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Unused Animations

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This is a sub-page of Kirby: Triple Deluxe.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe didn't have a turbulent development cycle like Kirby's Return to Dream Land, nor did it have the need to borrow assets from 3 cancelled games, leading to less unused animations compared to the Wii game. However, it did have that very same Wii game to borrow stuff from, a healthy development time, and a developer that is VERY bad at removing unused animations, leading to some unused things finding their way into the files.

Playable Characters#

Kirby#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Hero\Kirby\Motion.bch.cmp
Kirby contains a bunch of unused animations. Some are new, some are old. The first one is called TopL__Wait6, an idle animation where he looks like he is freezing. TopL_Wait6_TDX.gif

The second one is TopL__Wait8, which is one of the title screen animations he can do. However, that animation is in an entire different file with a different script, as well not having a hex value in the main game as well. TopL_Wait8_TDX.gif

Dedede's Drum Dash Dedede#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Den\Hero\Dedede.bch.cmp
King Dedede's Drum Dash model contains two unused animations. The first one is called TopL_JumpRoll, where he does a special rolling jump. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_DDD_Drum_Dash_TopL_JumpRoll.gif

The second one is simply titled TopL_Wait, which is an idle animation that is similar, albeit not identical, to Dedede's regular idle while playable in Dededetour!. While he does go idle before leaving the starting platform, he uses a different animation for that, called TopL_StartWait Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_DDD_Drum_Dash_TopL_Wait.gif

Bosses#

Dark Meta Knight#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Darkmetaknight.bch.cmp
Dark Meta Knight has unused animation, called TopL__UnderThrustEnd. Dark Meta Knight cannot end this attack in mid-air, as there's not nearly enough vertical space to let the attack go for long enough, and there are no states or animation scripts related to it anyway. TopL_UnderThrustEnd_DMK.gif

Mid-Bosses#

Bonkers#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Bonkers\Model.bch.cmp
Bonkers has three unused animations, which are surprisingly not leftovers from Return to Dream Land.

The first animation is called TopL_Damage, and it depicts Bonkers flinching from damage. The only time Bonkers could flinch from damage in previous games was when he took damage as a helper in Kirby Super Star and its remake, or in the cancelled Kirby for Nintendo GameCube as a mid-boss, which used a different animation altogether. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Bonkers_TopL_Damage.gif

The second animation is called TopL_DamageEtc. This could've been used when Kirby was inhaling him in stage 5 of Royal Road with Hypernova, but he instead uses TopL_DeathDamage in that event. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Bonkers_TopL_DamageEtc.gif

The third and last animations is TopL_Walk, a walking animation that never gets used in-game due to Bonkers using running as his main method of transportation. This animation actually comes from the cancelled Kirby for Nintendo GameCube, seen in the game's initial trailer when fighting Dedede Robo and when he's being controlled as a helper in the following shot. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Bonkers_TopL_Walk.gif

Mr. Frosty#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Misterfrosty\Model.bch.cmp
Mr. Frosty has two unused animations. The first one is called TopL_Damage, and depicts Mr. Frosty flinching from damage. Bonkers and Frosty are the only mid-bosses with a damage animation outside of death animations. This one is clearly unfinished. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Frosty_TopL_Damage.gif

The second one is called TopL_Work. Work is a misinterpretation of the katakana for the english word "walk", which is "ウォーク" (wōku). Frosty never walks in-game to move, and he instead resorts to jumping or running. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Frosty_TopL_Work.gif

Enemies#

Beetley#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Beetlie.bch.cmp
Beetley has one unused animation called TopL_Wait, which depicts it them an idle state. It goes unused due to the behavior variation associated with it, Wait, is not used by their object in any stage or circumstance. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Beetley_TopL_Wait.gif

Birdon#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Birdon.bch.cmp
Birdon has an unused grounded idle animation called TopL_Wait. It goes unused in-game due to Birdon never entering an idle state under any circumstance and due to not having any behaviors associated with it anyway. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Birdon_TopL_Wait.gif

Bouncy#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Den\Enemy\DenBouncy.bch.cmp
Bouncy is an enemy that only appears in Dedede's Drum Dash, and because their whole animation directory from Return to Dream Land was left intact, they're bound to have some unused animations.

