Proto:Kirby & the Amazing Mirror

This page details one or more prototype versions of Kirby & the Amazing Mirror.

This demo can be found on the Gekkan Nintendo Tentou Demo discs 2004.3.1, 2004.4.1, 2004.5.1 and 2004.6.1. According to the build date, it was compiled on December 29, 2003 - 3 months and 17 days before the game's Japanese release. The ROM's filename (on the 2004.3.1 and 2004.5.1 discs) is "Ver021tr_03122919.bin", and the name in the ROM header is "MAKOTOSAMPLE".

Download Kirby & the Amazing Mirror prototype File: KirbyAmazingMirror-GBA-Proto.7z (3.0 MB) (info)

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Prototype Info

Prerelease Info

Notes

Debug Menus Three debugging screens with interesting functions.

Graphical Differences

Used in the Prototype

Title Screen

Prototype	Final

The title logo was completely redone. Furigana was also added below the game title's kanji.

Gray Dimensional Mirror

Prototype	Final

The lines surrounding the star have been removed from the final version. It's otherwise identical.

Rainbow Route's Background

Prototype	Final

The background in Rainbow Route has been given some slight refinements.

Rainbow Route's Mirror

Prototype	Final

The mirror itself is one pixel lower in the prototype.

World Map

Prototype	Final

Though only viewable when the one present switch is pressed, the colors of the world map are much brighter in the prototype. As may be expected, the locations for other areas aren't present.

Cell Phone

Prototype	Final

The black button became red and the antenna is slightly more visible.

Signal Waves

Prototype	Final

There are no waves emerging from the antenna in the prototype. Kirby's animation for this is also slightly slower than it is in the final.

---

Unused in the Prototype

Dark Meta Knight

Prototype	Final

Dark Meta Knight had golden shoulder plates, yellow eyes and was overall more purplish in the prototype.

(Source: heynow)

Dimensional Mirror

Prototype	Final

Like with the gray version of the Dimensional Mirror, the fully restored Mirror had the lines surrounding the star while closed removed.

(Source: heynow)

Peppermint Palace Mirror

	Proto	Final
Peppermint Palace first gate
Peppermint Palace second gate	Unknown if it exists.

Although unused in the prototype, the other areas' mirrors are present in the tileset. It seems Peppermint Palace's mirror graphics were interchanged - The cave version was once supposed to be shown in the hub room, instead of the palace version. Additionally, the cave version has been mirrored for the final game.

(Source: Mugg1991)

Area Names

Prototype	Final

Mustard Mountain was called "Mustard Mountein" in the Prototype.

(Source: Vyroz)

Speed Eaters

Prototype	Final

Kirby's idle stances and win stances were altered for the final release. The early idle stance can actually be seen in pre-release material.

(Source: Vyroz)

Entirely Unused Graphics

Copy Abilities

Three Copy Abilities new to Amazing Mirror have sprites that depict them exiting the hub doors from Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land: Cupid, Mini, and Missile. Only Cupid's stayed in the final game, albeit still unused.

• 

  Sprites for Mini, located at 00618A24.

• 

  Sprites for Missile, located at 00489BA4.

(Source: Vyroz)

Unused Heave-Ho Block Alternate Palette

Large	Small

An unused alternate palette for Heave-Ho Blocks, which are gray in the final game.

(Source: heynow)

Graphics Exclusive to the Prototype

Demo Completion Screen

After defeating the King Golem boss and watching the ensuing cutscene, this screen - advertising the game's release in March 2004 - is shown and the game returns to the title screen. The same also occurs if you get a game over.

Audio

Music

Most of the game's music is hidden in the game's files. Some of them have various notable differences, documented below:

Prototype	Final

The Title Menu theme has a quieter bass in the final version.

Prototype	Final

The Collection Room's theme uses softer percussion in the final release.

Prototype	Final

Dark Meta Knight's theme when attacking Kirby in the intro cut-scene has a different intro in the final game. Its loop point is also shorter in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

For the beginning area, the prototype uses Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land's arrangement of Vegetable Valley. The final game instead uses a remix of "Forest/Nature Area".

Prototype	Final

Central Circle's theme uses a softer bass in the final game.

Prototype	Final

The theme "Forest/Nature Area" uses slightly different mixing in the final game. The bass is also louder in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

The prototype's version of the theme "Ruins Area" is lacking some percussion and various intruments throughout the song.

Prototype	Final

The theme "Space Area" went through the most changes. It's missing an important synth in the beginning of the bridge and at the end of the song in the prototype. The final game also changes the chimes in the bridge of the song.

