The Origin Of Kirby's Dream Land
thegamer.comKirby is one of gaming's most beloved characters. His games are full of all-ages charm, and his whimsical Copy Abilities make him one of the most versatile video game protagonists ever. A Kirby track even won a Grammy in 2022 - your move, Elden Ring.
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Kirby's colorful world didn't just come from nowhere. Like most well-known characters, Kirby went through a lot of changes before making his debut. Let's take a Warp Star back to the early '90s to see just how this best-selling franchise was created. Just be sure to pack some snacks — the little guy gets hungry.
Today, HAL Laboratory is known primarily for developing Kirby and the Super Smash Brothers series. The company goes much farther back than either of those series, incorporating in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward in 1980.
While the company is not directly named after the rogue AI from 2001: A Space Odyssey, its name was derived the same way — by transposing each letter in IBM one place earlier in the alphabet. The company's former president, Satoru Iwata, claimed this was intentional as "each letter puts us one step ahead of IBM."
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Initially, HAL produced hardware rather than software. Their initial product line included peripherals that would allow older computers to run modern (at the time) games. When Iwata joined the small company and became its first employee with programming skills, HAL began using its hardware to port existing Namco titles. At first, these ports were made without Namco's permission, but they paved the way for HAL Laboratory to become the first officially-licensed developer for Namco. Their contract even became the
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