whoa I finally got to finish writing a main series Kirby review again I never thought I’d see the day

we’ve made it to the last game in the so-called “Dark Matter Trilogy”. once more we got the mystique Shinichi Shimomura as director for this Kirby game and this is without a doubt his most ambitious game. likewise with a couple other of late Nintendo 64 games, the game was originally developed for the 64DD before Nintendo realized “uh oh we screwed it up!” and had HAL shift development to the basic N64. even with the change of hardware Kirby 64 is a pretty impressive N64 game, dare I say it’s my favorite game from this console?

there’s a lot to talk about here this time. those god damn pesky Dark Matter are back at it again but it seems they learned their lesson this time because instead of invading Planet Popstar they decided to go and bully some fairies over at Ripple Star and take over their planet with absolute ease. the Fairy Queen orders some pink-haired fairy named Ribbon to escape with this big ass crystal they have lying around to make sure it’s safe from the Dark Matter. she manages to get out of there but three Dark Matter named Dark Rimuru, Dark Rimura, and Dark Rimuro (don’t ask why they have names they just do) chase after Ribbon and send her flying to Popstar with the crystal shattered into pieces. she bumps into Kirby and they both find two Crystal Shards shortly after. while they team up and explore Popstar, they encounter Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede along the way; all three have been possessed by Rimuru, Rimura, and Rimuro respectively (Dedede can’t and won’t ever get a break). once the team is assembled, they all venture towards different planets to collect and piece together all the Shards. this is where I’d end things but this game actually has full on cutscenes throughout the game. later Kirby games would also include cutscenes in various different forms but I feel like they already perfected the cutscene format with this game. the cutscenes do a great job making you feel as if you’re truly on a journey with your friends. you’re eating together at Rock Star, you’re stone skipping together at Aqua Star, you’re running for your life together at Neo Star, and while this isn’t exactly a cutscene, at the end of each non-boss level there’s always a picnic at the end with your friends waiting for you. this adventure is a group effort. and if you thought it couldn’t get better than that, THE MUSIC SYNCS WITH THE CUTSCENES. whenever something happens such as a character emoting or moving, a Crystal Shard appearing, Dark Matter being on-screen, etc., the music briefly shifts to give you the illusion that sound effects are currently playing, when in actuality these “sound effects” are actually a part of the music. no better does this enhance the experience than in my personal favorite cutscene at the end of Neo Star. unlike the previous cutscenes where the group shares a goofy and light-hearted moment, here they’re sprinting away from an active volcano that has begun to erupt. on its own the cutscene would be fine, but the intensity is amplified by the dynamic music playing in the background. those brief three seconds of Waddle Dee desperately running towards the portal before Kirby comes in with the clutch by popping up and inhaling him inside are some of the most dramatic moments I’ve ever felt in a video game no joke. the presentation is off the charts in this game and I love it so much.

oh yeah I have to talk about gameplay. although we’re on the N64, the game’s still a 2D scroller so no need to familiarize yourself with a different gameplay style, it’s not time for 3D yet. Kirby has all his moves from Dream Land 3, as well as most of the Copy Abilities from that game. Kirby loses out on Clean and Parasol, but in exchange he gets access to the Bomb Copy Ability, a fair trade-off unless you’re a huge Clean and/or Parasol enthusiast, don’t worry they’ll be back in some later games. unfortunately the Animal Buddies have sat this game out but in their place, Kirby gains the power to mix and combine his Copy Abilities. each combination gives Kirby a unique Copy Ability to use that’ll help him defeat enemies and destroy certain blocks. for example, Burn-Cutter gives Kirby a giant flaming sword to swing and throw, Stone-Spark lets Kirby swing a boulder chained by electricity, Ice-Spark turns Kirby into a fridge that throws out healing items you can consume, Needle-Bomb turns Kirby into a Gordo that can explode and shoot spikes, there’s a bunch of more Abilities but those are just a few to give an idea on how it works. to this day this is the only Kirby game where combining Copy Abilities gives you a completely unique Ability with its own properties and characteristics. Squeak Squad and Star Allies may have had their own methods of combining Abilities, however it was only restricted to elemental and weapon-based Copy Abilities (Fire Sword, Water Bomb, Spark Cutter, etc.). that said, I need to address the elephant in the room, or rather the puffball in the room. Kirby’s movement feels….off. he’s noticeably slower and heavier in this game than he was in every other side scrolling game before and after, I suppose that’s fitting though since Kirby does look a bit chubby this time around. look no further than when he goes into a puffing state, not only does his puff movement feel slow, he actually gets tired if you puff too long and begins descending out of exhaustion. bro’s been eating and gaining too many pounds if the track title “I’m Hungry” is anything to go by. but hey, that’s okay because your friends will show up every so often in the levels. Waddle Dee will lead you to some riding segments together, Adeleine will draw and give out healing items as well as clues to solve puzzles, and King Dedede will give you a piggyback and use his hammer to destroy walls Kirby (probably) can’t do on his own. once again I must state that this is a group effort. your bros and gals are by your side helping you out and if they weren’t there, Kirby would probably be stuck in Rock Star being confused or something.

