If you saw my Kirby series review, you might be a bit surprised to see Kirby 64 on my Top 100 list. Didn't I give it 4/5 stars back then? What's changed? Nothing much, really. Kirby 64 is always a game that resonated with me, but it wasn't until a few months after making that retrospective that any gripes I have with the game are vastly overshadowed by the many things it gets right. K64 is a game that is vastly greater than the sum of its parts, and offers an experience that no other entry in the series has managed to replicate.
Kirby 64 was one of those games that kinda came out at the wrong time. It was both a 2D platformer on the Nintendo 64, and a Kirby game that took more after Dream Land 3 than Super Star. At the time, I don't think many people really cared about Kirby 64, but it grew a pretty massive cult following over time even within the series. It makes sense, Kirby 64 is a very unique Kirby game, with a style and vibe all its own.
In terms of its story, Kirby 64 is one of my favorite games in the series, partially because it's given more of a focus. There's a decent amount of cutscenes spread across the game, all of which are these incredibly charming and cute silent skits, and Kirby actually has a bit of a friend group this time. Early on, Kirby becomes accompanied by the fairy Ribbon, the artist Adeleine, a Waddle Dee, and King Dedede, and they make for a fantastic cast of characters. Ribbon is an adorable and brave secondary lead, and her implied crush on Kirby stands out for being the sole romantic subplot in the series. Adeleine is also very likable and her being an artist and presumably the only human in the series gives her so much potential as a character, it's a real shame she barely reappeared since. Waddle Dee is the least noteworthy of the cast, but he seems like the progenitor for Bandana Dee in the later games. And King Dedede is noteworthy for this being the first time he willingly teams up with Kirby, once again giving him some fantastic character development. The actual plot of the story is still fairly simple, it's mostly just Kirby defeating Dark Matter for the third and last time, but the charming cast, adorable cutscenes, and creepy ending elevate it quite a lot.
As far as gameplay goes, Kirby 64 controls pretty much exactly like every other game. You can run, jump, inhale, swallow to copy enemy's abilities, and float, albeit with a timer this time. Kirby does move a bit slowly in this game, but this never bothered me much. As I said, Kirby 64 was criticized at the time for not having the fast combo-heavy combat of Super Star, but it more than makes up for that with its central gimmick. For the first time, Kirby 64 allows you to combine abilities. You have seven base copy abilities, but you can combine them to make 35 total abilities, all of which run the gamut from screen-clearing weapons, to gag abilities, to helpful support abilities, to more context-sensitive stuff you can use to find collectibles. This system offers so much experimentation and it's a joy to simply discover what all of the combinations lead to. Even more, this is the only game in the series where you can choose to not swallow an enemy and rather hold it above your head to use its abilities, giving you access to even more options for getting through the levels.
The level design in Kirby 64 is easily one of its best aspects. Being a 2D platformer made in the late 90s, Kirby 64 goes full 2.5D in the same vein of games like Klonoa and Tomba. Paths wind around, enemies and obstacles come at you from the background, and the stages all boast a lot more depth. Every stage in Kirby 64 feels so memorable and dynamic, from the autumn forest in Pop Star, to the weird alien obelisk in Rock Star, to the mines in Neo Star, to the factory and mall in Shiver Star. Kirby 64 also adds some neat variety by actually implementing the other cast members into the level design. Waddle Dee lets you use a vehicle like a minecart or sled, King Dedede lets you play as him in certain segments, and Adeleine paints you solutions to certain puzzles.
The boss fights are also incredible, easily some of the best and hardest in the series. Each boss in 64 has at least two phases and often uses the 2.5D perspective to great effect, like Whispy Woods having you circle around him and destroying his roots, Magman and HR-H attacking you from the background before entering a chase, and the brutal Miracle Matter fight where you can only take him out with certain copy abilities at certain times. And as per the usual for the series, the final boss is a showstopping and dramatic tone shift that ends the game on a high note.
I shouldn't have to say that Kirby 64 is, like every Kirby game before it, chuck-full of content. Within the main campaign, there's 74 Crystal Shards to find to unlock the final boss, many of which will require you to really learn what each copy ability combination does. Even after beating the game, there's also a ton of enemy cards to collect by beating levels to keep you coming back. Beyond that, there's the usual unlockable boss rush along with a bunch of other unlockable features a sound test, and one of the best minigame modes in the series. Kirby 64 boasts three minigames to play, each having three difficulties, supporting up to four players multiplayer, and allowing you to play as all five members of the cast. Prior to Merry Magoland, this was the closest we've ever gotten to a "Kirby Party", and it helps that the minigames themselves are an absolute blast. Checkerboard Chase in particular ranks as one of, if not my absolute favorite minigame in the entire series.
But the best thing about Kirby 64, hands down, is its presentation. It's up there with Mario Party 3 and Paper Mario as the prettiest game on the N64, going for a cute, simple, pastel look that really emphasizes the dreamlike feel of Dream Land. The ground is peppered with stars, the textures and UI all look sketched-out, and the character models are ridiculously expressive, especially in the case of Kirby. It's a perfect translation of Dream Land 3's iconic pastel visuals, and makes for one of the most striking aesthetics in any video game, period. The soundtrack also ranks as one of the best in the series, and is arguably Jun Ishikawa's best work. It's a tight, energetic, catchy score that fuses quirky melodies with jungle-sounding drumlines and it sounds so good. It's hard to even listen all the highlights because there's just so many, but Quiet Forest, Zero Two, Miracle Matter, Factory Inspection, Ripple Star's Map and Castle themes, and Vs Boss deserve special mention.
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is such a complete package. The copy ability mixing, the 2.5D level design and bosses, the fantastic replay value, the charming story and cast, the incredible soundtrack, and the stunningly beautiful presentation all add together into a beautiful experience. But I think what really helps Kirby 64 stand out to this day is that there's no other Kirby game like it, it's entirely its own thing. No other Kirby game has level design this multi-dimensional, no other Kirby game has this degree of ability mixing, no other Kirby game (barring Epic Yarn) has this many unique mid-game cutscenes, no other Kirby game has Ribbon or Adeleine as a major character, and no other Kirby game looks like 64 does. Kirby 64 offers up a unique glimpse of what this series could've turned into, and while I adore modern Kirby, I can't help but wonder sometimes... What if?
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