Video game artbooks tend to fall into one of two categories: a simple gathering of screenshots, character models, and images that have been plastered everywhere or a comprehensive look at the game’s (or games’) development and visual parts.
Kirby: Art & Style Collection is neither.
It does feature game models, key images, and concept art, yes. But it heavily focuses on promo images and merchandise art, the kind you haven’t seen in years — if at all. Why aren’t there more releases like this?!?
Kirby: Art & Style Collection was released to celebrate the titular Kirby’s 25th anniversary, and the 270 pages in the book certainly reflects the character’s long history. The book is divided into three sections (Galleries): Main Art, Game Art, and Merchandise Art. The game and merchandise sections are self-explanatory, but the first includes pieces from Kirby’s 20th anniversary, various partnerships, and a few game promo artworks. It’s the shortest of the sections at about 30 pages, although there also is an extras selection that is less than 10 pages. That part is mostly mini-art from various Kirby artists, but there are some concept pieces including a Game Boy cover art mock-up for Twinkle Popo, the original name for Kirby’s Dream Land. According to the book, it’s the first time this has been available to see in print, so that’s a neat piece of Kirby history.
Otherwise, while some concept art and rough sketches are included, the book focuses more on finished pieces. A good number of pieces are excerpts from Kirby games; others are the type of images you used to see decorate the manuals or include in magazines like Nintendo Power. My personal favorite is all the 2D anime-style art from the 90s, but you get Kirby and the gang in just about every form possible. And as you browse this lengthy collection, you get Kirby wielding a sword, Kirby as a tank, Dedede showing off a cake, an army of Kirbys hugging each other — so much adorableness and toughness.
Heck, the book even includes a blanket, 3DS cover, and even the making of adorable Kirby plushies. I tried to select sample images showcasing some of the different artwork, but there’s simply so much here ranging from mini designs that pack a two-page spread to large pieces that are the only picture on page. The print quality is fantastic with bright and vivid images, and even the dust jacket can be removed to see Kirby throughout the years.
Again, this is not an artbook if you wanted to see a breakdown of any or all Kirby games. You’ll see more game-related pieces for later Kirby releases, but it’s not like every enemy or location is included. In fact, not even every cover art is included. For instance, I couldn’t find the Kirby Mass Attack cover, although images from the Japanese back cover were included. Of course, that also means the US box art isn’t included, although you will find many of the images used for the front and back art available here.
Very little text is here, leaving the images to speak for themselves. Things like logos or the Japanese train station warning signs (please be quiet, don’t rush) were left untouched and did not have footnotes. Nothing major, but it still might have been nice to have an English translation right before these sorts of images. For things like concept art and the 4-koma, there is a translation. However, while the book isn’t small at about an 8.5″ square for a physical copy, the text can be hard to read since the VIZ staff had little room to work with. These parts are probably not something you’re going to be looking at closely on rereads, but for your first time through, people with vision problems may want to keep a magnifying glass or a camera with a good zoom nearby.
The artbook is also not the easiest to navigate since almost all pages are white. The title pages are broken up to right before their respective sections, and while they are pink, they are so easily missed among the bright white when you look at the book from the side. There’s a section of yellow pages for Kirby Café, and they dominate visually and also make the pink hard to find. In addition, I don’t see why the Main Art Gallery section wasn’t just dropped completely. Like there are images for the Pupupu Train and Kirby Café there, but several Pupupu Train and Kirby Café pics are in the Merchandise Art Gallery. Don’t understand why they weren’t all together.
Still, overall, my quibbles are minor and don’t ruin the release. Kirby: Art & Style Collection is a fantastic goldmine highlighting the adorable pink puffball’s visual history. With minimal text and both new and old art styles featured, it’s the sort of artbook anyone can enjoy no matter if you’re young or old or whether you’re a dedicated fan or someone with just a casual interest in the Kirby franchise.