The Misunderstanding of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

[@Mizu_Melon]

I actually didn't know that a lot of people thought Kirby 64 was mediocre, I always thought it was the game that everyone loved.

[@iBenjamin1000]

Yeah I always assumed it was a beloved n64 game like the rest of them

[@donilexington4600]

It's one of my favorite 64 games!

[@YoAce420]

THE GAME WAS SOOOO FUNNN

[@dawne2780]

This comment haha it’s one of my favorite games of all time.

[@Serious5GamingS5G]

I wouldn't put it in my top 3 favorites, but it's definitely my top 5

[@pineapplepearjuice6717]

The music in this game is at some shin megami tensei battle theme levels of going hard, no joke.

[@idunno_]

Most Kirby soundtracks are like that

[@Felixman128]

This reminds me a lot of Mario and Luigi Dream Team. The very same things people criticize about the game are the things that make it my personal favorite of the bunch lol.

[@iinfactdidnotsignupforthis7544]

Sameee

[@Felixman128]

@@iinfactdidnotsignupforthis7544 based

[@KiraCuraMusic]

I loved dream team! Was a good game indeed

[@sonarabit]

Do you mean the long tutorials. I can see some people not caring but I do so I like to hear your take on them.

[@jaretco6423]

To be fair, I can understand the hate it gets. The overbundents of tutorial are an nightmare and you can't skip it. Not to mentioned it has many other pacing issues that adds so much filler in which doesn't evolved around the plot and there's no side fetch for that. It drags. That's the big problem.

[@caracalfloppa4997]

I loved this game's atmosphere too. Easily the greatest strength it has.

[@seasonembrace3624]

Alongside Dreamland 3 I feel.

[@CuteJosie_]

I was just playing this yesterday. The only thing I don't like is the backtracking with different powerups and slightly clunkier controls i especially love the soundtrack.

[@idunno_]

This is a game I replay every year, but doing that has made me agree with a lot of the criticism this game gets. Those negative aspects directly impact the replayability. The slow pace makes the game really boring when you've already seen all of it before, the experimentation doesn't matter anymore when you've used all of the different abilities countless times and seen that only like 5 of them are actually good, and the short game length is a problem when Dream Land 3 (the direct predecessor) was longer. Though I don't agree with the criticisms that compare this game to Super Star. That isn't really a fair comparison due to the game being directed by a different person that's made 2 other similar games with a different approach (they focus more on exploration and atmosphere rather than fast-paced gameplay) Overall, it's a fun game for a first playthrough but there isn't really a reason to go back to it once you've seen everything (but the same could also be said for the rest of the Dark Matter trilogy too)

[@michaeldavis9190]

omg, your pfp is a Kirby enemy

[@OtakuUnitedStudio]

@@michaeldavis9190 Specifically from Kirby 64, even.

[@NintendoHero]

The only thing I really know about this game is that the Pop Star song is absolutely incredible. Epic Yarn was the only Kirby game I'd beaten for a while, but after playing Forgotten Land and Planet Robobot, I'm really getting into this series. It's great to know that even the so called "mediocre" entries still have plenty of value as long as you're willing to find it. I'll definitely give this game a shot myself in the future, great video!

[@Waddle_Dee_With_Internet]

Anyway, someone just remixed the Pop Star music kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZiTdmqmapuIrJI

[@cerisejaxel9636]

This game’s whole soundtrack is gold!

[@vicctretamaj]

77 isn’t bad at all, that’s good and solid bro lmao

[@carnage0685]

Also, I saw Zero Two when I was 6 years old and I immediately fell in love with him, and am still in love with him to this day! His design is just so awesome. It's a bit creepy, but there's something I just love about it. I guess I'm the only one though.

[@souihftf]

no i love him too.

[@fecg]

I love him too that i consider HIM as the main villain of the Kirby franchise

[@alejandrotti10]

This game is flawed? Yes. It's amazing anyway? Yeah. Is it one of the bests? Not by far. So is it one of the worsts then? Again, not by far. Don't be forced to like or not a game, nor force other to like or dislike a game. This game is great, is not for everyone, and that's ok. Don't expect to do or have the best of the best, and enjoy what you do or you have. Maybe, the work you're into will get some recognition on his best sides. Like the T rated memes. Seems hilarious until you realized how much Kirby lore has improved not only from its original release, but it has been improved since both of its SNES launches too.

