| “ | Ahoy! Fatty Puffer, a glutton of the sea, has surfaced! As he inhales, he'll puff up to a massive size. Oh, and it looks like he's swallowed a ship part! Maybe that's how he got so strong... | „ |
| ~ Fatty Puffer's battle description |
| “ | It's Fatty Puffer EX! His rolling tackle can take him up walls to the ceiling, and his water cannon sprays at all sorts of angles. What gives? Usually he just naps and eats, which sounds familiar... | „ |
| ~ Fatty Puffer EX's battle description |
Fatty Puffer (Fatty Buffer in the Japanese version) is a minor antagonist in Kirby’s Return to Dream Land and its 2023 remake Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe. He is a large purple pufferfish who usually spends most of his time eating and sleeping at Onion Ocean, until he swallowed the Lor Starcutter’s Left Wing, making him aggressive.
Appearance[]
Fatty Puffer, as his name suggests, is a large, fat, purple pufferfish with small fins and a tail fin. His body is covered in purple scales with yellow spots all over it, massive lips not unlike ones that are found on a fish, and has two sharp fangs barely notable in his mouth. He wears a large headdress made of coral. He has eyes with purple schleras.
As Fatty Puffer EX, his scales turn red and his coral headdress becomes dull gold. It also becomes much fancier, resembling a crown with the coral sticking upward like the spikes on a crown.
Personality[]
According to Fatty Puffer EX’s pause description in Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, he usually spends his time eating and sleeping, traits that are on par with the likes of Kirby himself. This also explains why he ate the Lor Starcutter’s left wing and turned aggressive because of it. It also cites that him fighting Kirby and his friends as unusual, though the pause description for Fatty Puffer in Story Mode implies that eating the Left Wing was the cause of his newfound strength.
History[]
Kirby's Return to Dream Land / Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[]
Fatty Puffer appears as the boss of Level 3 of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land and its remake, Onion Ocean. Some time after the pieces of the Lor Starcutter were scattered across Popstar, Fatty Puffer found, and later ate, its left wing, making it go hostile and attack Kirby when he reaches his cave.
At the beginning of the battle, Fatty Puffer hides in the ground using his coral crown, before he leaps out and roars, commencing the battle to begin. In battle, Fatty Puffer attacks by using several melee-based attacks that take advantage of his mighty girth; he can curl up into a ball and roll across the room before crashing into a wall and trying to stomp on Kirby. He can also spit out globs of water or Fatty Puffer Jr.s from his mouth. In his second phase, Fatty Puffer makes himself bigger, taking up more of the screen and making dodging his attacks harder for Kirby. He can now spit out a large stream of water from his mouth and stomp the ground so hard that it causes stalactites to fall from the ceiling. Upon defeat, Fatty Puffer’s eyes white out and he explodes, dropping the Lor’s Left Wing.
In Extra Mode, Fatty Puffer EX’s attacks are more vicious and faster. As such, his rolling attack lasts longer and he can now roll across the ceilings, and he can now cling onto the ceiling for some of his attacks.
In the remake, defeating Fatty Puffer will cause him to visit Merry Magoland, where he can be found splashing around at the park’s fountain. Defeating him in both Story Mode and Extra Mode will also unlock two Dress-Up Masks based on him.
Powers and Abilities[]
Story Mode[]
- Rolling Tackle: Fatty Puffer will puff up into a ball by inhaling and try to ram into Kirby. The attack ends as soon as he hits a wall and he exhales.
- In the second phase, this can be done twice in a row.
- Stomp Jump: Fatty Puffer will charge up his jump and try to stomp on Kirby.
- Fish Spit: Fatty Puffer will spit out a bunch of Junior versions of himself in two sets. They can be used to spit back at him.
- In the second phase, he will spit out two Juniors of two sets at Kirby.
- Water Bullet: Similar to Fish Spit, instead with just globs of water. Kirby can inhale this attack for the Water Copy Ability.
Second Phase Only[]
- Water Cannon: While enlarged in size, Fatty Puffer can vomit a huge gush of water at Kirby. This can be dodged by either ducking or hovering.
- Stalactite Dropping: Fatty Puffer will stomp the ground repeatedly to form stalactites from the ceiling and make them drop down.
- Balloon Attack: While puffed up, Fatty Puffer will bounce around, crashing everywhere to hit Kirby.
Extra Mode[]
- Rolling Tackle: Fatty Puffer EX will puff up into a ball by inhaling and try to ram into Kirby. He will roll up the walls and on the ceiling as well. The attack ends as soon as he hits a wall and he exhales.
- In the second phase, this can be done twice in a row.
- Stomp Jump: Fatty Puffer EX will charge up his jump and try to stomp on Kirby.
- This attack tends to center more on Kirby.
- Fish Spit: Fatty Puffer EX will spit out a bunch of Junior EX versions of himself in two sets. They can be used to spit back at him.
- In the second phase, he will spit out two Junior EXs of two sets at Kirby.
- Water Bullet: Similar to Fish Spit, instead with just globs of water. Kirby can inhale this attack for the Water Copy Ability.
Second Phase Only[]
- Wide-Angle Water Cannon: While enlarged in size, Fatty Puffer EX can vomit a huge gush of water at Kirby. He can alter the angle of this attack, so ducking cannot happen in Extra Mode.
- Stalactite Dropping: Fatty Puffer EX will stomp the ground repeatedly to form stalactites from the ceiling and make them drop down.
- On occasion, he can combine this with a Rolling Tackle that will make them fall once he rams into a wall.
- Balloon Attack: While puffed up, Fatty Puffer EX will bounce around, crashing everywhere to hit Kirby.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Fatty Puffer’s name is a reference to Fatty Whale from Kirby Super Star, fitting for two aquatic bosses.
- Pyribbit from Kirby: Triple Deluxe acts as somewhat of a fiery counterpart to Fatty Puffer, being large fat amphibious creatures who can fire pressurized liquids from their mouths.
