I've been playing through Kirby and the Rainbow Curse over the past month or so. The biggest thing that stands out is the visual style. The claymation approach looks absolutely gorgeous, with such intricate details for everything.
Yet, this is not the first Kirby game to use clay figures. I was digging through some old Nintendo stuff and found this guide book for Kirby's Adventure released way back in 1993. This is a Japanese book, so I guess if I was being accurate, I would say it's a guide for 星のカービィ 夢の泉の物語.
This is really neat stuff. It's also interesting to note how Kirby's basic design has evolved over the years. Take a look:
These hand-sculpted figures are scattered throughout the book. The bulk of the book is maps, enemy info, text, and the like.
My favorite part is that huge spread at the beginning of the book. Make sure you click to get a better view:
As was standard for most official Nintendo guide books from this era, there are some interviews by people behind the game. See any familiar faces?
Iwata looks abnormally thrilled to be in this photo. Miyamoto seems pretty normal. And front and center is Sakurai himself.
HAL has always put full effort into everything Kirby. Kirby's Dream Collection remains one of my favorite game compilations ever. It's great to see HAL was just as enthusiastic about the pink puff back in the day as they are today, even if some of the key players have moved on.