[@eddyjolo]

I usually dont like easy games but this is still my favorite Kirby game. The atmosphere is incredible. Couldnt agree harder with all your points.

[@lulin2546]

reserving my first comment and am gonna watch this later

[@Fenyx_Birb]

This video rises one of my issues with rating games, judging based on what they don't have rather than what they do have

[@endeityloon136]

i'm so glad i'm not the one absolutely OUTRAGED by the lukewarm feelings the internet seems to have for kirby 64

[@tippy468]

My partial colorblindness (combined with a lack of internet access or guide book during my childhood) made this the hardest Kirby game for me to 100% complete. Because of that, I repeatedly played through levels more times than I have in any other game in the franchise. Still, it was such a memorable experience and I'm glad it took me an embarrassingly long time to finish it. Great review! BTW did you make that boss battle remix at the end? That was awesome!

[@RangerTheWarrior]

This is such a great video. For the longest time I've been trying to explain to people whenever they play Kirby 64 to not focus on having the end in mind, like other games in the series, but to take it in, experiment, enjoy, and just have fun! I always remember the best part of this game was seeing what X and Y could do together, and enjoying the simple creativity of it all Kirby 64 is not about the destination, it's about the journey

[@geoffingoff]

This and Dream Land 3 are my favorites for all the points you mentioned. In the Kirby fandom, I generally hear the same criticisms of Dream Land 3--that it's too slow, not enough copy abilities (because that game also had a huge number of combinations through the partners), etc. But the amazing atmosphere and fun experimentation more than makes up for it. The combinations open up so many fun options for the gameplay, and 20+ years later, Kirby STILL has not attempted this incredibly fun *full* combo system again. Walking around the worlds, you can feel how much love and attention the director put into each level, treating it as its own unique space rather than reusing assets multiple times in the same world (or even across worlds which some of the more generic Kirby titles do). It truly turns a game into a journey and adventure. I've replayed this game quite a few times with a rule I have to have one base ability (like bomb) at all times but can add anything else onto it (swapping out once I reach another bomb enemy for ex) and it really keeps the game feeling fresh as I play it again and again. It also makes the Miracle Matter boss fight, while long, very interesting and challenging as you're forced to use all the combinations. This is a very long way of saying... I agree! And thanks for shining a well deserved spotlight onto this gem of a game! ^_^

[@marxistharpy]

One of my GOAT games, the soundtrack alone is reason enough to stan this awesome game.

[@KuraiButterfly18]

I love this game and i can see all the influence it has on forgotten land

[@supermike12321]

always thought this was a loved game. this is a top 5 kirby game for me by far. the OST is killer

[@SausRelics]

I love this game

[@redjaypeg]

Kirby 64 is still my favorite after all these years. Forgotten Land gave it a good run for its money, but I'll still prefer combining power-up any day. It's just too fun and I wish they would bring that mechanic back.

[@BrandonSwinney-j2v]

what's the problem with the switch version?

[@mobgabriel1767]

Kirby 64 the cristal shards is a master piece

[@Waddle_Dee_With_Internet]

Can we talk about the fact that Adeleine hasn’t appeared even in single Kirby game until Star Allies for 18 years

[@KetwunsGamingPad]

Also the only human

[@DarthRaichu]

Kirby 64 is 100% in my top 5 Kirby games. I never knew that this game was controversial before now.

[@nervaaugustus7089]