The first animation is titled TopL_DamageEtc, previously used in the Wii game when Bouncy was being inhaled or grabbed, which cannot happen in this game. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Bouncy_TopL_DamageEtc.gif

The second animation is called TopL_Fall2, depicting an alternate falling animation for Bouncy that was also present in Return to Dream Land. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Bouncy_TopL_Fall2.gif

The third and last animation is TopL_Jump, which depicts Bouncy jumping. Now, you might be thinking "but isn't jumping the only thing Bouncy can do in this sub-game?", and you're right! However, it instead uses another animation named TopL_JumpS for its appearance in Dedede's Drum Dash. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Bouncy_TopL_Jump.gif

Broom Hatter#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Broomhatter.bch.cmp
Broom Hatter has an unused idle animation named TopL_Wait. This animation is a leftover from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, where it was also unused due to Broom Hatter never being in a position that let them stop sweeping. They do not have any idle states progammed either. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_TopL_Broom_TopL_Wait.gif

Bronto Burt#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Brontoburt.bch.cmp
Bronto Burt has a walking animation called TopL_Walk, which was actually previously used in Kirby's Return to Dream Land only in the Water Challenge stage and when dropping down from Whispy Woods. Bronto Burt never makes use of a walking behavior routine in this game, nor do they have one programmed for it, so this animation is never seen. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Bronto_TopL_Walk.gif

Chilly#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Chilly.bch.cmp
Chilly has several unused animations leftover from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, which in turn are leftovers from Kirby for Nintendo GameCube when they were playable as a helper.

The first animation is titled TopL_Jump, meant for a jumping action. Chilly never jumps in the Wii game or this game. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Chilly_TopL_Jump.gif

The second animation is TopL_JumpStart, meant as the startup of a jump. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Chilly_TopL_JumpStart.gif

Finally, there's an animation called TopL_Wait, an animation used by Chilly in Kirby for Nintendo GameCube when they were idle as a helper. Both Return to Dream Land and Triple Deluxe use an animation titled TopL_Wait2 that better resembles Chilly's idle animation as an enemy in older Kirby games. However, as in Return to Dream Land, this animation is partially unused, as it can very briefly be seen when Chilly stops attacking or after it recovers from a fall until they quickly switch back to using their standard idle animation. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Chilly_TopL_Wait.gif

Como#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Como.bch.cmp
Como has two unused animations. The first one is named TopL_Attack. It seems to be the same unused animation from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, but it was actually entirely redone for this game, in which it unfortunately went unused again due to Como only using one behavior routine the entire game and not having any attack states coded to use this animation. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Como_TopL_Attack.gif

The second one is an idle animation called TopL_Wait. It's another leftover from Return to Dream Land, in which it went unused due to them using a more dynamic "moving" animation. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Como_TopL_Wait.gif

Craby#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Craby.bch.cmp
Craby has an unused idle animation titled TopL_Wait. Once again, this is another leftover from Return to Dream Land, but goes unused here due to Craby never being in a situation where they stop being active due to their behavior variation, TopL_Wait, not being set to be used in any room they're in. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_TopL_Craby_TopL_Wait.gif

Grandy#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Grandy.bch.cmp
Grandy has an unused animation titled TopL_SliderRide. This animation is not used by the regular Grandy. It's instead used by the ski variant in snow stages, which have their own separate model file and animations. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Grandy_TopL_SliderRide.gif

Kabu#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Kabu.bch.cmp
Kabu has some unused animations depicting them warping, which were first seen unused in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. These animations are titled TopL_Warp1 and TopL_Warp2. Compared to the versions found in Return to Dream Land, they seem to have been updated, making Kabu look more stiff when warping in and out. Despite being able to warp in every game they have been in prior to Kirby's Return to Dream Land, they had lacked the ability to do so since that entry up until Kirby and the Forgotten Land outside of sub-games, which means these animations go unused. They can be seen if Kabu is set to use the behavior variations Teleport_MoveAround or Teleport_Jump.

Warp1 is for teleporting out. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Kabu_TopL_Warp1.gif

Warp2 is for teleporting in. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Kabu_TopL_Warp2.gif

Eventually, these animations were used in Kirby 3D Rumble, a sub-game from Kirby: Planet Robobot.

Key Dee#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Wonkey.bch.cmp
Key Dee has one animation titled TopL_SliderRide. Like Grandy, this animation is not used by the regular Key Dee. It's instead used by the ski variant in snow stages, which have their own separate model file and animations. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Key_Dee_TopL_SliderRide.gif

Noddy#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Noddy.bch.cmp
Noddy has one unused animation titled TopL_Walk. Noddy can't walk in Triple Deluxe, nor Return to Dream Land, which is where this animation came from. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Noddy_TopL_Walk.gif

Poppy Bros. Jr.#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Poppyjr.bch.cmp
Poppy Bros. Jr. has several unused animations that were also unused in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. Strangely, the animations have been updated for Triple Deluxe, giving the hat manual animations to simulate physics and gravity. Whether they were planned to be used in this game or not is unknown.

