Level hub
A Level Hub (also known as a Level Map or Level Select Area) is an image, visual representation, or fully playable space where individual stages can be selected. They are distinguished from World Hubs in that they only represent a segmented portion of playable content, as opposed to all of it, and are usually accessible from World Hubs as sub-menus or areas, as opposed to the other way around.
Level hubs typically have a theme to them, such as a grassy area, ruins, tropical sea, volcanic region, or deep space. Stages contained therein therefore will usually follow the theme of the level hub.
Game Appearances
Level hubs debuted in Kirby's Adventure, with a playable area that Kirby can traverse containing doors to each stage which are unlocked one-after-the-other. In this title, there is no world hub from which to access the levels, so instead they are linked to each-other via warp rooms and doors. Other games that utilize full playable level hubs include the following:
- Kirby's Dream Land 2
- Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
- Kirby's (Extra) Epic Yarn
- Kirby's Return to Dream Land
- New Challenge Stages
- Team Kirby Clash Deluxe
Games that include partially playable level hubs, or just stage select screens include the following:
- Kirby Super Star/Template:KSSU
- Kirby's Dream Land 3
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
- Kirby Squeak Squad
- Kirby Mass Attack
- Kirby: Triple Deluxe
- Kirby: Planet Robobot
- Kirby Star Allies
Trivia
- The only two games in the main Kirby series which make no use of level hubs or stage select screens are Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby & The Amazing Mirror.
- Despite this, there are still maps of each area in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror which can be obtained by collecting the Area Map in each level.