The biggest problem with Kirby 64 is exactly the experimentation you talk about. Sure, yeah, I can mess around with combining two abilities, but what's the payoff? A one-trick pony. All of the two-ability combinations are just one-trick ponies that take additional steps to obtain. Meanwhile in other games, my copy abilities have entire *movesets* and multiple ways they can be used to solve puzzles. Hammer can smash stakes, but did you know that its charge up attack ignites fuses and melts ice? There's also multiple ways to solve puzzles sometimes. Yeah, sure, i can pound that stake with Hammer, but I can also drive it in with Stone, too. That high-speed obstacle course designed around Wheel is nice, but I can also use all the slants and hills and tunnels to perform crazy bankshots with UFO's laser. That doesn't happen in Kirby 64 - each ability has one and only one use, and rarely can you use two different abilities to solve the same puzzle, Each ability has one and only one trick, so they're not versatile enough to be fun when smacking enemies. Sure yeah, I can replay stages with a different copy ability and get a 'new' experience, but it's still an experience of doing one thing over and over and over to deal with problems. It gets repetitive, fast. I find myself not wanting to replay stages with different copy abilities because of that. Worse yet, since a lot of the copy abilities you need to solve puzzles aren't available in the stage that the puzzle's in, you have to go back to other stages to get the proper ability and then shepherd it back to the puzzle without losing it, meaning more backtracking and repetition with copy abilities that aren't fun for me to use. The game has an excellent story, absolutely lovely music, and it didn't do too terrible making the 3D graphics leap without losing its charm. But the copy abilities - one of the core pillars of the gameplay experience, are one-trick ponies with nothing to recommend them. I can still perform every move in Mirror or Suplex's moveset from memory today, but I can't even *name* most of the Copy abilities that were exclusive to Kirby 64, nor can I easily remember any of the combination abilities except a couple that were particularly useful, like the Cutter+Bomb combo you pointed out. That's how forgettable they are for me. And yes, I 100%ed Kirby 64 back when it came out, then sold the cart to a friend - the only Kirby game I've owned that I've parted with. Can't say I recommend the experience.

[@JohnSmithson999]

Kirby 64 is very weak, the level design is flat, linear and repetetive. Even though it's 2D controls in a 3D it doesn't take full advantage of elements moving in/out of the foreground/background. Look at other 2.D games that came years prior that don't have these issues like Klonoa. Be honest, if the main character WASN'T Kirby, would you still think it's a solid game?

[@kirbyrobobot]

One of the things I really appreciate about this game now that maybe I didn't notice as much as a kid is the sense of companionship and friendship that exists among the characters. I love the cutscenes that play in-between each world in the game that show "snapshots" of the time that Kirby, Ribbon, Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede spend toegther. It's very charming and adds a sense of... I guess realism in that it's not just you speeding through various unrelated levels in some video game but like there's an actual adventure that the characters are going on. tl;dr it feels like the characters are actually friends, unlike in Star Allies where you force people to be your "friends" just so you can quite literally use them to destroy walls and obstacles... Also multiplayer in this game is a great time and I can play as Adeleine

[@TheRealSuperKirby]

The fact that 7.5 is seen as a "bad score" shows how much the school grading system has screwed up our brains.

[@cooljrgaming9729]

i actually think star allies was pretty good, i can kinda see why people despise it but it's actually a solid game in my opinion

[@SonicTheCutehog]

I'm surprised you knew who Captain Falcon was before Smash Bros.

[@Pichuscute]

Kirby 64 is by far the best game in that series and is easily one of the best video games ever made. Idk what's wrong with people, lol. It's even helped inspire an entire genre of music (future bass). Also, lmao at Kirby 64 being easy? It's by far the hardest game in the series... And, I'm not gonna lie, I don't even think Dream Land 3 or Superstar are good games. They are the ones I'd call slow and clunky, not the masterpiece that is Kirby 64. Without 64, I'm not even sure I'd care about Kirby at all.

[@cheiftainvulpix]

Same, since I played this when I was younger I thought the same and then being older now...

[@grilledcheese7768]

personally i love that kirby 64 is generally pretty easy and short. I recently started it and its my first kirby game. i love the old 3d graphics, the characters, the soundtrack and level designs, etc. I love that its short and easy. Ive always had trouble finishing video games (its been 2 years since i started kingdom hearts 2 and i still havent finished it), so kirby 64 feels perfect for me. I dont need to put hours into a game just to make some progress. Its nice and comforting to play, its not too hard or frustrating. Im a pretty casual gamer so kirby 64 feels perfect for me.

[@jessesmith4309]

Part of the reason he feels like he moves slower is that the camera is further away or has a much wider field-of-view (FOV) than in Super Star. Kirby is drawn at about the same size in Dream Land 3, but the edges of the screen feel much more restrictive than in Crystal Shards.

[@Placeholder501]

I didn’t know there was less that stellar opinions on this game. I feel like I’ve only ever heard good things about this game. At least that’s all I can remember.

[@ArtAngelMouse]

Agree with you but now I hate that I am suddenly aware that Kirby 64 was not as well liked as I thought it was lol. Its one of those N64 games that will never feel outdated to me.

