One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Kirby is just how does this adorable pink creature swallow his enemies and take on their abilities. Enemies that don't hold a special ability can often either be "digested" entirely or spit out in the form of a star. Nintendo has never revealed the secret behind how Kirby's stomach works, but one Kirby game does give us a glimpse of how his digestive system might work.

Kirby: Squeak Squad released in 2006 for the Nintendo DS family of systems. The game follows Kirby as he tries to track down the Squeaks, a group of criminal mice who have stolen Kirby's strawberry shortcake. Squeak Squad follows the standard Kirby game formula, providing players with a 2D side-scrolling experience in which they traverse different worlds and overcome challenges using Kirby's Copy Abilities. Unlike other Kirby games, the creatures and items Kirby swallows can be seen inside of a Copy Palette which acts as a visualization of Kirby's stomach.

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The Copy Palette is represented on the bottom screen of the Nintendo DS and acts like a sort of storage system. A max of five items, abilities, and chests that the player collects are stored inside bubbles to be used at any time. Any item or enemy that cannot be maintained in a bubble (primarily enemies who lack any abilities) are destroyed the instant they enter Kirby's stomach. This unique storage ability allows Kirby to maintain items of value inside himself without the items being destroyed. Given that other items (food items that can't be bubbled) can be consumed to give Kirby some additional health, it seems Kirby has a bit of control over what can remain in his Copy Palette and what can't.

Kirby's Stomach Is Actually A Pocket Dimension

Kirby Squeak Squad

Another unique characteristic of the Copy Palette is that it allows for certain items to be combined. Two food items can be brought together to create one Maxim Tomato. Abilities can be mixed which will result in the creation of a random new ability. This means that Kirby's stomach has the ability to combine different elements and create something new in a strange form of alchemy. Any bubbles that are dragged up outside of the bottom screen will result in Kirby holding the item in his mouth. Players can then choose to inhale or exhale the item.

This unique stomach anatomy makes it seem like Kirby might in fact have a pocket dimension existing inside him. It would explain why certain items can be stored while others are either digested or destroyed. In some unknown way, Kirby is able to determine what should be kept for later and what should be digested right away. Given that food type items can be used to heal, Kirby's stomach is somehow linked to his body overall. Perhaps when an item is consumed directly, it bypasses the pocket dimension all together (similar to a 2 stomach system like a bird). Kirby: Squeak Squad unfortunately doesn't provide much information about how matters work outside the Color Palette, but it does explain how Kirby is capable of consuming as much as he does.

Kirby's abilities have been a topic of debate since his inception and with Nintendo refusing to provide much insight on the subject, fans are left to speculate. However, given that an official Kirby title does provide an exclusive look into Kirby's stomach, perhaps there's nowhere else to look beyond Kirby: Squeak Squad. Or maybe Nintendo has a plan to finally provide everyone a first-hand look into the mechanics of Kirby's anatomy altogether.

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