Not So Special K (Kirby 64 The Crystal Shards (N64))

Member Name: scream4bruce

Product:	Kirby 64 The Crystal Shards (N64)
Date:	04/06/08 (62 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cute colourful graphics, cool Special Power feature

Disadvantages: Feels a bit slow and sluggish

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is a 2D platform game with 3D environments. Kirby can copy the Special Powers of enemies he swallows. His copy ability has evolved in this game, so he can copy and combine two Special Powers for a Power Combo, and there are a couple of ways to do this. The Special Power where Kirby turns into a walking stone Golem rocks! Special Powers tend to be a means of defeating the enemies, of which there are plenty, but it can be quicker for Kirby, with his limited flying ability, to simply fly past, as Kirby's control can feel somewhat slow and sluggish. The game can feel like a playground for playing around with the Special Powers as there is not much in the way of having to avoid losing lives from falling into pits. However, there are situations where Kirby has to act fast. Fortunately the game is played with the d-pad.

At the end of each level there is a bonus game where Kirby has to aim his jump for one of the items spread about a picnic cloth - his crying animation when he misses is rather hilarious! The game is cute and colourful, with the nicest moments graphically involving the painter Adeleine, whom at first possessed by dark matter shows Kirby the meaning of an art attack! Once freed of such evil by Kirby, she is able to help him out by painting him health items. Even Waddle Dee and King Dedede help Kirby out in this game - the former with transportation and the latter with his mallet! There are many Guard fights throughout the game, and each world (or Star) culminates in a boss battle, of which I liked how the final fight (not the TLB) was neatly made to feel familiar to those who had made it so far.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is suited to younger gamers, the story mode is fairly short and straightforward to finish, with a reward being the Sound Test - note Kirby's facial expression as he is listening via headphones! There is the matter of collecting all one hundred crystal shards before tackling a finale to get the best ending. Having the right Special Power at the right place helps, thankfully with colour-coding it is not such a process of trial-and-error. Also, there are the enemy info cards to be picked up - I would recommend for completists to just go for these at the picnic on playing the game, since a repetition of levels will be required to collect them all. Up to four players can compete in the mini-games, of which there are three, and these can be intense! Still, it's perhaps not worth paying a rare N64 game price for it (I managed to buy mine secondhand for £3!).

Summary: Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards for N64