[@Patchuiko]

My first kirby game was Super Star and the speed of Crystal Shard never really bother me that much and I liked it because of the abilities mixes and the story, I also agree the athmosphere is one of the best. Tbh I dont really get it, why game always gotta be fast, always a complaint when a game engine is slow. You guys gotta stop having short attention span and enjoy life at his slowest...

[@PoyoDreamer]

Star Allies is an underrated game, I love star Allies.

[@maverickay5807]

Kirby 64 is my favorite Kirby game ❤

[@steelecrayon]

Great analysis as usual! I think you nailed why Kirby 64 always felt like an outlier to me as a kid -- the 2.5D perspective, slower pace, and the mix of happy and creepy vibes was off the beaten path compared to Mario and Zelda. Not sure if you're into Paper Mario but I feel like if you ever did a video on the series, it would be absolutely phenomenal. (Also, Milky from Bomberman Hero in the background? Yes! 🤩♥️)

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

I remember enjoying it a bit as a kid (never enough to finish it.) But going back it is just so slow and meh. Yeah combining abilities is fun, but thats sort of it. The story isn't engaging, it is incredibly easy, and the QoL doesn't feel all-there. Like, why would I ever play it over something like Klonoa?

[@LukeVaughn__]

This is one of my favorite Kirby games wtf

[@OmegaBlacky]

I rented this game back in the day but I don't remember much about it outside of the autumn level/music. It wouldn't be until it was released for the Wii Vc that I actually got to finish it and I have to say I have mixed feelings about this game. A lot of the ability combos,not only good amount of them situational,it also felt as if they were made for laughs rather than being something useful,like the bomb and lightbulb snowman,ice skating,dynamite,shape-shifting rock/cutter ability etc. While I do think this game still looks great,infact I think one of the top 5 best looking n64 games,the graphics and art direction isn't a valid reason to slow down the pace. I don't mind that the game is short,like you I think it works well for the game. The bosses were pretty good,I really enjoyed the final boss,music is great as well. The multiplayer on the other hand,I think they should've done there own thing rather than trying to copy Mario party,not sure what else they could've done but it doesn't really do much for the game. Anyways,this was a nice video.

[@themetalgamer9864]

What's wrong with playing the game on Switch?

[@crweewrc1388]

Kirby 64 is one of my favorite Kirby games of all time.

[@JMarcosArt]

I played Crystal Shards as a kid, and I loved it. (It's the only Kirby game I've ever played)

[@ty_sylicus]

Wait. What's wrong with the Switch version?

[@reynoldskynaston9529]

The ability combination mechanic was so cool and I think there is so much potential. I really hope they bring it back one day.

[@Avaline-Marie]

This be my fav kirby game. Like it more than most platformers because the pacing doesn't feel breakneck. Lotsa platforming games wanna be speedy, very few seem to take their time, and goodness the lore from this game alone and it's implications has been cited every time I've seen a kirby lore vid. (not just the obligatory shiver star is earth reference.)

[@griffthecoke1722]

DAMN that intro was clean! Keep it up I love u bro

[@brunocc120]

This was my first Kirby. I think that at least the combination of habilities is one of the greatest ideas, and they never get that back. And I don't understand why

[@chrisbeal4466]

Damn do you make videos just for me? I need anime recs because it sure seems we have the exact same tastes. I have so so so many fond memories of play the first 3 levels over and over again at every hotel that had an n64 in the room. Just legendary.

[@alanrecinos7700]

I played Kirby 64 on the Dream Collection CD and I really loved the the slow paced nature. I felt so calm playing the game and the environments and outstanding music sure did help that. I also felt a lot of emotion because of the environment and music. I het to cozy vibes like I do playing the Animal Crossing games! I could go on and on but it’s definitely a great game to play. Definitely a game to play if you’re looking for something more laid back!

