Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000)

Random thoughts

• Most similar game to Dream Land 3, which surprised me. DeDeDe had the same pattern, animal buddies are referenced and have unique abilities, and the cutter is the same (it sucks).
• This is the only game with the copy ability where I recall Kirby being able to inhale underwater. This was super useful considering it would've been annoying losing an ability combo without the chance of getting it back underwater.
• This is the earliest game I've played that follows the multiple collectibles per level system that is basically the standard after Squeak Squad released.
• The game is 2.5D, but there is no interacting with the foreground and background. It is useful in some cases to get a better view of what's around the area, but other than that there really isn't a gameplay significance for this decision.
• I preferred the sprite art in earlier games over the 3D models in this game aesthetically.

Pros

• I really like the ability combination system. Unlike the animal buddy system in Dream Land 3, they felt worth it because they were pretty powerful. They even found a way to make 56 different combinations, just like Dream Land 3. 7 base abilities + 49 different combos.

Cons

• No multiplayer for the main game. It's a shame since the two previous games had it and this game is on a console with 4 controller ports.
• Collecting all the shards felt like a nightmare. It isn't always obvious that an environment object is destructible even after you find out the color matches what ability you need to break it. And there are a lot of stages where you can't even find the ability you need for the crystal shard within the stage itself.
• Floating and running feels slower than in other games.

Concluding thoughts
I only listed one pro, but I still think this game is worth playing. I was enjoying the heck out of it at first, but after dealing with the crystal shards I kind of soured on it pretty quickly. I think that this game would've been amazing if it integrated the Milky Way Wishes mechanic of unlocking abilities and being able to switch to them freely afterwards. That would've alleviated the tedium I experienced when going for the crystal shards and would have made for an all-around better experience. The copy ability combination felt really unique and I think it'd be cool if it appeared more often. I think Star Allies includes it in some fashion, but I haven't played that one yet. I think I'm done with Kirby games for awhile until they add more on the Switch Online service, it's been fun experiencing these games for the first time.

Edit: I'm not sure if it was always this way and I never noticed or if it's something that's found in these older Kirby games, but all of the Kirby games I've played recently seem pretty short.

Game #4/200 Kirby 64 is the next stop on my journey through some of my childhood platformers. And I’m not going to lie — it’s kinda good. I blasted through the first 2 worlds using rock + electric, which is one of several powerful combined abilities. The concept of combining any two powers to make an all together new power is incredibly interesting, and still had me curious about what two enemies combined would spit out even 23 or so years after first playing as an elementary school child. Some powers are outright shit however, just really slow or unusable (e.g., fire arrows), while others are super strong. I felled many mini bosses before they could even move. The difficulty of the early game is negligible. One potential issue is the mechanical change to how Kirby’s powers work (I believe? I can’t remember 100%). In this game, when hit (unless multiple times in quick succession; didn’t happen often), you don’t lose your power as a little bouncing star. So you can tank many of the hazards and simply find one of the abundant healing items and keep going with the power you like. There’s no pressure this way to switch things up. You never really have to adapt to situations or consider your power (unless you’re seeking out crystal shards, which are sometimes well hidden and satisfying to obtain). Around the end of world 2 however, the difficulty starts to tighten up a bit and I found myself taking many more hits, dying here and there, and experimenting with different powers.

All of that being said, I’m not a difficulty purist and I enjoyed the game regardless of the world I was on. The level design is standard Kirby and I had fun floating through side scrolling levels packed with enemies and hazards, hitting star blocks and collecting colorful foods and mini stars. There’s lots of level variety and every segment was basically enjoyable. It does a good job of using hazards or mechanics (e.g., a self-moving raft with waddle dee in which you can only jump, or a rope that creates an electric enemy upon touching it) in one part of a level and not showing it again for many levels or ever to keep things fresh. One fun touch is how beaten early bosses become allies in future levels. I particularly liked the lively, energetic music and of course the colorful graphics. I played on the Switch and it looked a lot smoother and brighter than I remember it.

I think Kirby 64 is probably in the upper half of Kirbys I’ve played. There are so many in the franchise that are of roughly equal quality. I wouldn’t mind jumping into another right after. It’s definitely worth playing if you enjoyed any of the Dream Land titles.

Side note: you can’t reset your game or all of your lives + current power disappears. Wtf!

