Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble File:Kirby TnT.jpg Official box art. Details Developer(s) HAL Laboratory Publisher(s) Nintendo Designer(s) Toshiaki Suzuki Release date(s) Template:Release Platform(s) Game Boy Color

Game chronology ← Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land →

On affiliated sites StrategyWiki Walkthrough

File:Kirby Tilt n Tumble cartridge.jpg

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble is played on a unique pink cartridge with a built in gyro-sensor.

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble is a spin-off Kirby game released for the Game Boy Color. It was first released in 2000 in Japan and then the following year, 2001, in North America. The game was never released in Europe.

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble uses a tilt sensor allowing the unknown reader to move Kirby around from physical movement of the player's Game Boy Color console. the unknown reader can even flick the console to make Kirby bounce into the air. In the game, Kirby deflects off objects in a similar manner to the ball inside a pinball machine.

The game was originally planned to have a direct follow-up for the Nintendo GameCube, titled Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble 2. The game itself would have been controlled from a Game Boy Advance via the link cable. Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble 2 was ultimately cancelled, most likely because of the difficulty in marketing a game requiring two separate systems to play.

Story

Kirby is sleeping on a cloud, when he is awoken by a Waddle Dee and King Dedede walking past him carrying strange objects. Kirby is curious as to their intentions, so he hops on a Warp Star, only to find that Dream Land has been robbed of its stars.

Gameplay

File:TNT 1-1.jpg

Kirby bounces along in Level 1-1.

In this title, Kirby doesn't walk as normal, but instead rolls around like a ball. To control him, the unknown reader will need to tilt the Game Boy Color in the appropriate directions. As such, the stages are built like rolling marble courses in a top-down view similar to that of older Legend of Zelda games, and Kirby can easily lose a life if he goes over an edge. The main challenge comes from getting Kirby safely over pits and obstacles. This is done primarily by having the unknown reader flick the Game Boy Color upward to make Kirby bounce. Other methods of traversal include using items like Bumpers, springs, and balloons which grant temporary flight, among other objects. Enemies also appear on the stage, though Kirby cannot inhale them, and touching them will deal him some damage. Kirby will need to make use of a special item, such as the Mike to defeat them. Against bosses, Kirby can fight back by using various methods, usually by launching into their weak points.

Each stage also has a time limit, which can be extended by collecting clocks on the stage. Running out of time costs Kirby a life.

There are also a couple of Blue Stars which are optional to obtain, and yield a sub-game at the end of the stage they appear in if collected.

Levels & Stages

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble consists of eight levels, each containing four stages. It is possible to skip levels and stages by visiting Whispy Woods in certain areas. Each stage has a Red Star to collect, which are necessary to earn 100% Completion.

Levels in Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble
Level Nr.	Boss(es)	Notes
Level 1	Orbservor	This Orbservor attacks by sliding quickly after being damaged.
Level 2	Orbservor	This Orbservor attacks by pounding the floor.
Level 3	Kracko
Level 4	Orbservor	This Orbservor attacks by sliding extra quickly after being damaged.
Level 5	Orbservor	This Orbservor is fought in an icy arena.
Level 6	Kracko
Level 7	Orbservor	This Orbservor is extremely quick when angered, and will always aim directly at Kirby.
Level 8	King Dedede

Once the game is cleared 100%, the Extra Stage opens up, which is a re-run of the regular stages with increased difficulty and less time.

Sub-Games

Kirby can play one of these if he collects a blue star in a stage, then clears said stage. They are as follows:

• Kirby's Burst a Balloon
• Kirby's Hurdle Race
• Do The Kirby
• Kirby's Roll-O-Rama
• Kirby's Chicken Race

Enemies

• Blinkbat
• Blockbot
• Booler
• Bronto Burt
• Broom Hatter
• Cappy
• Cloud Cannon
• Dekabu
• Flotzo
• God Hand
• Gordo
• Kabu
• Mr. Frosty
• Poppy Bros. Jr.
• Shotzo
• Snipper
• Squishy
• Starman
• UFO
• Waddle Dee
• Waddle Doo

Bosses

• Orbservor
• Kracko
• King Dedede

Backward compatibility

While Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble is backward compatible with the Game Boy Advance, it cannot be played properly from a Game Boy Advance SP unit, where the game cartridge must be inserted from the bottom and are facing backwards. As a result, playing Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble on a Game Boy Advance SP inverts the controls. However, a workaround for properly calibrating the controls is to insert Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble onto a GameShark and then into the SP unit, therefore properly reorienting the cartridge.

Similarly, Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble is also playable from the Game Boy Player peripheral of the Nintendo GameCube. The game is essentially unplayable this way, as it requires the unknown reader to pick up the GameCube console itself and tilt it during gameplay. Aside from its impracticality, doing so can also damage the Game Boy Player start-up disc.

Trivia

• Other Nintendo titles to include "tilt sensors" include WarioWare: Twisted! and Yoshi Topsy-Turvy.
• This is the last Kirby game to have 8-bit graphics.
• Kirby's voice clips in this game were taken directly from his Super Smash Bros. and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards appearances, though heavily bit-crushed to fit on the Game Boy cartridge. He would not be formally voiced again in a Kirby game until the release of Kirby's Epic Yarn, some 10 years later.

External links

• Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble on Kirby Informer