[@Charles-e4x]

64 was my first Kirby game, so I probably have a lot of bias towards it, but even after playing a lot of the other Kirby games, I still consider it my personal favorite. With SSU and RtD not too far behind it. Besides the power combinations, music and level design, I've always liked how the story was presented. It's nothing massively deep or complex, but the fact that there's no dialogue and the way the characters just emote to each other and having their actions and movements timed with the music gave the game a very innocent and childlike vibe that I really appreciate. Also love all the scenes with the crew just chilling or reacting to the environment. And there was just something so satisfying with the entire final sequence of the game. Kirby and Ribbon teaming up to take down the big scary final boss as well as the ending itself always hold a special place in my heart. And I never really minded the length of the game. Sometimes less is more and the game was wonderfully paced. And I would argue there is some level of exploration and complexity to the levels as some shards are tucked away in little corners you have to scout out. Not in the same way as say, The Great Cave Offensive, although that is an extreme example of that sort of thing. Overall yeah, I really do think this game is overlooked and a lot of people complain about what the game doesn't have instead of looking at what it does have.

[@Slammerbit]

Had to subscribe just from how you present yourself. Love it Edit: completely agree Kirby 64 is amazing it was my first game that had a "bad" ending Left kid me feeling confused and bad, not knowing why things turned out the way they did. Which lead me to me completing the game years later cause I did not know how to break a bone later in the game, and in fact it was that single crystal shard that kept me from getting another ending. Years later when the internet was more of ease of access for everyone I found out how and beat it. LOVE THE SONGS ESPECIALLY QUIET FOREST.

[@bradenjlloyd]

I was too young to think to myself "oh, Zelda and mario are 3d so why isn't this". I didn't play this as much as those, but still really enjoyed it. The atmosphere is a huge draw as you pointed out. And that multiplayer game with the falling platforms we played endlessly

[@scroptels]

Honestly I'm not sure it's a good idea from a game design perspective to slow down the game so that players don't burn through the content, platformers burn content in general, if you want something that last longer make a metroidvania. I do think the shards add a lot to the replayability though, that was good

[@nebzila]

easily one of my favourite games. the 'rock star' theme is insane. It's unique for the dual copy ability but i wish they'd reimplement it

[@thegoldentriforce542]

Wait... people DIDN'T like this game? I mean, I know that some people just don't like some games, but I thought that this game was amazing when I first played it. It was an amazing kirby game, in my opinion.

[@axelprino]

I started playing this game for the first time about two weeks ago, have yet to finish it, and it seemed like a pretty good game so I had no idea it was considered mediocre. Mind you this is the first time I'm playing a Kirby game despite being aware of the series existence for like two decades, it just never occurred to me to give it a try.

[@mostafabalboul3966]

1:35 okay, I never thought I'd hear a reference to Warioware GC's secretly amazing microgame music literally anywhere. One of the best song and it's only 3.4 seconds. You have my sub (OH and of course the video's amazing too, Kirby 64 is still my favorite Kirby game with Amazing Mirror and Planet Robobot being very very close)

[@Monhamd1000]

Kirby 64 needs some tweaking, but despite that, it's still a classic!

[@Moussaka47]

This game was perfect for the 5 year old little girl me; generally speaking, Kirby games are great to get into video games when you're a kid. 0² being put aside but reaally, to unlock the real final battle you have to collect every crystal, which is not really something you do when you're only 5 years old. And that Autumn stage was one of my favorites, so much so that I kept dreaming about it even years after my bros sold the N64. And Dark Star was my favorite track but since I hadn't unlocked the stage and true ending, I spent years not knowing where this hidden track was supposed to be. Then I replayed the game on emulator and completed it during high school. A time during which I had just discovered and fell in love with drum'n'bass music so it all made sense to me.

[@FloridusMan]

One singular complaint is you using the fandom wiki. But from what I remember having a good time

[@Gnarwolf]

man ,i havent played this game since 2002, i was 7. I need to play it again to unlock some good old memories.

[@krocolate1300]

KDL3 and 64 are two of my favourite games of all time. I know he Doesn’t move very fast in them but that was always a weird complaint to me. No kirby game at that time screamed, fast paced game play to me. I know some crackhead speed run movements can get him zooming but a casual person is not gonna do that normally

[@Robeebert]

"in defense of..." What? The game was amazing. What's there to defend? Even the multiplayer mini games were okay. The soundtrack was phenomenal. As a first 3D Kirby title, the game was a masterpiece

[@angelagarofalo4750]

I don't know why nobody loves Kirby 64: The Cyrstal Shards it's a beautiful game!

