Editing World Map

[[File:KatFL Natural Plains World Map screenshot.png|thumb|350px|Kirby and [[Elfilin]] exploring the '''World Map''' in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''.]]
A '''World Map'''<ref>Name taken from menu text in ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''</ref> refers to any image or construct that represents an entire playable area in a video game. Typically in addition to viewing a visual representation of a world - with its major areas and their locations relative to one-another - a world map screen will allow the player to either view information about an area by scrolling over it, or warp the playable character to an unlocked location. Often, world maps will start out incomplete (whether landmarks are simply not shown or entire sections of the map are obscured) and be filled by having the playable character explore that region. World maps are distinguished from [[Level hub]]s in that world maps will allow access to whole levels, whereas level hubs allow access only to their stages, and to the levels adjacent, in most cases.

==Game appearances==
In the context of the [[Kirby (series)|''Kirby'' series]], world maps are often used only for the purpose of selecting levels. The first game in the series to do this was ''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]'', which showed a depiction of all of the various courses on one continuous screen. (Despite coming out before this, ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' does not have a proper world map, instead merely having a series of level hubs strung together.) Other ''Kirby'' games that feature a world map include the following:
*''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]'': The [[Rainbow Islands]] are depicted as seven areas that can be visited.
*''[[Kirby's Block Ball]]'': This game features an overhead map which holds all of the main levels of the game, as well as access to the four [[Sub-Game]]s, which can be freely visited after completing the main game.
*''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'': [[Popstar|Pop Star]] is depicted with six levels that can be visited.
*[[Kirby's Star Stacker (SNES)|''Kirby's Star Stacker'' for Super Famicom]]: The story mode has each of its encounters lain across a world map, though this is a purely visual form of selection similar to the level hubs in ''Kirby's Dream Land 3''.
*''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'': A 'space map' is present in this game that allows up to seven planets to be visited.
*''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]'': This game features a world map which consists of a wide view of Planet Popstar as well as some supplemental star-shaped areas around the main star.
*''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'': This game does not have a traditional map, instead featuring a visual world map and a system of shortcut [[Mirror Door]]s that can be used to travel from the [[Rainbow Route - Central Circle|Central Circle]] to various locations once unlocked.
*''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]'': Also referred to as the '''Level Entrance''', the world map in this game consists of a simple map depicting each major area. The final area - [[Gamble Galaxy]] - is not visible on the map until it is unlocked. Additionally, once all the pieces of the secret map are collected, Kirby can access the [[Copy Ability Room]] in the center of the map.
*''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn|Kirby's]] [[Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn|(Extra)]] [[Kirby's Epic Yarn|Epic Yarn]]'': A visual representation of [[Patch Land]] allows Kirby and Fluff to quickly travel to each area they've stitched back together using the [[Magic Yarn]], as well as easily reach two of [[Quilty Square]]'s landmarks ([[Kirby's Pad]] and [[Patch Plaza]]), and reach [[Dream Land (Kirby's Epic Yarn)|Dream Land]].
*''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'': A visual representation of the [[Popopo Islands]] and [[Necro Nebula]] is used to travel between each world. Travel to an island patrolled by [[Skully]]s will cause all but one Kirby to vanish.
*''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'': The world map is split between two main areas, being [[Popstar]] and [[Halcandra]]. The first five levels are accessible from Popstar, while the final three are in Halcandra.
*''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'': Each of the six main levels are represented as floating islands connected to the [[Dreamstalk]] in this title. Kirby runs up and down the Dreamstalk to access each level.
*''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]'': The seven main realms of [[Seventopia]] are accessible via a linear world map.
*''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'': Planet Popstar and the embedded [[Access Ark]] are used to visually represent each level in this title. Kirby can use a [[Warp Star]] to fly to each level.
*''[[Kirby's Blowout Blast]]'': Kirby starts on a platform which contains [[Warp Star]]s representing each level. Accessing a level is a simple matter of hopping onto the correct star.
*''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'': While there is no visual representation of a world map from which each level can be visited, there is a menu allowing the player to quickly skip to each level hub.
*''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'': All of the levels and stages in the main game can be visited via one continuous world map, structured in a similar manner to the Warp Star maps in ''Kirby Star Allies''. The music tracks of each level flow into one another based on Kirby's position.

<gallery>
KDC Course 1 select.png|The initial state of the world map in ''Kirby's Dream Course''
KDL2 Rainbow Islands.png|Composite image of the World Map for ''Kirby's Dream Land 2''
KBBa stage select.png|A view of the world map in ''Kirby's Block Ball''
KDL3 unlocked world hub screenshot.png|View of the fully-unlocked world map for ''Kirby's Dream Land 3''
KSSS Story Mode map.png|The Story Mode map for ''Kirby's Star Stacker (SNES)''
Pop Star K64 space.png|The world map, centered on Pop Star, in ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''
KTnT Level 8 Select.png|The world map for ''Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble''
KatAM M MirrorWorld.png|The world map for ''Kirby & The Amazing Mirror''
KSqS World Map.png|The Level Entrance in ''Kirby: Squeak Squad''
KEY Quilt Map artwork.png|A visual representation of the map for [[Patch Land]] from ''Kirby's Epic Yarn''
KMA Level map screenshot.png|The world map for ''Kirby Mass Attack''
KRtDL Cookie Country map screenshot.png|Part of the world map for ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'', centered on [[Cookie Country]] in Popstar
KTD Fine Fields hub screenshot.png|The first of six sections of the world map for ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe''
KatRC Green Valley select.png|[[Green Valley]], as viewed on the world map for ''Kirby and the Rainbow Curse''
KPR World Hub.png|The world map for ''Kirby: Planet Robobot''
KBBl Level Select.png|The level select area for ''Kirby's Blowout Blast''
</gallery>

==As an item==
{{main|Map (item)}}
In ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'', there is a special item which Kirby obtains just before entering the [[Rainbow Route - Central Circle|Central Circle]] called the '''World Map'''. This item enables the player to see the world map at any time during gameplay.

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==Trivia==
*In ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards'', each planet is viewed from a different angle. [[Shiver Star]] and [[Ripple Star]] are the only planets from which every other can be seen in full, although [[Pop Star (Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards)|Pop Star]] shows the rocks orbiting [[Rock Star]] while the planet itself is just off-screen.
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[[Category:Gameplay mechanics]]