Prototype	Final

The prototype uses Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land's unique arrangement of the Kirby Dance. Same thing happens with the short version.

Prototype	Final

Dark Meta Knight's vocal synths and trumpets do not sound very good in the prototype, to say the least... Otherwise, they're pretty similar.

Prototype	Final

The Demo uses Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land's version of the Race Prelude theme.

(Source: Vyroz)

Sound Effects

Proto
Final

The sound that plays when encountering Shadow Kirby is different.

Miscellaneous

• An "enemy inhaled" sound effect is present in both the previous game and the prototype, but absent in Amazing Mirror's final version. It is still used by some enemies, though.
• When copying an ability, the "ability get" sound effect plays right away in the prototype. The final game added a "swallow" sound that plays before it.
• The Fire and Spark ability's sounds can be interrupted by certain other sound effects in the prototype. They cannot be interrupted in the final game.
• Pausing doesn't have a sound effect in the prototype.
• The "enter door" sound seems to play twice in quick succession in the prototype, as opposed to once in the final game.
• The ability roulette doesn't have the beeping sound effect in the prototype.
• After beating King Golem, the hub room theme starts playing on the prototype version. This theme has been replaced by a unique theme in the final version. Also, there is no sound effect when acquiring the mirror shard on the prototype, as opposed to the final version which makes a normal "item get" sound.

Enemies and Objects

Generally speaking, about half of the objects and enemies are present, of which some, but not all, are shown during the prototype game. The following listed enemies and objects exist in the prototype; the ones in red appear to be unused.

Enemies	Items	Objects
Waddle Dee Bronto Burt Scarfy Gordo Snooter Chip Soarar Roly-Poly Cupie Blockin Big Waddle Dee Waddle Doo Hot Head Laser Ball Pengy Sir Kibble Sparky Sword Knight Golem Foley Boxin Heavy Knight Batty Shotzo Mr. Frosty King Golem	Cherry Energy Drink Meat Maxim Tomato Battery 1-Up Lollipop Mirror Shard	Small Button Large Button Small Fire Mirror (door) Triggered Vertical Sliding Door Mirror to random boss (Boss Endurance) Stone Block Large Stone Block Star Platform Left Facing Flame Small Chest Large Chest Warpstar to next room Warpstar (bonus game) Kirby Cannon Manual 8 Directional Kirby Cannon Master Sword (cannot be collected)

Since the object and enemy IDs in almost all cases match with the ones used in the final game, it seems the developers had mostly finished planning which enemies and objects they were going to implement. There was early work started on things like Boss Endurance and the Warpstar bonus game.

Dark Mind's forms names are numbered 1, 2 and 3, but those were stripped away in the final version.

Unused Enemy

There's a single unused enemy with only its graphics present at offset 0x00575780 in the ROM, with no leftovers in the final version. Its health bar name appears to be at 0x00774800, reading トッコーン (Tokkōn). No text strings relate to it in the game's data.

It takes an appearance of a wind-up clock toy with floating hands, likely meant to throw music notes.

(Source: heynow (initial discovery), Viperision (name discovery), Vyroz (sprite rips))

Abilities

Available Abilities

Only the following abilities can be acquired:

• Wheel, Beam, Bomb, Cupid, Cutter, Fighter, Fire, Ice, Laser, Parasol, Spark, Stone and Sword.

Wheel doesn't show up in the ability roulette but can be acquired from a rolling Golem (in the King Golem battle). There are several differences in the abilities present, compared to the final game.

Fighter

Fighter is slightly different than what it is in the final.

Prototype	Final

In the prototype, the standard B attack in the air is the downward kick; in the final, this move was changed to ↓+B, and the B attack was changed to the ←/→+B on ground, but with less momentum.

Prototype	Final

The ←/→+B in air attack was also given much less momentum in the final.

• The ↑+B uppercut has a different sound effect.
• The lowest charge of the (hold)B Hadouken is faster in the prototype; charged and low-health shots are same.

Bomb

• Bombs can be thrown faster in the prototype.
• A held bomb explodes faster in the prototype.

Sword

• The slashing combo takes slightly longer to start in the prototype.
• You can't go into the multi-hit ground combo (after the first slash) as quick as you can on the final version.
• Sword Kirby's sound effect when doing the spinning attack in the air is cut off.

Stone

Prototype	Final

Stone Kirby in stone form was pinker in the prototype version.

• After using Stone, the game adjusts your angle to 0° or 180° in the final version, but not in the prototype.
• When Kirby is going into Stone form while running, he gets a little speed boost, making him roll further.
• When Kirby is grounded and turns from Stone back to normal, he bounces lower in the prototype than he does in the final game.