[@ChickenMcKicken]

i want to like k64 really bad, but with how stupid/annoying some of the shard obtainments can get i just cant help but to see it as just an okay game

[@benefluence]

It's not my favorite in the, but I have very fond memories of Kirby 64. It and DL3 actually have a different director than other early Kirby games, which is a big part of the distinct style they share.

[@raidomegnuo2868]

I just finished this game. I love your enthusiasm about it, especially on defending it with reasonable arguments. This said: yea, good memories can really influence a lot. This is why I am very biased towards to titles like Nightmare in Dreamland or Canvas Curse (that most people thought it was great but not as over-appreciated as a, idk, Superstar). I kinda had a hard time and mostly frustration to get all the crystal shards and without guides to rely for getting the real ending. I get the experimentation part and while I agree with some crystal shards felt like that, the backtracking to get the right ability was tedious and, god, some were really cryptic to guess. One thing we can all agree with is how luckluster the multiplayer aspect was. Those 3 minigames were really almost just there...and with friends the fun would end together after maximum 10 minutes of playing 'em. Objectively still: this is a good Kirby game. Much better for me than Mass Attack (the only Kirby game I could dare to say I...hate it, but at the same time disagreeing with myself, reminding of the creativity, some level designs and awesomeness of those sub-games). There's no real bad Kirby game still tbh.

[@loubaxo9339]

It was the first Kirby game I played beginning to end. I played it on emulator and with some visual bugs, but I loved it anyways, it's still my second favourite Kirby game so far

[@nicolasgoulet4091]

bruh what ppl hated this game? first, best music ever second, nice ambiance third, wtf the games b4 this one barely qualify as games (they are not in 3D) and we all know only 3d games r real games babyyyyyyyy

[@GRNKRBY]

Back in the day, reviewers only liked edgy and photorealistic games, and so cute games like Kirby got middling to bad reviews by default.

[@linkthehero8431]

"Don't play it on Switch unless it's your only option." *_Here I am being glad I have both a laptop with Project64 and an Android phone with an N64 emulator downloaded from Google Play_*

[@dragonlanceproductions6298]

Crystal Shards was actually my second experience with a Kirby game. My first being Super Star Ultra. I have never actually played Crystal Shards though. I just remember it very fondly for its twists and lore. The bad ending and Zero 2 genuinely felt so unique to me at the time. Combining that with the fact that Superstar was the first time experiencing the Meta Knight reveal, Marx, Meta Knightmare ultra and also combining that with the Kirby anime. I feel like I have fallen in love with Kirby for its plot and characters more than anything else. That's right... I said plot not lore. F you. Everything I said up to this point mostly counts towards plot. The word "Lore" is overused. That's all I have to say.

[@bluetoyguy2022]

wait people think this game is just DECENT? this is my favourite game of all time! the music is amazing!

[@quibquiberton4184]

I grew up with Kirby 64 as my first Kirby game, and I thought it was about a 7/10 even as a kid. The atmosphere and music are great, and I like combining copy abilities as a concept, but the way it was executed was a bit bland. It was fun to try all the combinations for the first time, but only a few were that fun or effective, so I totally agree with the criticism of lack of replay value. I didn't even really get into the kirby series until much, much later after picking up the original on Game Boy 20 years later. The hard mode on that game is so fun.

[@KoopaKool12]

I actually cried a bit after my first playthrough last year. I'll f*****g say it, it was beautiful...

[@lpfan4491]

Truth be told, I am in the more negative camp on the game. It's not exclusively K64 tho, I just can't really vibe with the Dark Matter-trilogy in general. I also dislike Super Star(I still plan to give the remake a try eventually, just...idk when. Hopefully people don't lie to my face and it really is much better than the original), but I still find it much more fun to play. And it's a shame imo because my view on this trilogy does not come from a lack of trying. I 100%ed Kirby's Adventure with its gamedesign-cheapshots multiple times, I threw myself at Star Allies and completed as many clears of the highest arena-difficulty as I could(around half the cast) and I even threw the 30 bucks that Team Kirby Clash Deluxe wanted at it, just so I could experience more of the greatness of this gameseries at a reasonable pace. I even 100%ed Super Star twice despite me not liking that game. But nomatter how often I played these, it just didn't work for me.

