Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble

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Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble is an action-puzzle game for the Game Boy Color from Nintendo. It released in Japan on August 23, 2000, and in North America on April 9, 2001. The cartridge has a built-in accelerometer and a distinctive transparent pink shell, giving the game a unique feel as you tilt the device to move Kirby.

Story
Kirby wakes up on a cloud and follows King Dedede to uncover why Dream Land has lost its stars. He sets out to collect the stars and save his world.

Gameplay
- You control Kirby by tilting the Game Boy Color. A quick flip of the device makes Kirby pop into the air.
- The main goal is to reach the level’s end while collecting stars scattered around.
- To beat a level completely, you must collect the red star, which unlocks bonus worlds with a bit less time.
- Time is managed with clocks, checkpoints, and power-ups. If you run short on time, an alarm sounds and the music speeds up.
- You start with five lives. A life is lost from damage, falling, sinking, or running out of time. If you lose all lives, you can continue from the current stage.

Development and release
- Development began in April 1999. It was originally titled Koro Monkey and starred a monkey.
- After a discussion with Shigeru Miyamoto, the character was changed to Kirby.
- The game released in Japan and North America; it did not come out elsewhere.

Reception and legacy
- Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble received favorable reviews.
- It debuted at number four in April 2001 sales data from NPD.
- Game Informer praised the game’s tension and pacing; Famitsu gave it 30/40.
- In 2014, Game Informer listed it as one of the best Game Boy games.
- USGamer later ranked it as the worst Kirby spin-off, calling it not one of the more enjoyable Kirby titles on Game Boy.
- It sold about 563,914 copies in Japan, making it the sixth best-selling Game Boy Color game there.

Sequel and canceled follow-up
- A sequel, Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble 2, was shown at Space World 2001 for GameCube with Game Boy Advance connectivity.
- Shigeru Miyamoto demonstrated that players could write programs into the cartridge.
- The project was later renamed Roll-O-Rama, planned for May 2002, featuring a marble ball instead of Kirby. It appeared at E3 2002 but was never released.

Re-release
- Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble was re-released on the Nintendo Classics service on June 5, 2023.