Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Encyclopedia
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, known as in Japan, is a platform game
developed by HAL Laboratory
and published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo 64
. The game is a sequel to Kirby's Dream Land 3
, and is one of few Kirby
titles not directed by Masahiro Sakurai
.
Kirby 64 was re-released on the Virtual Console
for the Wii
in 2008.
platform game
, with game play similar to earlier Kirby
titles, where the titular character Kirby has the ability to inhale enemies and objects and extract their abilities. Kirby is required to travel across six different planets, which consist of separate level
s, and collect the scattered pieces of a Crystal, which is used to defeat the game's main antagonist, Dark Matter.
, is invaded and taken control by Dark Matter. Ribbon, one of the fairies, flees from the planet with their sacred treasure, the great Crystal
. In its pursuit of Ribbon, Dark Matter shatters the Crystal into pieces, which scatter throughout the solar system. Ribbon, stunned by the attack, falls onto Pop Star.
Ribbon, heartbroken to find she is left with only one of the shards, is consoled by Kirby, to whom she reveals her predicament. Kirby agrees to help her retrieve all the Crystal Shards and save Ripple Star from Dark Matter's control. Kirby and Ribbon enlist the help of Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede, and they continue to search for the pieces across the solar system.
Kirby and the group restore the Crystal and eventually reach Ripple Star, where they purge the planet and its queen of Dark Matter's influence using the restored Crystal. However, Dark Matter forms a new planet called the Dark Star. The group travels to the new planet using the Warp Star. Kirby and Ribbon confront the leader of Dark Matter, 02 (Zero Two), and defeat it using the Crystal, which results in the obliteration of the planet. Kirby and the group are hailed as heroes for saving Ripple Star.
Gamespot gave the game 69% saying "While some might be initially put off by the youthful nature of Kirby 64, the depth of the power combo system really brings a lot to what would otherwise be an average platformer."
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
developed by HAL Laboratory
HAL Laboratory
is a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. The game is a sequel to Kirby's Dream Land 3
Kirby's Dream Land 3
Kirby's Dream Land 3, known as in Japan, is the fifth platformer video game starring Kirby. Specifically, it is the third game under the Kirby's Dream Land name. Although the first two games were largely unrelated, Dream Land 3 features many similar characters to Dream Land 2...
, and is one of few Kirby
Kirby (series)
The series is a fantasy video game series developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo, and produced by Nintendo. The gameplay of a majority of the games in the series consists mainly of action, platform and puzzle-solving elements...
titles not directed by Masahiro Sakurai
Masahiro Sakurai
is a Japanese video game designer, the creative force behind both the Kirby and the Super Smash Bros. series on Nintendo platforms. He is currently Director of Software Development for the video game developer's Sora Ltd. and Project Sora. He is also the author of a weekly column for Famitsu...
.
Kirby 64 was re-released on the Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in 2008.
Gameplay
Unlike past Kirby Games, Kirby 64 is a 2.5D2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
, with game play similar to earlier Kirby
Kirby (series)
The series is a fantasy video game series developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo, and produced by Nintendo. The gameplay of a majority of the games in the series consists mainly of action, platform and puzzle-solving elements...
titles, where the titular character Kirby has the ability to inhale enemies and objects and extract their abilities. Kirby is required to travel across six different planets, which consist of separate level
Level (video gaming)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
s, and collect the scattered pieces of a Crystal, which is used to defeat the game's main antagonist, Dark Matter.
Copy abilities
There are seven different copy abilities in Kirby 64, and any two can be merged to create a new copy ability. They are Burn, Stone, Ice, Needle, Bomb, Spark, and Cutter. Though Kirby only needs one element in his body to gain an extra attack, Copy Abilities can also be merged with abilities of the same type for more powerful versions of the basic abilities. In total there are 35 abilities, combined and stand-alone. Combined abilities are usually stronger or have added effects.Minigames
Three minigames can be played separate from the main quest in Kirby 64. Each game can be played by 1-4 players on one of four difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, Hard, Intense). Characters from the game (i.e. Kirby, Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede) are playable in multiplayer.Plot
Ripple Star, a planet populated by fairiesFairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
, is invaded and taken control by Dark Matter. Ribbon, one of the fairies, flees from the planet with their sacred treasure, the great Crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
. In its pursuit of Ribbon, Dark Matter shatters the Crystal into pieces, which scatter throughout the solar system. Ribbon, stunned by the attack, falls onto Pop Star.
Ribbon, heartbroken to find she is left with only one of the shards, is consoled by Kirby, to whom she reveals her predicament. Kirby agrees to help her retrieve all the Crystal Shards and save Ripple Star from Dark Matter's control. Kirby and Ribbon enlist the help of Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede, and they continue to search for the pieces across the solar system.
Kirby and the group restore the Crystal and eventually reach Ripple Star, where they purge the planet and its queen of Dark Matter's influence using the restored Crystal. However, Dark Matter forms a new planet called the Dark Star. The group travels to the new planet using the Warp Star. Kirby and Ribbon confront the leader of Dark Matter, 02 (Zero Two), and defeat it using the Crystal, which results in the obliteration of the planet. Kirby and the group are hailed as heroes for saving Ripple Star.
Development
Screenshots of the game's beta, under the name of Kirby's Cloud, were originally posted on Nintendo.com on June 1, 1999. They showed Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede as playable characters throughout the game, which appeared to feature many more aquatic levels than the finished product.Reception
Many accused the game of being short and easy while others enjoyed the varied level design and colorful graphics. The game sold 1.07 million copies in Japan and 541,600 copies in the United States.Gamespot gave the game 69% saying "While some might be initially put off by the youthful nature of Kirby 64, the depth of the power combo system really brings a lot to what would otherwise be an average platformer."