Spike

Spike
Screenshot of Kirby in the midst of a bed of Spikes from Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Details
Type	Hazard
Function	Damages on contact
Found	Frequently in stages
Game(s)	Various

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Spikes^[1] are hazards found in many areas throughout the Kirby series. They coat certain areas of floors, walls or ceilings, and do a moderate amount of damage to playable characters who touch them.

Most spikes cannot be destroyed by any means, and instead should be avoided. Touching one will deal a fair amount of damage, knock Kirby away, and cause him to lose whatever Copy Ability he has. Ability Stars and many other items will also break immediately upon touching spikes. If Kirby is under the effects of an Invincible Candy, or is using a move with invulnerability frames such as Burning, he can pass through spikes without taking damage.

Spike fields can also be safely traversed using items such as the Stomper Boot.

Enemies and spikes[edit]

In many older Kirby games, enemies tend to be unaffected by spikes, which can lead to odd sights where Waddle Dees can be seen walking care-free through them. Starting with Kirby's Return to Dream Land, however, spikes will also hurt enemies who make contact with them.

Side-effects of spike damage[edit]

Much like when getting hit by enemies, taking damage from spikes will give Kirby a brief window of post-hit invulnerability, to allow him to escape before taking further damage. These few seconds of invincibility can be used to bypass other hazards in certain circumstances, as things like Gordos and other dangerous foes are often placed in and around spike pits. This window of invulnerability also tends to reveal that spikes do not have collision in most cases. Due to this, it is not possible to be crushed by moving spikes; instead, characters will be crushed by the platform base which the spikes are attached to.

In Kirby's Dream Course[edit]

In Kirby's Dream Course, spike fields are referred to as Danger Zones.^[2] These can be found placed on some of the course holes in lieu of regular floor tiles. If Kirby lands in one of these, he will be dealt one point of damage and bounce further in the direction he was traveling. Thus, in a particularly large Danger Zone, Kirby may end up taking several points of damage as he continues to skip along its length. Even if he runs out of HP, he will continue bouncing along until he lands outside of the Danger Zone.

Due to the fact that Kirby bounces at a fixed velocity when recoiling from a Danger Zone, these can be used to "damage boost" Kirby further than he otherwise would have gone, potentially getting into the cup with less shots.

Profiles[edit]

Kirby's Dream Course instruction booklet - "If Kirby falls onto this panel, you lose one tomato."

Gallery[edit]

Kirby sitting beside a bed of spikes in Float Islands, in Kirby's Dream Land
Rolling past spike pits in Kirby's Adventure
Sprite of a Danger Zone from Kirby's Dream Course
Each round in Kirby's Block Ball features spike pits to varying degrees.
Jumping past spikes on the walls in Kirby's Dream Land 2
Kirby standing near a bunch of spikes in Kirby Super Star
Running over a crumbling bridge over spikes in Kirby's Dream Land 3
Narrowly avoiding a bed of spikes in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
The area in the upper-right of this image from Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble is a classic danger zone.
Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble also features retractable wall spikes.
Spikes made of clouds in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
Passing by walls of spikes in Kirby: Canvas Curse
Leaping across a wide floor of spikes in Kirby: Squeak Squad
Even the relatively soft and friendly Kirby's Epic Yarn has spike pits in places.
The battle with Skullord in Kirby Mass Attack features a wall of spikes on the left side.
Kirby needs to roll a bomb over a spike bit in this challenge stage from Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
Spikes in Kirby: Triple Deluxe
The liberal use of spikes in this tunnel from Kirby and the Rainbow Curse makes it much too dangerous for Kirby to try and go in there himself.
Spikes in Kirby: Planet Robobot
The Apple Scramble game mode in Kirby Battle Royale can feature bramble pits, which are functionally similar to spike pits.
Kirby Battle Royale also features traditional spike pits, most notably in the Coin Clash game mode.
Kirby and his buddies will need to be careful not to erode the bridge over the ice spikes too much while fighting in Kirby Star Allies.
Kirby using Tornado to bypass a walkway covered in spikes in Kirby and the Forgotten Land