HAL Laboratory shuts down Kirby fanmade card game Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. HAL Laboratory shuts down Kirby fanmade card game Starring the saucy Chef Kawasaki. News by Liv Ngan Reporter Intern Published on 29 Sep 2022 4 comments HAL Laboratory, the developer of the Kirby series, has shut down a fanmade card game featuring supporting character Chef Kawasaki. The fangame was created and sold by a group called KWSK Karuta. Consider that strike one. The fangame was called Chef Kawasaki's Micro Bikini Karuta. Consider that strike two. Watch on YouTube Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe trailer. If you've not heard of them before, karuta are Japanese playing cards. KWSK Karuta had manufactured physical and digital decks of karuta, and was selling them through an online Japanese art marketplace called Booth. As if that wasn't bad enough, the designs being sold are a little less savoury than the family-friendly image the Kirby series has. The phrase "Chef Kawasaki's micro bikini" is a sequence of words not many people would have ever imagined they would read. I won't embed any of the cards here (for the sanctity of your eyes and the safety of my job), but you can get an idea of Chef Kawasaki's portrayal by scrolling through the group's Twitter account. The Twitter account's first posts are from January, which showed off some of the karuta designs. The first packs eventually went on sale earlier this week, and the physical decks had sold out within a few hours. Two days later, the group announced on Twitter that they will no longer sell the cards, physically and digitally, due to request from HAL Laboratory. (Use Google Translate on the Tweet for a funny mistranslation thanks to katakana.) 【おしらせ】たった今、株式会社ハル研究所様よりコックカワサキマイクロビキニかるた（冊子版・DL版）出品取下げのご連絡を頂きましたので頒布中止とさせて頂きます！楽しんでいただいた皆様、ありがとうございました。そしてハル研究所様、ご迷惑をおかけして本当にすみませんでした！- コックカワサキマイクロビキニかるた (@KWSKkaruta) September 28, 2022 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings The group's Booth page still stands, but the product is no longer listed. It isn't surprising to see unofficial content of a Nintendo game sold by fans being shut down by the developer or Nintendo themselves. I'm not sure that turning Chef Kawasaki into a bikini model helped much, though. According to Automaton Media, who spotted the news, the design idea sprouted from Chef Kawasaki's canon choice of outfit. He is bare except for his signature apron, which then led to fans imagining him in a micro bikini (naturally). There are no figures on the deck's sales so it's unclear exactly how many people managed to snag a set. The physical deck was priced at 890 yen, which converts to just under £6. With the discontinuation of the cards on HAL Laboratory's request, Chef Kawasaki's Micro Bikini Karuta sounds like it's set to become a bizarrely sought after fan-creation. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store