Kirby's Adventure

星のカービィ夢の泉の物語

Year: 1993
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: FC / NES
Hardware: Family Computer (8-bit)
Genre: Platformer
Players: 1 player
Controls: D-pad + A (jump) / B (inhale, Copy Ability)
Series: Kirby series

⬇ Coming soon

Gameplay Screenshots

About This Game

Kirby's Adventure is the game that gave Kirby his Copy Ability, and it arrived at the very end of the NES's life looking better than almost anything else on the hardware. Kirby inhales an enemy, swallows it, and permanently gains its power - Sword, Fire, Cutter, Beam, Hammer and more - which turns the game into a tool-picking exercise.

The Dream Land map is a hub you return to between levels, and levels hide doors to secret rooms and a Museum, an Arena and a mini-game of its own. Saving is handled by a clever trick: hold A, B and Select on the file screen to erase a file. Its soundtrack, again by Hirokazu Tanaka, was written late enough to push the NES sound chip past what most developers ever attempted.

Copy Ability system - 25+ powers absorbed from enemies
Hub world with a Museum, Arena and hidden doors
One of the most technically impressive late NES releases
Colourful, forgiving design that makes it a great first platformer

Version History

Famicom Japanese version1993-03-23
Original release at the end of the Famicom's life.
NES US version1993-05-01
The version on this page.
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land2002
Game Boy Advance remake with four-player support.

Cheats & Secrets

Hold A + B + Select on the file screenErase a save file

The game ships without a visible erase option. Holding A, B and Select together on the file select screen is the documented way to delete a save.

Clear the game onceUnlock Extra Mode

Finishing the main game unlocks a harder Extra Mode with fewer hit points - the game's built-in second loop.

Tips & Strategy

Choose the power for the room

Copy Abilities are stored one at a time, but a level almost always gives you the right enemy for its obstacle. If a wall needs breaking, look for a Hammer or Stone enemy first.

Search the Museum

Hidden doors lead to the Museum, where you can collect every Copy Ability. It is optional, but it makes the ending sequence richer.

Use the hub early

The Dream Land map shows how many secret doors each level has. Returning to a level to find the ones you missed is normal, not a failure.

Save with the trick or lose an hour

There is no in-game erase prompt and checkpoints are level-based. Remember the A+B+Select combination before you start over.

Download Resources

Resource packs for this game are provided through the button below.