Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Review – The N64 Platformer Nobody Talks About

I’ve been gaming for years now, and I think there’s a trend here – games that quickly gain popularity tend to develop cult followings and games that go under the radar tend to fade into obscurity. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is an example of the latter. It shipped in the twilight of the N64’s life cycle. It followed on the heels of Majora’s Mask and Paper Mario. No one talked about this game, and thus, it vanished.

However, after replaying it recently, I began to realize – this game is the epitome of elegant design. It isn’t revolutionary in its gameplay, nor did it achieve great feats of technology, but rather it understood how to make platformers work and executed that understanding to perfection. In short, the designers of Kirby 64 were working under constraints and didn’t try to battle against them.

What Kirby 64 Actually Does

Kirby is a cute little ball of pink fluff that eats things. Kirby lives in a colorful world filled with a variety of enemies that each possess their own unique abilities. When Kirby eats these enemies, he gets their abilities – copy abilities such as sword, fire, bomb, ice, beam, and many other abilities. What is most brilliant about Kirby 64 is its combination system – Kirby can take two different copy abilities and combine them to form a new hybrid power.

For instance, if you combine bomb and rock, you’ll get a bomb rock. If you combine sword and fire, you’ll get a fire sword. If you combine ice and wind, you’ll get an ice wind. There are dozens of different combinations and each will significantly alter how you approach both puzzles and platforming challenges. For example, the sword-bomb combo is aggressive but hard to manage. The ice-wind combo is elegant and allows you to control space with extreme precision. The fire-beam combo is extremely powerful but also very difficult to use correctly.

What I’m impressed by about this design is how thoughtfully the designers balanced the combinations. None of the combinations feel unimportant. None of the combinations feel overpowering. Each combination is a tool that solves a problem – you’re not collecting combinations simply to collect them; you’re collecting them because they’re the best tool to solve the current puzzle or challenge.

The levels themselves are also built around the combination system. An obstacle exists, a copy ability exists, and you have to experiment with different combinations to figure out which one works. Some times it’s clear-cut – this wall is icy and needs fire, but what else should I combine my fire with? Other times, you really have to think and experiment. Experimentation is rewarded in Kirby 64, but experimenting poorly is not punished.

The Aesthetic That Is Beautiful Because of Constraints

One thing that technical people often fail to remember – Kirby 64’s pre-rendered backgrounds are not a hack to get around the N64 limitations, they are a deliberate aesthetic choice that solved the technical issues. The hand-drawn style, the muted color palette, and the almost watercolor-esque backgrounds are all beautiful because they are stylistically driven.

Indie games have learned this lesson in recent years – solid art direction is a way to hide technical limitations. Kirby 64 was doing this in 2000. The sprite-based Kirby is a nice contrast to the pre-rendered backgrounds. The animation of the characters is smooth and expressive. The designs of the enemies are fun without being too cute.

The visual clarity of every element is stunning. It is easy to see where you can jump, platforms are clearly visible in comparison to the background, and enemies are instantly recognizable. Clarity of design is something that some modern games compromise for complexity.

The Level Design That Teaches You How To Explore

Kirby 64 has no tutorial. You simply begin playing and quickly understand what is happening. The first few levels are gentle introduction to movement and basic copy abilities. By the time you reach the halfway point, you are working with complex combination requirements. By the time you reach the last levels, you are performing timed, precision platforming with a variety of combination strategies.

Each world is uniquely themed. Dream Land is whimsical. Shiver Star is cold and mechanical. Aqua Star is aquatic-themed. Ripple Star is a twisted version of the previous worlds with dark and foreboding themes. Pop Star is a mix of volcano and celestial themes. Kracko’s Cloud Domain is the final challenge. The transition from familiar to unfamiliar is perfectly paced.

The bosses are creative, challenging, and rewarding. Bosses teach you about a particular combination strategy or skill, and then challenge you to apply that knowledge. Dedede is a purely platforming challenge. Ado teaches you about using combinations effectively. Kracko requires precision and accuracy in your platforming. The final boss incorporates all of the previously acquired knowledge.

The optional content is substantial but not necessary. Secret areas exist throughout each level, and if you explore thoroughly enough, you will discover them. However, finding the secret areas does not hinder your progress in the game. Instead, it encourages exploration and provides a bonus to players that want to spend the time to find them. This is how optional content should be done – provide additional value to the players that choose to engage with it, but do not make it mandatory.

Why This Game Is Not Widely Discussed

Kirby 64 came out in 2000, and the N64 was starting to lose steam while gamers were excitedly waiting for the GameCube. Kirby 64 is a bright and colorful platformer in a library full of darker action-adventure games and big budget titles. It is not technically impressive – it does not push the limits of the hardware. It is not trying to be cinematic or overly complex. It is simply a very good platformer.

This is exactly why it has been overlooked. Modern gaming has a bias towards complexity and ambition over elegance and execution. Kirby 64 is the opposite – it achieves a relatively simple goal with complete precision. This is not something that can be marketed or hyped – it is simply a good game.

How the Design of Constraints Creates Elegance

The brilliance of the combination system is that Kirby can only carry two copy abilities at a time. If Kirby could carry three or four copy abilities, the combinations would be worthless. The limitation is what gives the decision weight. Which two abilities will I need for this part of the level? Will I switch combinations or just have to make due with what I have?

The fact that the levels are small (smaller than Super Mario 64) is efficient. Each room in the levels is used for a reason. There is no wasted space. The level design is quick and satisfying. You’re not running large distances between challenges – you’re always engaged. This is tight design that can only occur when designers accept that smaller does not equal less.

The gradual increase in difficulty is actually a sign of sophisticated game design. Games that ease the player into the game too gently come off as patronizing. Games that introduce challenges too aggressively are frustrating. Kirby 64 finds a middle ground where each new challenge seems achievable but still requires the player to pay attention. By the final levels of the game, the player is performing true-to–form, complex platforming with specific combination strategies.

Is Kirby 64 Still Relevant Today?

It is completely relevant. The controls are responsive. The level design is solid. The visuals are attractive. The platforming is tight. The combination system provides depth. When playing Kirby 64 today, the only thing that feels outdated is the graphics quality – and that is largely due to the strong aesthetic direction.

The game runs smoothly. The collision detection is fair. The respawn system is generous. There are no major flaws – it is simply a good platformer.

Conclusion

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is a platformer that represents a masterclass in the design of platformers. Not because it introduced anything revolutionary – it didn’t – but because it took existing concepts, combined them with a new and interesting concept (the combination system), and created levels that utilize the combination system perfectly.

This is the result of designers that understand constraints and do not try to fight against them. The combination system is brilliant because it is limited. The levels are perfect because they are tightly focused. The difficulty curve is wonderful because it respects the player’s natural learning curve.

Play this game if you have never played it before. If you played it in the past and dismissed it as a shallow platformer, give it another look and appreciate its elegance. And if you are a developer, take a look at how Kirby 64 uses simplicity to create depth – that is a masterclass in design thinking.