The first animation is called TopL_FallBall, and it shows Poppy Bros. Jr. falling while on top of his bomb. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Poppy_Jr_TopL_FallBall.gif

The second animation is TopL_LandingBall, depicting Poppy Bros. Jr. landing on his bomb after aerial time. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Poppy_Jr_TopL_LandingBall.gif

The third animation is called TopL_Move, and it's a simple forwards walking animation. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Poppy_Jr_TopL_Move.gif

The fourth animation, on the other hand, is called TopL_MoveBack, and it's a backwards walking animation. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Poppy_Jr_TopL_MoveBack.gif

The fifth animation is TopL_MoveBall, and it's another walking animation. This time, he walks and rolls atop his bomb. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Poppy_Jr_TopL_MoveBall.gif

The sixth animation is TopL_MoveBallBack, and it's a backwards walking and rolling animation on top of his bomb. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Poppy_Jr_TopL_MoveBall.gif

Finally, the seventh animation is simply titled TopL_Wait, which is an idle animation that makes him take little steps slowly. The final game instead uses TopL_Wait2 when idle. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Poppy_Jr_TopL_Wait.gif

Ringle#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Dingll.bch.cmp
Ringle has an unused idle animation titled TopL_Wait. Ringle has a dedicated idle animation in mid-air that syncs up with their attack patterns, titled TopL_FlightWait, but this one was meant for them being idle in the ground, which does not happen at any point during the game due to their grounded idle behavior variation, Wait, never being set for any room. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Ringle_TopL_Wait.gif

Scarfy#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Scarfy.bch.cmp
Like in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Scarfy has a few animations for jumping, which... For obvious reasons, go unused.

The first one is called TopL_Fall and it depicts Scarfy falling after jumping. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Scarfy_TopL_Fall.gif

The second one is named TopL_Jump, and it depicts Scarfy straight up jumping. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Scarfy_TopL_Jump.gif

The third one is TopL_JumpStart, depicting Scarfy preparing themself for a jump. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Scarfy_TopL_JumpStart.gif

The fourth and final animation is titled TopL_Landing, which depicts Scarfy landing after aerial time. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Scarfy_TopL_Landing.gif

Sectra Burt#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Sectraburt.bch.cmp
Sectra Burt, a variant of Bronto Burt, has the same unused walking animation as Bronto Burt in their motion list. Sectra Burt was never likely meant to walk, so the existence of this animation is probably the result of copying assets. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Sectra_Burt_TopL_Walk.gif

Sir Kibble#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Sirkibble.bch.cmp
Sir Kibble has an unused animation for walking called TopL_Walk, something he cannot do in this game due to not even having walking behavior coded in. It was also found unused in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Sir_Kibble_TopL_Walk.gif

Sodory#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Den\Enemy\DenSodory.bch.cmp
Like Bouncy, Sodory is an enemy from Kirby's Return to Dream Land that only makes an appearance in Dedede's Drum Dash. All of its animations from that game were ported to Triple Deluxe, but only a few of them get used. There's more unused animations in here than used!

The first unused animation for Sodory is called TopL_Attack. This animation was used in Return to Dream Land when they were spawned by Magolor in his first phase, but it was strangely redone for Triple Deluxe despite there being no need to do so. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Sodory_TopL_Attack.gif

The second animation is called TopL_AttackMove, and it's actually original to Triple Deluxe. It looks like Sodory was supposed to stab sideways at one point during Drum Dash. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Sodory_TopL_AttackMove.gif

The third animation is titled TopL_DamageEtc, and in the previous Wii game, this was used when Sodory was inhaled or grabbed. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Sodory_TopL_DamageEtc.gif

The fourth animation is titled TopL_Fall. It was previously used in Return to Dream Land when Sodory was knocked away and came crashing down. This cannot happen in Drum Dash because Sodory instantly dies when colliding with Dedede. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Sodory_TopL_Fall.gif

The fifth animation is TopL_FlightWait, which was also unused in Return to Dream Land due to Sodory never actually flying in the air despite having wings. In Drum Dash, Sodory actually flies, but the animation they use when idle is instead TopL_Wait, their grounded idle animation. Whatever. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Sodory_TopL_FlightWait.gif

The sixth animation is TopL_GroundAttack, Sodory's standard attack in Return to Dream Land. Goes unused in Drum Dash due to them having this exact same animation truncated as TopL_GroundAttack2 to better match the rhythm of the stages. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Sodory_TopL_GroundAttack.gif

The seventh animation is TopL_Landing, which was used in Return to Dream Land when Sodory landed in the ground after experiencing aerial time. Sodory cannot fall in Drum Dash to begin with, so I don't think I need to explain why this is unused. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Sodory_TopL_Landing.gif

Finally, the eighth animation is TopL_Move, which was previously used in the Wii game when Sodory moved from place to place along the ground. In Drum Dash, Sodory moves while preparing their next attack. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Sodory_TopL_Move.gif

Waddle Dee#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Waddledee.bch.cmp
It's everyone's idol! Waddle Dee has a bunch of unused animations, mainly from Return to Dream Land, and just one unique to Triple Deluxe.

