Kirby and the Forgotten Land proved to be a huge success for HAL Laboratory, selling a lot of copies and showing the pink puffball's copy abilities can translate well into a true 3D platformer. The Kirby series has long been known for its kid-friendly nature and interest in adapting to various genres, leading to a number of spin-offs that rival Nintendo's Super Mario franchise. A number of spin-off titles have come to Switch, and Kirby's Dream Buffet is the latest announcement.

Unlike a lot of spin-offs that are larger renditions of sub-games from mainline entries, such as prior Switch releases Kirby Fighters 2 and Super Kirby Clash, Kirby's Dream Buffet is an original concept being compared to Fall Guys. It features four-player matches in which various Kirby colors roll into balls and make their way through obstacle courses with the goal of eating the most food. In some ways the game appears to be pulling from HAL Laboratory golf game Kirby's Dream Course on NES, but Dream Buffet's reveal trailer also deepens the connection between Kirby and Super Smash Bros.

RELATED: Kirby and the Forgotten Land's Successor Could Do More with Present Codes

How Kirby's Dream Buffet Uses Master Hand

Kirby's Dream Buffet looks to be light on story, with its reveal trailer showing Kirby ready to enjoy a nice strawberry shortcake before getting shrunk to a miniscule size by some kind of magical, possibly cursed fork. Unlike the similar set-up to Kirby: Squeak Squad in which the puffball's adventure is kickstarted by a stolen cake, this becomes an opportunity for Kirby to eat even more by comparison.

When the racing gameplay begins, fans should immediately notice that Master and Crazy Hand are floating above the cake-based obstacle course to tell Kirbys and a group of Waddle Dees when they can cross the starting line. The duo of floating gloves reappear at the end of a race to provide fanfare and clap for whichever Kirby wins by consuming the most food. Though many viewers will gravitate toward the mechanics on display, such as how Dream Buffet interprets the series' staple copy abilities, the Hands' presence speaks to a long-standing connection between franchises that could offer an insight into how this spin-off operates.

RELATED: Future Kirby Games Should Imitate Kirby and the Forgotten Land's Waddle Dee Town

Master and Crazy Hand Have History With Kirby

hal laboratory smash bros crossover history

Master Hand first debuted in Super Smash Bros. on N64, acting as the final boss in that game's single-player "Classic" mode. However, the character is perhaps most notable for its appearance in the fighting game's intro sequence, during which it gathers a collection of Nintendo toys and rearranges items on a desk to bring a child-like imagination to life. Master Hand counts down to begin a Smash Bros. match, and this animation is replicated for Kirby's Dream Buffet.

The gloved character became something of a mascot for the Super Smash Bros. series, reappearing in every subsequent game - with Crazy Hand introduced in Melee as a harder variant that uses more unpredictable moves. Their roles would expand over time, with Smash 4 introducing Master Core and a pair of game modes headed by Master and Crazy Hand, followed by Smash Ultimate making Master Hand playable in the World of Light story.

As the Smash Bros. franchise was created by HAL Laboratory, spearheaded by Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai, there has always been some crossover. A lot of Master Hand's attacks are similar to those of Wham Bam Rock from Kirby Super Star's Great Cave Offensive, and both Hands would become bosses in Capcom subsidiary Flagship's Kirby and the Amazing Mirror. When Master Hand appears as a mid-boss in Amazing Mirror, Kirby can absorb him to gain his "Smash" ability that replicates moves from the fighting game.

This was Master and Crazy Hand's most significant appearance in a Kirby game prior to Dream Buffet, though they were also collectible stickers in Kirby: Planet Robobot. While this new inclusion could just be fanservice that pays homage to HAL's history, one could argue Kirby shrinking for a racing game with obstacle courses based on real-world objects is uncannily reminiscent of Master Hand building Smash Bros. stages. Whether this becomes an actual plot point in the spin-off remains to be seen, but regardless it shows that the Hand duo has a lot more potential now that Smash Ultimate is finished with development.

Kirby's Dream Buffet releases for Nintendo Switch in summer 2022.

MORE: Why Nintendo Showing Off One Game At A Time May Be A Good Strategy