Thanks to reader Whitehawk for his "End of Day" banner. Feel free to send in your creations, I will be happy to share them! This banner will go into a daily rotation with Kirbutashi's work.

Let it be known that I am a very big Kirby fan. I couldn't be happier with how well Squeak Squad was received in Japan. I am not sure of the sales that SS garnered here in the states, but hopefully it did just as well. After a bit of Kirby discussion in our podcast, it left me wondering about his next console adventure.

Back at E3 2005 we learned of a Kirby platformer for the Cube. The title stayed true to the series 2d roots, although with 3d characters and backdrops (much like Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards). The footage looked great, the game looked like a ton of fun, and I couldn't wait to hear more about it. Who knew that 2 years later I would still be waiting for more information?

Fast forward to E3 2006 where I was hoping to see more of the pink puff. Nintendo's keynote was amazing, chock full of Wii goodness. We even had the surprise of two new (at the time) Cube titles, Super Paper Mario and Donkey Kong Barrel Blast. I searched through my press kit for any mention of Kirby on the Cube, but there wasn't anything to be found. We were lucky enough to snag an interview with Beth Llewelyn, in which I asked about the status of the game. She (supposedly) knew as much as I did, and couldn't tell me if the title was still in the works, or had been canned.

Finally in early 2007 we hear some news on Kirby. It has been rumored for quite some time that the Cube Kirby title would be heading to the Wii. Just a few days back, Matt Casamassina (IGN) made mention of Donkey Kong Barrel Blast heading to the Wii, as well as Kirby. As far as we know, he was talking about the ill-fated Cube version. This isn't a 100% confirmation, but it is pretty damn close. The real question is, what made Nintendo hold back Kirby for 2 years to bring his game to the Wii?

There are a few ways of looking at the matter. First thing that comes to mind is that Nintendo knew the Cube was almost dead, so why release Kirby so late in the console's life? Wouldn't it make more sense to give him a fresh start on the Wii? Let's say development would take a year, from 2005 to 2006. By the time the title was due to ship (in this made-up time frame), we were already had Wii on the brain. There's a very good chance that Kirby would have been lost in the shuffle.

Something else that I can't shake from my mind is Kirby's gaming past. Sure he got his start in excellent 2d platformers, and has continued to appear in them to this day. The other thing that Kirby does well is starring in game-changing genres. Kirby Tilt 'n Tumble was a Game Boy Color game that was built around a motion sensing cartridge. Kirby's Dream Course saw Kirby take the form of a mini-golf ball. Kirby's Pinball Land plopped Kirby into a Dreamland themed pinball machine (much like we saw with Mario Pinball Land), and Kirby: Canvas Curse showed us the true potential of the DS to create new gaming experiences. Finally that brings us to the next console Kirby. Could Nintendo have held Kirby back so that he can show off the Wii hardware like none other?

Perhaps Nintendo will once again bring Kirby to the forefront to really show us what you can do with the Wii. A Wii Canvas Curse sequel is a definite possibility, with Wiimote control working nicely as a stylus replacement (with some gameplay tweaking needed, of course). Then again, we could see Nintendo showing us brand new ways to use the Wiimote...ways we couldn't have guessed. When Canvas Curse came along, I found it to be quite an original idea, and one that really showed off the DS' major feature. I can only imagine what ideas Nintendo has cooking for the Wii, and they may very well turn to Kirby to show them off. Worst comes to worst, Kirby for the Wii could end up being a direct port of what they had in mind for the Cube...which wouldn't get any complaints from me.

Well Kirby, I eagerly await your next console title. I really want to see what you have to offer. Will you bring us some of your traditional 2d fun, or will you be creating another genre that can only be done on the Wii? I'm sure whatever happens, it will be worth the wait...and wait I shall.

What do you guys have to say about Kirby on the Wii? What would you like to see, or not see for that matter? I'll check in once I get back to work in a few hours. Off to bed for me, have a great morning everyone!