World Map

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A World Hub (also referred to as a World Map) 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 hub 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 hubs 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 hubs are distinguished from Level Hubs in that world hubs 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, world hubs 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 hub, instead merely having a series of level hubs strung together.) Other Kirby games that feature a world hub include the following:

• Kirby's Dream Land 2: The Rainbow Islands are depicted as seven areas that can be visited.
• Kirby's Dream Land 3: Pop Star is depicted with six levels that can be visited.
• Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards: A 'space hub' is present in this game that allows up to seven planets to be visited.
• Kirby & The Amazing Mirror: This game does not have a traditional hub, instead featuring a visual world map and a system of shortcut Mirror Doors that can be used to travel from the Central Circle to various locations once unlocked.
• Kirby: Squeak Squad: The world hub 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 Testing Area in the center of the map.
• Kirby's (Extra) 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.
• 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 Skullys will cause all but one Kirby to vanish.
• Kirby's Return to Dream Land: The world hub 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.

The first of six sections of the world hub.

• Kirby: Planet Robobot: Planet Popstar and the embedded Access Ark are used to visually represent each stage in this title. Kirby can use a Warp Star to fly to each stage.

The world hub.

• Kirby's Blowout Blast: Kirby starts on a platform which contains Warp Stars 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 hub from which each level can be visited, there is a menu allowing the player to quickly skip to each level hub.

As an item

Main article: Map (item)

In Kirby & The Amazing Mirror there is a special item which Kirby obtains just before entering the Central Circle called the World Map. This item enables the player to see the world map at any time during gameplay.