I immediately didn't like this one, but I decided to keep at it for at least a few worlds to see if maybe I'd grow accustomed to it, try to meet the game on its terms. But nope, this is just not for me. Was legit kind of stunned how flat and boring most of the stages were. They generally all look like this:

Lv 1 __________ /¯¯¯|___________________..... ________––– _____________________

Lv 2 ______/\ ____________________________________________________************

In this one, Kirby walks very slowly, attacks very slowly, and... well, it's just a slow game. I tried to just roll with that, but there isn't enough of a draw to this one to keep me invested. The main gimmick of this is that he can suck up an enemy, take its ability, spit out a star of that ability at another enemy (with a different ability), and receive a new combined ability. This is a great idea on paper, but in practice it didn't make the game any more interesting. None of the combined abilities I used felt any better than regular abilities, or any more fun to play with.

So yeah, this one's a wash for me. I will give the game credit for one thing though: the graphics, and more specifically, the 3D character models used for this N64 release. The low-poly renditions of Kirby and friends are very cute. That era was a short-lived but fun one for simple but endearing anime-ish character models (perhaps best exemplified by Megaman Legends). Wouldn't mind seeing new games with this style get made more (off the top of my head, there's Frogun).

Thirteenth Kirby game ever released and the sixth mainline entry, this time Kirby is in 3D... Kinda. While the graphics are full of polygons, like most Nintendo 64 videogames, the gameplay is still a 2D platformer, so you could call it a 2.5D platformer.

Following the events of Kirby's Dream Land 3, Dark Matter returns to wreak havoc and posses all living beings in Pop Star, so Kirby has to stop them, but this time the adventure happens across the galaxy, meaning that Kirby has to travel between planets with the help of a fairy named Ribbon. Sadly, the Animal Friends didn't return, but at least Kirby isn't alone, as you meet some old and new friends along the way.

These friends actually help you during certain parts of the game: The Waddle Dee gives you improvised vehicles, Ado the artist paints a Maxim Tomato or helps you to solve puzzles, and King Dedede uses his hammer to destroy obstacles that Kirby can't. They are a good change of pace and a good replacement of the Animal Friends, especially because they appear at specific moments, so you don't have to worry about bringing them from a previous level in order to get Crystal Shards, the collectable that you need if you want to unlock the final boss, just like the Heart Stars in Kirby's Dream Land 3.

Talking about the Crystal Shards, they are easily the worst part of the game. There are three crystal shards per level, some of them are in plain sight while others are cleverly hidden, so you have to explore the level in order to find them, which is pretty fun. However, the real problem are the ones that need a specific ability to get. In this game you can combine two abilities to create a new one: For example, you can combine fire and bomb to become a living fireworks machine, or combine two bomb abilities to launch missiles at your enemies, which again, is a lot of fun, but it isn't so fun when you realize that sometimes you need to bring a combination from a previous level and then complete half of another level just to get a Crystal Shard. Thankfully you can exit any stage whenever you want while keeping your abilities and crystal shards, but it's really frustrating realizing at the end of a level that because you don't have the right combination, you have to do it again. It doesn't help that some combinations feel useless most of the time (like Ice+Cutter), and Kirby is slower than usual, so replaying a level can feel longer and more tedious than it should.

It's a shame, because otherwise Kirby 64 is really entertaining and charming as most Kirby games: The soundtrack, while not as memorable as in other entries, is still catchy; the 3D graphics look really good, especially for Nintendo 64; and I love how silly and cute the cutscenes are.

There are also optional minigames that you can play: A racing minigame where you have to hop while avoiding obstacles, a survival minigame where all the players destroy the floor while avoiding falling into the abyss, a harvest minigame where you get as many fruits as you can, and the standard boss rush you unlock after completing the main story. You don't even need to play them in order to get the 100%, but they are so fun that I definitely recommend trying them.

In conclusion, this game can be a great experience if you don't try to get the crystal shards, but that means you won't unlock the final boss and the story will be incomplete, so I'd say it suffers from the same problem as Super Mario Sunshine: Really fun unless you try to do 100%, where all their problems become really apparent.

Short but sweet, Kirby 64 lacked in difficulty but made up for with it's enjoyable combat and awesome ability combinations. The platforming was pretty standard, I'd probably of appreciated it more if I was 10, not 29 but overall just ok. What helps is the vibrant, colourful visuals that immerse you in each world you enter whilst hunting for those shards that push you to go just that extra mile.

Kirby's sole Nintendo 64 platformer is a mixed bag:

• The ability to combine copy abilities is cool, but there are only six to combine (with many repeated outcomes).
• The crystal shards can be fun rewards for thorough exploration, but many are easily missable, and the levels aren't diverse enough to replay over and over.
• The bosses are the right mixture of fun and challenge, but the last one is gated by those darn shards.
• Low-poly King Dedede is adorable, but most of the game's characters are pretty dull-looking compared to past (and future) entries.

If you like classic Kirby games, it's worth a playthrough. But I greatly prefer other games in the series.