Spark

Prototype	Final

The diadem and spark hair got brightened and refined for the final release.

Cutter

In the prototype, the Cutter Boomerang falls all the way off the screen when it hits a wall; in the final, it dissipates almost immediately.

Wheel

When driving through enemies, the game uses "punching" sound effects that would later be used for the Fighter ability.

---

Unavailable Abilities

The following abilities cannot be acquired outside of memory editing:

• Burn, Throw, Sleep, Cook, UFO, Tornado, Magic, Smash, Mini, Crash, Missile and Master.

Most of their moves have been removed for this prototype.

Master

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Master Kirby has Sword's hat in the prototype. Additionally, the jewel in the hilt is green in the prototype, but red in the final.

U.F.O

Despite not being obtainable, U.F.O's moveset remains in the ROM. While it more-or-less works fine, its graphics do not load properly. However, its beam and projectiles do load, albeit with some minor graphical issues.

Prototype	Final

Despite being very similar to its final version, the Chain Beam disintegrates with a neat effect halfway into the animation in the prototype. This is most likely unintended behavior due to U.F.O loading sprites that it shouldn't be using.

(Source: Vyroz)

Smash

Prototype	Final

Kirby's arm is animated in the prototype while performing a Vulcan Jab. In the final game, Kirby's left arm disappears, while motion effects are shown in front of him.

Not only that, but Kirby also has an extra pose in the prototype for the ending lag of the move.

(Source: Vyroz)

Prototype	Final

Aditionally, Twinkle Star's effects are smaller and less detailed in the prototype. The animation alternates between a big motion effect followed by a thin and small motion line. Please note that the black background was added for better visibility.

(Source: Vyroz)

Prototype	Final

Lastly, Smash's icon has the Smash logo behind Kirby in the prototype, although with the thicker line being on the wrong place. Other elements were also slightly changed. The sparkles around Kirby received some minor adjustments, and Kirby received some "motion" effects around his hands and shoes. Kirby's eyes were also originally shut.

(Source: Random Talking Bush)

Pause Screen

Early sketches of the instructions and ability descriptions displayed on the pause screen exist in the prototype. These can only be accessed by editing your current ability at 02020DFF and then pausing. Despite some of these versions going unused in Amazing Mirror, finalized versions of these sketches had already been showcased in the preceding game Nightmare in Dream Land.

Early Pause Screen (No Ability)

Prototype (Early)	Prototype (Final) & Release	Kirby Nightmare in Dream Land
Swallow an enemy, duck down, and you're able to copy their ability! Swallow different enemies and learn how to use all the different abilities!	Swallow an enemy, duck down, and you're able to copy their ability! If you do your best and keep inhaling, you can swallow big enemies!	Swallow an enemy, duck down, and you're able to copy their ability! Swallow different enemies and learn how to use all the different abilities!

