Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards |
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North American box art
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| Developer(s) | HAL Laboratory |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) | Shinichi Shimomura |
| Producer(s) |
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| Programmer(s) | Teruyuki Gunji |
| Composer(s) |
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| Series | Kirby |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is an exciting platform game released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64 (N64) console. It was created by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. This game was special because it was the very first Kirby adventure to use 3D computer graphics. You play as the adorable hero, Kirby, on a mission to put back together a powerful crystal. This crystal was broken into many pieces by the evil Dark Matter.
The game looks like a 3D world, but you move Kirby mostly left and right, like in older Kirby games. This style is called 2.5D. Just like always, Kirby can swallow enemies to gain their special powers. Kirby 64 added a cool new feature called Power Combos. This lets you mix two different powers to create even stronger and more unique abilities! Up to four friends can also play fun minigames together.
The game was re-released for the Virtual Console on the Wii in 2008 and Wii U in 2015. It also became available on the Nintendo Classics service in 2022. It was even part of the Kirby's Dream Collection for the Wii in 2012.
Contents
Exploring the Worlds of Kirby 64
Kirby 64 is a fun side-scrolling platform game. It plays much like other games in the Kirby series. The story begins on a peaceful planet called Ripple Star. This planet is home to many fairies. Suddenly, the evil Dark Matter attacks! A brave fairy named Ribbon tries to escape with a special crystal. But Dark Matter shatters the crystal into 100 pieces. These pieces scatter all across the galaxy.
Ribbon, holding one crystal shard, crashes onto Pop Star. There, she meets Kirby. Kirby, being the hero he is, agrees to help Ribbon. Their mission is to find the other 98 crystal shards. They must travel across six different planets. Along the way, they meet new friends. These include the artist Adeleine, King Dedede, and his helper Waddle Dee. Sometimes, Dark Matter takes control of these friends. Kirby then has to battle them to set them free.
How to Play as Kirby
Even though the game looks 3D, you mostly move Kirby left and right. This is called a 2.5D game. You control Kirby using the Nintendo 64 controller's D-pad. Kirby can walk, run, crouch, and jump. His most famous move is inhaling enemies. He can then spit them out as powerful stars. Kirby can also fly for a short time by puffing himself up. While flying, he cannot attack.
By eating certain enemies, Kirby gains special power-ups. These are called copy abilities. There are seven main copy abilities. Sometimes, Kirby gets help from his friends. He might ride on King Dedede's back. Dedede can smash obstacles with his hammer. In other levels, Kirby rides a minecart or a log flume with Waddle Dee.
Discovering Power Combos
A super cool new feature in Kirby 64 is Power Combos. You can combine two of Kirby's copy abilities! To do this, you can inhale two enemies at once. Or, you can throw one ability at another enemy. You can also spit an enemy at another. These actions create a colored star. Collecting this star gives you a Power Combo.
There are 28 different Power Combos to discover. These combined powers are much stronger. They also have unique effects. For example, mixing "Burn" and "Needle" abilities lets Kirby shoot fire arrows. You can even combine two of the same ability. This makes that ability even more powerful!
Journey Through Worlds and Levels
The game takes you through six different worlds. Each world has several levels. In each level, you guide Kirby. You must avoid enemies and tricky obstacles. If Kirby gets hit, he loses health. You can find food to get your health back. If Kirby loses all his health, you lose a life. Losing all your lives means a game over. You can earn extra lives by collecting stars or 1-ups.
Finding all the crystal shards is important. Some shards are hidden and need a specific Power Combo to reach. At the end of each level, there is a bonus game. You can collect food, stars, or enemy cards. Some levels also have big bosses to defeat. To see the game's true ending, you must collect all 100 crystal shards!
Fun Multiplayer Minigames
Besides the main adventure, there is a fun multiplayer mode. Up to four players can join in! You can choose from three different minigames:
- 100-Yard Hop: A race to see who can reach the finish line first.
- Bumper Crop Bump: Compete to collect the most food.
- Checkerboard Chase: A last man standing game. The last player remaining wins!
You can play as Kirby, King Dedede, Adeleine, or Waddle Dee. You can also change how hard the games are.
Making Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
The team at HAL Laboratory started making Kirby 64 in September 1997. They wanted to create the first Kirby game with 3D computer graphics. At that time, 3D games were becoming very popular. It was a big challenge to make sure Kirby's cute art style looked good in 3D. The developers wanted to keep fans happy.
From 64DD to N64 Game Pak
The game was first planned for the 64DD. This was a special disk-drive add-on for the Nintendo 64. But the 64DD did not become very popular. So, the team decided to make Kirby 64 a regular N64 Game Pak instead.
Changing How Kirby Moves
Early on, the game used the N64 controller's analog stick for movement. This was common for 3D games. But Kirby 64 was a 2.5D game. This meant Kirby mostly moved left and right. About a year before the game came out, the developers noticed something. When kids played, they sometimes struggled with the analog stick and the Z button. So, the team decided to switch the controls. They made Kirby move with the D-pad instead. This change made the game much easier and more fun for everyone.
Who Made the Game?
Shinichi Shimomura directed Kirby 64. He had also directed other Kirby games before. The idea for Power Combos came from wanting to make Kirby's abilities even more exciting. The game was designed for all ages. It could be easy or challenging, depending on how you played. If you used Power Combos a lot, the game became harder. If you did not, it was a bit easier.
The music for the game was created by Jun Ishikawa and Hirokazu Ando. They are well-known composers for the Kirby series. They used different styles, like synth-pop and techno, to make the game's soundtrack.
Release and Re-releases
Nintendo first announced Kirby 64 at E3 in 1999. Fans were very excited for a Kirby game on the N64. The game was released in Japan on March 24, 2000. It came out in North America on June 26, 2000. European players got it on June 22, 2001.
Kirby 64 was the last traditional Kirby game for home consoles for a long time. The next one was Kirby's Return to Dream Land in 2011. As mentioned earlier, the game has been re-released several times. This lets new players enjoy this classic adventure.
See also
In Spanish: Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards para niños