The first one is TopL_Cheer1, depicting Waddle Dee cheering slowly. It was previously used in Return to Dream Land, but there's no situation where Waddle Dee cheers in this game. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Waddle_Dee_TopL_Cheer1.gif

The second one is TopL_Cheer2, another cheering animation depicting them waving. Like the first one, it was also used in the Wii game, but it goes unused here because they don't really cheer at all in this game. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Waddle_Dee_TopL_Cheer2.gif

The third animation is TopL_LRide2, used in Return to Dream Land when riding Nruff while going to the right. Nruff isn't in this game, so it's clear why this went unused. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Waddle_Dee_TopL_LRide2.gif

The fourth animation is TopL_LRide2Start, used in the previous game as the start-up to the previous animation. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Waddle_Dee_TopL_LRide2Start.gif

The fifth animation is TopL_RRide2, used in Return to Dream Land when riding Nruff while going to the left. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Waddle_Dee_TopL_RRide2.gif

The sixth animation is TopL_RideWait, used in the Wii game when Waddle Dee was idle atop Nruff. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Waddle_Dee_TopL_RideWait.gif

The seventh animation is TopL_RRide2Start, used in the previous game as the start-up to the previous animation. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Waddle_Dee_TopL_RRide2Start.gif

The eighth animation is TopL_SliderRide, which is original to Triple Deluxe. This animation is used by the skiing Waddle Dees, which are its own separate model and entity, like Grandy and Key Dee, making this animation in Waddle Dee's archive unused. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Waddle_Dee_TopL_SliderRide.gif

The ninth animation is TopL_Slope, which was also unused in Return to Dream Land. It depicts Waddle Dee sliding down a slope. While the motion wasn't updated, its name was, going from SlopeFront to TopL_Slope. Surprisingly, a behavior variation that uses this animation does exist in the code, called Slide, and it makes Waddle Dee assume that animation when going down a slope. Of course, no room in the game makes use of this variation. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Waddle_Dee_TopL_Slope.gif

The tenth and final animation is TopL_SlopeEnd, which depicts Waddle Dee getting up after sliding, also unused in the previous game. Like the previous animation, it was renamed, going from SlopeFrontEnd to just TopL_SlopeEnd. This animation is strangely not used within Slide. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Waddle_Dee_TopL_SlopeEnd.gif

Walky#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Walky.bch.cmp
Walky has an unused animation for a jump. This animation was also found in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, where it went unused as well. The animation's filename is TopL_Jamp, and it was also misspelled in Return to Dream Land. There is also an unused behavior variation for Walky that makes it jump with this animation, called WalkJump. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Walky_TopL_Jamp.gif

Wheelie#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Step\Enemy\Wheelie.bch.cmp
Wheelie has several unused animations related to actions that it cannot do in any of its in-game appearances.

The first one is called TopL_JumpStart, meant for starting a jump action. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Wheelie_TopL_JumpStart.gif

The second one is the continuation, TopL_Jump meant for aerial time during a jump. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Wheelie_TopL_Jump.gif

The third animation is called TopL_Move, meant for a slower movement option. In-game, Wheelie instead uses TopL_Dash for their standard roll action, which makes them bob up and down faster. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Wheelie_TopL_Move.gif

The fourth and final animation is an idle animation titled TopL_Wait that doesn't go used in-game due to never being a situation where Wheelie goes idle. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Wheelie_TopL_Wait.gif

Other#

Item Box#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\Fight\Item\ItemBox.bch.cmp
The item box has an unused material animation that make use of the unused texture itembox.00, titled TopL_Main. It seems the developers actually intended for the unused texture to be the one to be used in Kirby Fighters, but perhaps it went unused as the result of an oversight. It only lasts 1 frame. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Item_Box_TopL_Main.png

Master Hand#

File path: RomFS\gfx\STD\GameOver\MasterHand.bch.cmp
The hand that appears in the Game Over screen, known internally as Master Hand, has a decent bunch of unused animations, all from Return to Dream Land.

The first animation is called TopL_Desision, and it was also misspelled in the Wii game, where it was used when clicking an option in the Game Over screen. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Master_Hand_TopL_Desision.gif

The second animation is called TopL_GoodBye, and it was also unused in Return to Dream Land. It depicts Master Hand waving Kirby goodbye, which it does in its animation TopL_Continue as part of a much longer animation. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Master_Hand_TopL_GoodBye.gif

The third animation is TopL_Reset. It's a static frame and it was also unused in the previous game. The purpose of this animation is unknown, but animations like these were all over in Return to Dream Land, unused within its files. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Master_Hand_TopL_Reset.png

The fourth hand last animation is TopL_Wait, used in Return to Dream Land when idling on an option in the Game Over screen. Kirby_Triple_Deluxe_Master_Hand_TopL_Wait.gif