My personal favorite Kirby game, and one of the most charming Kirby games for sure. I love experimenting with different power combinations, and I'd love to see this mechanic revisited some day.
The blocky, bright, and colorful visuals of the N64 really enhance the duplo vibe of this world, and though they feel outdated today there's a charm to them that I find complements Kirby nicely.
The stages themselves are fun to play and are enhanced with charming elements like riding a gondola with a waddle dee or escaping a worn down castle filling with sand. These quiet introspective moments and exciting action sequences make each stage memorable.
The game is filled with little secrets, like hidden tomatos, which can make replaying the stages like little scavenger hunts.
There are some boss battles that ramp up the difficulty curve as you near the end which could prove frustrating, especially for younger players. The game as a whole is very accessible for younger children, so this last minute difficulty curve can be rocky.
The multiplayer minigames are fun diversions, but can be clunky to play. The art based minigame is my standout for sure.
I think this title is also interesting from a Kirby design direction, as a 3d Kirby was obviously a big departure from the formula, and the devs stuck to 2.5D side scrolling adventure as much as possible.
Playing this game and 2022's Kirby and the Forgotten Land back-to-back, it's really cool to see where 3D Kirby games started and where they are now.
I'm surprised by how well this game holds up even today, so I would definitely recommend this game to any Kirby fans or anyone interested in N64 titles.
The blocky, bright, and colorful visuals of the N64 really enhance the duplo vibe of this world, and though they feel outdated today there's a charm to them that I find complements Kirby nicely.
The stages themselves are fun to play and are enhanced with charming elements like riding a gondola with a waddle dee or escaping a worn down castle filling with sand. These quiet introspective moments and exciting action sequences make each stage memorable.
The game is filled with little secrets, like hidden tomatos, which can make replaying the stages like little scavenger hunts.
There are some boss battles that ramp up the difficulty curve as you near the end which could prove frustrating, especially for younger players. The game as a whole is very accessible for younger children, so this last minute difficulty curve can be rocky.
The multiplayer minigames are fun diversions, but can be clunky to play. The art based minigame is my standout for sure.
I think this title is also interesting from a Kirby design direction, as a 3d Kirby was obviously a big departure from the formula, and the devs stuck to 2.5D side scrolling adventure as much as possible.
Playing this game and 2022's Kirby and the Forgotten Land back-to-back, it's really cool to see where 3D Kirby games started and where they are now.
I'm surprised by how well this game holds up even today, so I would definitely recommend this game to any Kirby fans or anyone interested in N64 titles.