[@MousaThe14]

This was also my first Kirby game also because I first saw the guy in Smash and I had no idea the game had such middling responses, I assumed it was a classic. Heck, to this day I’m still slightly disappointed that combining powers wasn’t the standard but a game specific feature.

[@linkthehero8431]

"The common consensus is that 'Kirby 64 is just too easy, slow, and short.'" Have those people literally never played a Kirby game before?

[@gamesier2400]

I always saw kirby 64 like one of those games that look promising but then get cancelled because it was planed for n64DD, i just cant believe this game exists for some reason, but i love it so much

[@KiraCuraMusic]

THANK YOU for defending this game. It has been my childhood favorite and still my favorite even into adulthood. It’s just a great game. ❤

[@voiceofreason2674]

Kirby was never supposed to be a flagship Nintendo IP but then Sakurai went and struck gold with Smash Bros. And elevated himself to G status. Kirby would never get cast aside like some other Nintendo ips cuz he was always a star of the handhelds but I think Crystal shards was probably hastily reworked from a snes game

[@betr8]

02:30 Brother, he didn't go missing. The website literally says that he has no presence online which means that he could still be working somewhere; just not in the gaming sector. I know that you might be trying to be sarcastic, but this is where rumors come from.

[@catdatwat9743]

I played Kirby 64 countless times before, I played it as a kid as well, but it’s honestly just a fact it’s not as good as the other Kirby games, not even close. You say experimentation is a big part of Kirby 64, and that is true and why I also still love it a lot, but what ruins it is the crystal shards “puzzles”. They don’t encourage you to experiment, they only force you to go back and be stuck with a certain ability for a certain amount of time to get the shard, that’s not experimentation, and it’s what mainly ruins the game for me. I also feel like the level design is very barren and is only saved by the ability mixing and atmosphere. Kirby 64’s ability mixing is cool, but it’s clear they never brought it back because it’s harder to design a tightly made game, like how the other Kirby games do, with something like the mixing, which is fun, but would require more time to create levels that really build upon the mechanics of the mixing.

[@chucky116]

First Kirby game I’ve ever played similarly after seeing him in smash 64 I’m like who the f is this then instantly fell in love with the ability combination mechanic

[@Troublethecat]

Ah, Kirby 64 was my first Kirby game too. Though I rented it at Blockbuster rather than buying it (several times in fact). I remember really liking it and I'm also a bit surprised it actually isn't that popular with the fanbase tbh

[@kaphizmey6229]

that intro at 0:17 is so perfect, you could honestly make that your intro going forward!

[@Chokun-Gaming]

I loved this game so much on my first (and so far only) playthrough that I went back to get every enemy info card (playing it on switch (my only available option) has permanently made me want to use A as the jump button)

[@DougiePlaysSoccer]

I used to love playing this every birthday back when hotels had Nintendo 64s and you’d rent games like renting movies.

[@bakerfransen9128]

For what ever reason, the game is ridiculously expensive in Europe. It is such a shame, since i really want a copy of the game

[@dawne2780]

5:09 how is the player supposed to know that’s ice???? Almost every other breakable in this you’re trying to match the type you see, not do the opposite!!

[@thatsnazzylad]

i'm fairly new to back to the kirby fandom, with forgotten lands being the first game in the series i've played since epic yarn back in the day. and something that's just funny to me is that so many people in the fandom, at least in the art section, seem to love adeline and ribbon to this day. just hearing that people love the characters but hate the game is bizarre to me. it's cute, weird, janky, and imprefect. what a cool game

[@gallantblade1825]

Dreamland 3 is my favorite of the old Kirby games for its length and the Animal Friends providing variety in the gameplay, plus the many varied puzzles. But the slower pace of Kirby 64 lets you take in the ambiance of the levels and experimenting with the combination abilities is always a treat. Plus a fantastic soundtrack (though I think every Kirby game OST has been a banger). Certainly, the middling reviews were a product of the game’s time period and what came before. I think this game should get remade into a fully open world 3D game. For lore and experimentation purposes.

[@MadSociety-uy6zg]

I didn't think Kirby 64 and the Crystal shards was too easy I still die quite a few times in some levels especially some bosses can be an asshole if you don't have any copy abilities to fight compared to later Kirby games Kirby 64 is the last decently challenging Kirby game.

[@leilalsw]

I love playing this game on the collection released for kirbys 20th anniversary dream collection on the wii