Within the game's data are early portraits depicting each of the game's protagonists and the Animal Friends, the latter of whom don't appear in the final release outside of cameos as Stone + Cutter Kirby's forms. Pre-release screenshots show these and similar portraits appearing in the game's HUD, not only corroborating earlier indications that Waddle Dee, King Dedede, Adeleine, and Ribbon were playable at an earlier point in development, but also indicating that the Animal Friends were planned to play a proper role at one point.