Kirby 64 is a side-scrolling platformer released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64. The plot features Kirby attempting to track down all of the pieces of a shattered crystal, because what's a video game without some crystals?
I absolutely loved that HAL decided to use the D-pad rather than the control stick for movement in this game. Can we please stop pretending that analog sticks are useful for 2D platforming? The advantages of analog sticks are that they allow for a wide range of movements, as well as for shades of movement (slightly tilting up will result in a slower walk speed, etc.). That's great and all, but it's really only useful when you have need of more than 4 (or 2, in the case of racing games) directions. It was a little weird at first when I picked up the Nintendo 64 with my hand on the left part of the trident, but I quickly grew accustomed to the grip and was grateful for utilizing the N64's surprisingly solid D-pad.
The gameplay itself is fine. It plays and feels like a Kirby game, with only a few small additions. The most notable new inclusion is Power Combos, a mechanic that allows you to combine two different powers together to create a new and improved power. In traditional games, for example, swallowing a rock type monster enables you to use Kirby's power to turn into a stone and smash down onto his enemies. Using power combos, however, you can swallow the powers of two rock type monsters, enabling you to turn Kirby into a giant rock boulder instead! Other examples include ingesting bomb and fire type monsters to produce larger, flaming bombs than would otherwise be possible. While this is interesting an new, it's pretty rare that the combined powers are much better than the original ones, and the mechanic left me wanting for a more varied playstyle to develop based on these powers. For example, they could have made it so that some elements were more effective against enemy types than others, or given you a wider range of possible outcomes depending on which order you swallow them (swallowing bomb then fire gives you the same outcome as swallowing fire then bomb). There is one powerup (bomb + bomb) that is so far and away superior to the rest of the options that you should do almost anything to obtain it, including just skipping all of the other powers entirely. It feels like a good idea that provides some fun in experimenting with different combinations, but ultimately lacks the sophistication to provide a play experience that's sufficiently different from other Kirby games to be memorable.
The poorly refined Power Combo mechanic is matched by some dull and repetitive level design that makes the game less interesting than it ought to be. The bosses are all just ok and are far too easy, even without the use of the Power Combos. I was left wanting a bit more diversity and challenge from this title, although I do think that 2D platformers tend to skew too far towards being difficult, so I'm generally ok with the difficulty here, particularly as an entry point for young gamers who want to learn the basics of experiencing the genre.
The game feels too short, even for a 2D platformer. I would have enjoyed having another world or two, but on the other hand, only would have wanted them if they offered a new challenge or take on the genre which the previous worlds lack.
The look of the game is good, for a Nintendo 64 game. I'd gladly take the look and feel of the Kirby games on the Game Boy, NES, or SNES (especially the gorgeous Kirby's Adventure or Kirby's Dream Land 3) before this one, but it's a faithful adaptation of the Kirby style with some chunky looking polygons that fit the era just fine.
The music is generally good, but doesn't quite reach to the heights of previous Kirby games. Nothing really to see here.
This is a perfectly fine game that's plagued by a bit of a lack of imagination. Rumor has it that the game was developed under a pretty significant time crunch to complete it on time after several revisions to the game, and that fits pretty well with the experience I had with it. There are several good ideas here, but none of them are implemented in a creative enough way to make this worth playing for most people. I'll give it a 7.5/10.
Up next on What I'm Playing is a game from a series I just can't quit! Until now. Because I'm out of games. But here's a little teaser...
-TRO
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