Early Ability Descriptions

Prototype (Early)	Prototype (Final) & Release	Kirby Nightmare in Dream Land
FIIIRE!! Hot! This is pretty hot.	FIIIRE!! Hot! This is pretty hot.	FIIIRE!! Hot! This is pretty hot.
Freeze enemies and fling them away! Ugh... it's so COLD.	Freeze enemies and fling them away! Ugh... it's so COLD.	Freeze enemies and fling them away! Ugh... it's so COLD.
A tackle wrapped in flames! Can't stop! Won't stop!	A tackle wrapped in flames! Can't stop! Won't stop!	A tackle wrapped in flames! Can't stop! Won't stop!
Ride like the wind out on the circuit. Fast. Way too fast!	Ride like the wind out on the circuit. Fast. Way too fast!	Ride like the wind out on the circuit. Fast. Way too fast!
The sun shines The parasol thrusts Go for a walk Protect from enemies Float as you fall (This sentence is structured as poetry, with the first three lines forming a haiku. The first two lines also play on さして being the verb for both sun rays beaming down and pointing or thrusting something.)	The sun shines The parasol thrusts Go for a walk Protect from enemies Float as you fall	The sun shines The parasol thrusts Go for a walk Protect from enemies Float as you fall
Cutter Boomerang!	(No text)	Cutter Boomerang!
The beam that bends like a whip! Anyway, beam! Beam! Beam! BEAM!	The beam that bends like a whip! Anyway, beam! Beam! Beam! BEAM!	The beam that bends like a whip! Anyway, beam! Beam! Beam! BEAM!
If you become a stone, hey! You're invincible! Push from above, hey! You're awesome!	Rolling Rolling Rolling Rolling Rolling on a slope. You can also smash the road.	If you become a stone, hey! You're invincible! Push from above, hey! You're awesome!
BOOM! oom...oom... hyururururu.... (Onomatopoeia for a bomb ticking down and then exploding, with the smaller text below being the echo effect.)	BOOM!! Take it! THROW!!	N/A
Try throwing the enemy immediately! Change the throwing direction!	Try throwing the enemy immediately! Change the throwing direction!	Try throwing the enemy immediately! Change the throwing direction!
Delicious! Surely delicious! Cook something good for you.	Meal→ Cook something good for you. ※Only once	N/A
Optical weapon loaded There's a rumor that if you hit a slope, the direction changes.	Optical weapon loaded There's a rumor that if you hit a slope, the direction changes.	Optical weapon loaded There's a rumor that if you hit a slope, the direction changes.
You are lucky to have been able to copy this! Learn to use four abilities that are based on how long you hold the button!	You are lucky to have been able to copy this! Learn to use four abilities that are based on how long you hold the button!	You are lucky to have been able to copy this! Learn to use four abilities that are based on how long you hold the button!
Oh, this! Sparkling Sparkling Sparkling (Onomatopoeia for electricity or sparks repeated over and over.)	Oh, this! Sparkling Sparkling Sparkling	Oh, this! Sparkling Sparkling Sparkling
Spin. Spin. Spin spin spin Uwaaa!	Spin. Spin. Spin spin spin Uwaaa!	Spin. Spin. Spin spin spin Uwaaa!
Go with a bam-bam! You can hit posts too, and areas you can't destroy except with a hammer.	DEADLY! Of course, you can hit posts.	Go with a bam-bam! You can hit posts too, and areas you can't destroy except with a hammer.
The fallen angel arrives!	Shoot arrows that hit and painful. Press and release and arrows fly. It's angel-like devil.	N/A
Power shot! Moonsault Rising upper!! Kick Mega power shot!!	(タメる indicites holding the button to shoot an energy blast, no text elsewhere.)	N/A
Here it is. Hand Power. ...You can only do it once.	I don't know. You can only do it once.	N/A
EXPLOSION! SMASH BROS. FIST! (Kirby is a starter character in Super Smash Bros.)	DEADLY! SMASH BROS. FIST!	N/A
Oh that's strange. Become small and thin passages are no problem!	SMALL! BE SMALL!	N/A
WARNING: FINAL WEAPON IN CONTROL!	WARNING: FINAL WEAPON IN CONTROL!	WARNING: FINAL WEAPON IN CONTROL!
Wherever you are I'll chase you down!! Kabooom!	Even in the fire or in the water, I'll chase you everywhere. Ah, but no way in the fire, maybe...	N/A
It's a BONUS.	UNIVERSAL SWORD Everything will be destroyed.	N/A

Prototype (Early)	Prototype (Final)	Release	Kirby Nightmare in Dream Land
I won't be defeated with this sword. I will slash with it. (I will slash even without it.)	I won't be defeated with this sword. I will slash with it. (I will slash even without it.)	SLASH	I won't be defeated with this sword. I will slash with it. (I will slash even without it.)
	The final prototype version had a graphical glitch with the "DO NOT DISTURB" text.	The glitch was fixed in the release version, and the color of the "DO NOT DISTURB" text was changed to red.

Placeholder

Escaped (dead) I knew it was impossible.. Something came out (げだつ means to escape one's bonds or pull through a situation and ポア (Phowa) is a Buddhist concept of transferring consciousness that can be associated with death. It could be that this picture was made as a pause screen for when the player is dead, but was scrapped. Interestingly, a Ghost ability did make an appearance in Kirby: Squeak Squad.)

Level Design

To do: Add proper stage maps. Properly list changes, accompany with images. Add IDs.

Rainbow Route

Prototype	Final

The penultimate room of Rainbow Route is different in the prototype; a long horizontal room instead of a vertical room. It is no longer present in the final game.

Shadow Kirby Room

Prototype	Final

As long as Shadow Kirby hasn't disappeared, you won't be able to descend into the pit on the left side of the room. This has been fixed in the final game by moving the screen to the right, so there is no pit to fall into.

Moonlight Mansion

Prototype	Final

The switch remains after being pressed in the prototype; it disappears after being pressed in the final. The left door is closed off in the prototype, and the ability trophies are not yet present.

Prototype	Final

The background used in this room is surprisingly more fitting in the prototype. It may have been changed so that the bosses in the background could only be seen in the hallway before the boss itself, which was not present yet.

Prototype	Final

This Golem activates when approached from the right in the prototype; it activates from the left in the final. The switch below is also not present.

