Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

"Kirby the Pink Cotton Ball of Doom"

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is an amusing game that can keep a player entertained for a while. But the bad end of the deal is that Kirby 64 is a really short game and will not last you as long as you think. Anyway I first found out about this game from my friend when I was little. I went to his house and I saw him playing this brand new game he just purchased for $49.99. That was my first time seeing a Kirby game, but as soon as I watched him played. I knew I just had to have it.

Kirby is very simple. Get to the end of the level while collecting some crystal shards. Within five minutes, I bet you'll understand the whole game. The game is like a 2D platformer, but you're just walking left and right. The background gives it the feel of a 3-D platformer, but it isn't. Kirby has the power to suck in any monster (except bosses) and get their abilities. (Some monsters don't have abilities, but that's ok) What's new in this Kirby game is that you can combine abilities like Fire plus Cut = Fire Sword and Rock plus Bomb = Dynamite, there are a whole bunch of combinations in this game, so you won't get bored that easily. I think there are seven different powers in this game. Cut, Stone, Needle, Ice, Bomb, Fire, and Spark. So that makes a lot of combinations for Kirby to master.

The graphics are clear and colorful. Everything looks really real and smooth. Kirby's powers are also unique and have wonderful animations for them. The monsters and maps are clear and simple and clean. Everyone is in 3-D and there are even a few cut scenes in this game. And once you unlock the cut scene you can view again in the theater. (I love watching them and seeing Kirby's face as he goes in the portal in different ways) The music in this game goes with the game, nice playful music goes with a nice playful game and the sound effects are good too. There is no voice acting, because this is a N64 game, but Kirby will say stuff like Hiiiiiii. Different attacks have different sound effects, so that is really nice. Overall the music is really catchy and fits the mood of this game perfectly.

Simple story. The power crystal was broken by an evil monster. Now Kirby must save the land from darkness and collect all the crystals to purify the world with the help of a fairy. If you get all the crystals then you get the good ending, but if you don't then you can just settle for the ending you have in front of you.

Time for Mini-Games and unbelievable these mini-games are actually fun. There are three mini-games in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. They are Bumper Crop Bump, 100-Yard Hop and Checkerboard Chase. Bumper Crop Bumper makes you try and catch falling fruits from the fruits trees. You will have to bump into your enemies to get through and collecting the fruits. In my personal opinion, this is my least favorite mini-game. 100-Yard Hop puts you in a race with three other people. Press A to go two spaces and B to go one space and there are obstacles along the way. Very simple, second favorite mini-game in Kirby. Last one which I think is the best is called Checkerboard Chase. Checkerboard Chase puts you on a checkerboard and you must shoot lasers (or whatever the glowing light is) to make the ground fall. If someone is standing on the falling ground they lose one life. Pretty simple, but does require some fast moving and strategy. Easily one my favorite mini-game from Kirby. Controls are simple and easy to learn. You'll probably get it by the first level.

The story mode is really short and won't last you that long. (Maybe like three to six hours) The multiplayer and card collecting will last you a little longer, but not that long. Unless you like Checkerboard Chase as much as I do.

Even though it may seem to be like a kiddy game, it can actually be really fun for anyone. Just give it at least give it a chance and you may be surprised with the results. The downfalls of this game is that Kirby 64 tends to be a short game and can be over fairly quickly. This game is rated "E" which means any child, no matter how old can play this game. So if you're a parent looking for a fun and safe game for their child or grandchild. Then look no further. If you can rent this game from a game rental store of from a friend, please do. It's really short and you can probably beat it in one or two sitting, but you may be addicted to the multiplayer or simple want to do the adventure again.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/18/06, Updated 10/16/07

Game Release: Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (US, 06/26/00)