Editing Online features

'''Online features''' refers to any aspects of a video game that require an internet connection to function. Games in the [[Kirby (series)|''Kirby'' series]] tend to be largely (if not completely) offline and local experiences, even in eras that follow mass commercialization of the internet, but many more recent titles feature some form of online interactivity. The following lists online features by game in chronological order (note that this list does not include local area network (LAN), local Wi-Fi (such as [[StreetPass]]), links to external services such as [[Miiverse]] or the [[nwiki:Nintendo eShop|Nintendo eShop]], or other such features that do not impact gameplay):

==Online by game==
===''Kirby's Avalanche''===
While ''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]'' is not playable online in its basic form, by using the [[wikipedia:XBAND|XBAND]] — a now-defunct online service for the SNES that functioned through an expansion cartridge connected to a modem — one could play matches of the game online with other players. This technically makes it the first ''Kirby'' game with online multiplayer — predating ''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]'' by 22 years — though this functionality was not native to the game itself.

=== ''Kirby's Toy Box'' ===
The eight games in ''[[Kirby's Toy Box]]'' were made available for limited stretches of time via Nintendo's [[Wikipedia:Satellaview|Satellaview]] service. An internet connection was required to access these games, though the games themselves featured no additional online functionality.

=== ''Team Kirby Clash Deluxe'' ===
In ''[[Team Kirby Clash Deluxe]]'', players can enlist the help of "Wandering Adventurers", [[CPU]]-controlled characters. With an internet connection, one could download adventurers based on other players' Kirbys, bearing their specific equipment, level, and name; without one, generic adventurers native to the game are produced instead.

[[Gem Apple]]s were also only able to be purchased with an internet connection, using the Nintendo eShop. Due to the closure of the eShop on [[Nintendo 3DS]] on March 27th, 2023, it is no longer officially possible to buy Gem Apples or grow the Gem Apple Tree.

In addition, an online connection was needed in order to use the Shrine of Passwords (to verify that the password being recited was still valid). With the termination of Nintendo's servers for the Nintendo 3DS on April 8th, 2024, it is no longer officially possible to summon online Wandering Adventurers or recite passwords.

=== ''Kirby Battle Royale'' ===
[[File:KBR Online Battle Menu.png|thumb|150px|The Online Battle menu in ''Kirby Battle Royale''.]]
''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]'' was the first ''Kirby'' game to feature true online multiplayer. By selecting the Online Battle option from the main menu, the player was first given a choice between three randomly-selected Battle Modes and then allowed to select their character. From here, they were placed in a training room to wait until three other players could connect to their lobby. If this was successful, the match would begin with a random Battle Mode from the pool the players chose. Depending on how well the player performed in a battle, they would gain rank points which contributed to a rank level system, which in turn would match them with players of similar rank. Each time the player gained a rank level, Battle Coins were awarded, which could be spent in the Collection List. Each rank level required more points to reach than the preceding one.

Despite this online ranking system and the ability to earn in-game currency from it, no part of the game requires Online Battles to be played in order to unlock anything or to reach [[100% completion]].

''Kirby Battle Royale'' was also the first game in the ''Kirby'' series to receive post-launch content updates. Three such updates were released for the game, which mainly fixed gameplay issues and added the [[Mirror]] and [[Sleep]] abilities to the roster. More detail can be found on the [[Kirby_Battle_Royale#Update_history|Update history]] section of the ''Kirby Battle Royale'' page.

With the termination of Nintendo's servers for the Nintendo 3DS on April 8th, 2024, it is no longer officially possible to play Online Battles or download the post-launch updates.

=== ''Kirby Star Allies'' ===
''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' does not feature any direct online functionality. However, it did benefit from several updates which added significant amounts of additional content to the game as well as fixing bugs and other issues. A more complete list of updates can be found [[Kirby Star Allies/Update History|on this page]].

