with the Japanese word for "yellow", kīro. Supplementary material, such as the instruction manual, simply refers to him as a yellow Kirby.
On the official website for Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64, Masahiro Sakurai referred to Kirby's yellow palette swap in said game as "Keeby", and mentioned that it comes from Kirby's Dream Course.[2] This was the first time this nickname was made public. Later, the Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition booklet mentioned Keeby again, revealing the nickname to English speakers for the first time.
In Kirby's Dream Buffet, Keeby appears on the "Kirby & Keeby" Character Treat, and the name "Keeby Yellow" is used for the yellow color for Kirby. This marks the first time the name "Keeby" has actually been used in a game itself, and also is the first time Keeby's name has been translated into other languages besides English.
Trivia
- Keeby's color scheme may be a reference to how Shigeru Miyamoto and other HAL Laboratory employees initially thought Kirby was yellow before seeing his color design.
- Keeby's yellow hue is similar to Beam Kirby's appearance in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra. However, Beam Kirby's feet are pinker in hue, whereas Keeby's are more orange.
Gallery
Keeby's in-game sprite
in Kirby's Dream Course
Alternate sprite
Having just finished the Kirby Dance
Kirby & Keeby Character Treat from Kirby's Dream Buffet
Keeby Yellow Color from Kirby's Dream Buffet
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | キービィ[2] Kībyi |
Combination of:
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| German | Gelby | Combination of yellow (Gelb) + Kirby |
| Italian | Gialby | Combination of yellow (Giallo) + Kirby |
| Portuguese | Kiiby | - |
| Spanish | Keeby | - |
References
- ↑ "The development team nicknamed this character "Keeby," a play on words from the Japanese word for "yellow."" –Kirby's Dream Collection booklet (Nintendo), pg. 24
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Super Smash Bros. (64) official website (JP) - Secrets of fighters' alternative colors
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