King Golem Room

Prototype	Final

King Golem is located a few pixels further to the right and the ground is lower in the prototype.

Chests

Prototype	Final

This chest with a cherry inside is replaced by a standalone cherry in the final. Probably removed since it would be much more convenient to just get the food rather than watch the chest animation.

In other places, the prototype lacks some chests that the final game has.

Miscellaneous

• Enemy types and placement has been changed a lot, between the prototype and final.

Other Differences

Missing Features

• Intro sequence, save game selection and game mode selection are absent.
• Map screen, Area name and area ID display are absent.
• Pressing L to warp out of a level doesn't work. It behaves like R instead, calling the other Kirbys.

Gameplay-Related

• You can inhale infinitely. In the final game, Kirby stops and coughes after a while.
• Getting hit does not stop the inhaling process. Objects and enemies that have been fetched by Kirby's inhaling will continue to fly towards him after he has been hit. In the final version, when Kirby is hit, the fetched enemies will instantly die, instead.
• When inhaling food or items, Kirby isn't stuck like he is in the final game. He can stop inhaling and move, while the food continues to fly towards him.
• Unpausing takes slightly longer in the prototype.
• To unpause, you have to press A in the prototype as opposed to Start in the final version. Pressing B works on both versions.
• Kirby jumps about 5 pixels less high compared to the final game.
• Crouching makes the camera scroll down much sooner.
• After Kirby lands with horizontal speed, he walks a bit further in the prototype. In the final game, he stops almost immediately.
• When running and letting go of arrow keys, Kirby switches to walking in the prototype. In the final game, he keeps running for a short while.
• When Kirby keeps getting hit and repeatedly loses his ability, his ability star moves away quicker in the final version. This behavior isn't present in the prototype.
• When starting to float, Kirby can cancel into using his ability or inhaling, in the final game. This feature isn't present in the prototype.
• Shadow Kirby can be inhaled immediately, whereas he behaves like a heavy enemy in the final game.
• Shadow Kirby doesn't drop anything on death, but he drops a Maxim Tomato, 1-Up or Lollipop in the final game.
• Shadow Kirby doesn't reappear if you redo the room. He does reappear in the final version.
• CPU-Kirbys can inhale your ditched ability star. In the final game, they can't, making it easier for players to try and retrieve their lost ability.
• CPU-Kirbys will keep following you through the rooms persistently. They leave you alone more easily in the final game.
• CPU-Kirbys can't grab the Warpstar. In the final version, they can.
• The game's wall-ejection behavior appears to work slightly differently.
• When opening a chest, the acquired item is shown slightly longer in the prototype.

Graphical

• When airborne, Kirby is placed about 6 pixels lower than on the final version. As a result, his sprite can reach partially inside the floor before Kirby gets grounded. It looks like the correlation between his sprite and hitbox is different.
• Kirby's animation when airborne and on the ground is different; it is more still in the final version.
• Some door graphics are different.
• The mirror shard from King Golem doesn't have a blue flashing light. Neither does the Kirby victory dance or the Moonlight Mansion mirror that appears after pressing the button.
• Kirby's facing direction after entering a room differs in some rooms.

Bugs

• There are minor graphical bugs with the arrows pointing at offscreen Kirbys, as well as with the mini Kirby icons in the top left of the screen.
• A bug with enemies' invincibility periods: when Kirby, after getting hit, touches an enemy, the enemy gets hit every frame. However, if Kirby ate an Invincibility Lollipop, the enemy's invincibility period works normally.
• Ability Stars can continue bouncing after falling into pits, sometimes enabling them to get stuck in the ground. This was fixed in the final game where Ability Stars break as soon as they fall far enough into a pit.
• A minor graphical bug with the ability roulette: the ability display is graphically glitched for one frame, then intact for three frames. In the final version, the display is never glitched.
• There's a minor graphical bug with falling Parasol Waddle Dee.
• Stone Kirby as a stone can fall through a Warpstar. In the final version, he detransforms and grabs the Warpstar.
• Kirby is noticeably invisible for a brief moment after entering a room.
• There's a rare glitch where swallowing an ability may cause enemies on the screen to zip horizontally across the room very quickly.
• There's a glitch in the room before King Golem where a sword-wielding enemy will try to deflect your puff of air even when you aren't anywhere near him nor exhaling.
• CPU-Kirbys can enter a Cannon, which makes them turn into Pink Kirbys and stop acting. In the final version, CPU-Kirbys are disabled from entering Cannons.

Development Text

Build Date

Similar to the build dates in each of the retail versions of the game, this version's build date can be found at 0xA2BF78 in the ROM:

0.21
Mon Dec 29 19:37:23  2003