=== ''Super Kirby Clash'' ===
[[File:SKC Sticker Using.jpg|thumb|250px|Players using [[Sticker (Super Kirby Clash)|stickers]] to communicate during an online battle in ''Super Kirby Clash''.]]
Unlike its [[Nintendo 3DS]] predecessor, ''[[Super Kirby Clash]]'' features online multiplayer, with a separate quest board (referred to as "Party Quests") devoted to it (though these can still be played solo). When selecting one of these quests, the player can choose to either create their own lobby or join an existing one. From there, the lobby has roughly 90 seconds to be filled with other players before a game can start (with any unfilled slots being controlled by the CPU). Both in the lobby and during gameplay, [[Sticker (Super Kirby Clash)|stickers]] can be used to communicate with other players. However, as soon as the enemy is defeated, players are disconnected from each-other.

In addition, ''Super Kirby Clash'' features the same Wandering Adventurer, Gem Apple purchasing, and Shrine of Passwords functionality as its predecessor.

=== ''Kirby Fighters 2'' ===
''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]'' features online multiplayer in the form of an Online Mode. Using this, players can connect to the internet to play 2v2 battles with random people under normal rules and a random stage or connect with friends to play with more specific rule sets. 

=== ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'' ===
While ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'' is primarily a local play experience, a few online functionalities are in the game. When talking to [[Wise Waddle Dee]] in [[Waddle Dee Town]], for instance, he can inform the player which [[Copy Ability]] is most favored by players around the world, or how many [[Waddle Dee]]s have been rescued cumulatively. Online leaderboards for the various Sub-Games and the [[Colosseum]] are also available. Additionally, much like the ''Kirby Clash'' games, an Internet connection is required to enter certain [[List of Present Codes in Kirby and the Forgotten Land|Present Codes]] at [[Waddle Dee-liveries]], to ensure that they are still valid.

=== ''Kirby's Dream Buffet'' ===
''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]'' has a fully-fledged online mode, which allows the player to connect with up to three others to play against. There are two main options in Online Mode, those being "Random Match" and "Password Match". In the former, only [[Gourmet Grand Prix]] can be played, but in the latter, [[Free Rolling]] can also be selected. After selecting a mode, Kirby is placed on a special table used as a lobby for online matches, and can play around with Waddle Dee Dummies while he waits for others to join. When playing Online Mode, Kirby's [[emote]]s also come with short little messages.

In the Random Match Mode, a ranking system is used which is distinct from the [[Gourmet Rank]], called "Skill Lv." This rank starts at 15,000 points, and increases or decreases based on how the player places in games, with diminishing returns the higher the rank becomes, along with greater risk of losing points if placing low. When approaching a skill lv. of 20,000 or higher, even placing second will cause a loss of points. Skill Lv. is not tied to any other feature in the game, and is solely used to help the game match the player with others of comparable skill.

In Password Match, the player specifies a password at the very start. If that password matches one used by another player, they can join the same game together. Otherwise, the player will be placed in their own lobby, and others can join if they use the same password. The lobby gives players up to two minutes to join, as opposed to only one in random matches. Skill Lv. is not a factor in Password Matches.

All online games come with a 1.80x multiplier for [[Gourmet Rank|Gourmet Points]] earned at the results screen. If a game does not fill up with four human opponents, the remainder will be filled by [[CPU]]s using a name randomly assigned from an internal list (more details on that [[CPU#Kirby_names|here]]). Human players and CPU players can be distinguished by the fact that human players have red names, while CPU players have white ones. If a player disconnects during a game, they will be replaced with a CPU using the same name. Disconnecting multiple times in quick succession will result in the player being restricted from random matches for a time.

<gallery>
KDB Online menu screenshot.png|The main online menu for ''Kirby's Dream Buffet''
KDB Online lobby screenshot.png|Kirby waiting in an online lobby, which uses a distinct table
KDB Online emote screenshot.png|Kirby greeting another Kirby in the online lobby
KDB Online multiplayer screenshot.png|Online gameplay in a Race course
</gallery>

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[[Category:Gameplay mechanics]]