likewise with Dream Land 2 and 3 you have collectibles to obtain throughout the levels, that being the Crystal Shards, and regrettably this is when I have to go into something I don’t like about this game. I have to admit: this might be my least favorite Shimomura game to 100%, and as someone who almost always goes for 100% completion every time I replay a Kirby game, this is a bit of a damper. Dream Land 2’s Rainbow Drops may have been a pain to get but at least there were just 7 of them, with only 3 of them being trouble. as for Dream Land 3, it may have had 30 Heart Stars but most of them weren’t really that too difficult to obtain. Kirby 64 has 74 Crystal Shards, each non-boss level housing three of these things, and a good portion of them are just, not fun. to give two examples, Aqua Star 3’s last Crystal Shard requires you to hold onto Stone-Cutter for the second half of the level and has you use it against a mid-boss before reaching the area you’re required to use it on. Stone-Cutter isn’t exactly the most reliable Copy Ability combat-wise and if you end up losing it in the water, you’ll need to restart as Stone enemies are only during the first half of the level. Neo Star 2 tops that by having you drag along Stone-Bomb, a very risky Ability that can actually injure you, throughout most of the entire level with a tough section filled with bottomless pits and enemies all over. if you lose a life, you have to do it all over as there are no Stone and Bomb enemies in the entire level, meaning you need to get the Ability from an entirely different level not only before, but every time you fail an attempt. so yeah, it’s a big hassle, but if you manage to pull that off and collect all the Crystal Shards, you get access to the real final boss as well as the true ending. I’ve mentioned this in my Dream Land 2 review, but I feel that a good way to go about this is by making your first playthrough a casual one, collecting any Crystal Shards that show up in your direction. after that if you’re still itching for more of the game, that’s when you should go back and obtain the ones that you’ve missed before.

so how about them graphics? well it’s an N64 game alright. it doesn’t hit as hard as Dream Land 3’s did, but I imagine it’d be a pain to replicate a crayon drawn art style, so instead they opted for a pop-up storybook style which I enjoy. and with all the checkerboard patterns everywhere, it reminds me a bit of early CGI, especially with the whole training room. I always thought this game looked like early Veggietales, until I went and looked back at Veggietales and realized they’re not that alike. nonetheless the graphics have this old school 3D vibe that still holds up surprisingly, especially in the cutscene department. now let’s talk about the music. Super Star’s soundtrack was pretty bombastic, while Dream Land 3’s soundtrack was more on the relaxed side. Kirby 64 takes the best of both worlds and offers a nice balance of those two styles. while there’s a lot of catchy tunes here, it isn’t afraid to offer you some mellow tracks as well. you know how people joke about Wet-Dry World having this odd negative aura? that’s kinda how I feel whenever I listen to this game’s file select theme. something about it feels quite melancholic, but perhaps it was intentional considering some of the stuff that happens in this game whether it’s in the story or the background. Quiet Forest is literally a Chrono Trigger track prove me wrong. it’s a crime this track only plays in one singular level but then again I feel like that’d take away some of the magic it has. I like how each possessed friend battle theme progressively gets much more fast paced. Waddle Dee’s is pretty chill, Adeleine’s is very upbeat, and then King Dedede’s is literally adrenaline overdrive, it’s such an intense theme for a battle that’ll probably only last thirty seconds. Rock Star has a crazy energetic vibe for a track that plays out in a desert, it makes this otherwise relaxing stroll feel more like Mad Max (I have never watched Mad Max). the Ruins theme from the same world goes the opposite direction and has more of a quiet atmosphere of wonder and mystery. Aqua Star is without a doubt a Kirby track. You know how people can listen to Green Greens and Gourmet Race and go “yeah, that’s Kirby”? Aqua Star is with them and man do I love this track. very upbeat and catchy, an earworm that makes you want to listen repeatedly, and that iconic Kirby synth. yeaaaaahh baby fill my eardrums with that ARR1 sample!!! even something simple as a map screen has bopping music. Neo Star’s map theme is almost 50 seconds long and sounds like something that you’d hear in Crash Bandicoot 1 or 2. Ripple Star’s map theme should sound familiar to you Kirby fans since it got remixed into other tracks in later games such as Helper’s Rest in Super Star Ultra and A Well-Deserved Rest in Triple Deluxe. oh and how could I forget to mention that boss theme? this is the best Kirby boss theme, nothing else comes close (okay Robobot’s and Star Allies’s do but you get the idea). oh yeah this game has three Sub-Games and one of them titled Bumper Crop Bump has an absolute banger track, one of the best in this already great soundtrack, and it’s stuck inside a Sub-Game!

of course, I need to describe something maybe a few of y’all were expecting me to mention, and that’s the fifth world. Shiver Star tells out an entire story just by its visuals and music. when you first arrive after witnessing that volcano cutscene leaving Neo Star, you’re greeted to a much more realistic looking planet from the ones you’ve seen before. the track when you enter the map screen is very discomforting, a stark contrast to the previous themes, letting you know that you are unwelcome in this territory, as well as giving you a hint of what's to come. then all of a sudden, you’re hit with a huge mood whiplash as you start the first level and are greeted with cheery Christmas music taking place at a friendly winter wonderland, you even get to go snowboarding with your bro Waddle Dee! by the time you get to the cloud level listening to even more upbeat and cheerful music, you’ve pretty much completely forgotten that unnerving first impression when you first got here. Shiver Star has successfully given you a false sense of security, and you’ve fallen right into its trap. with your guard down, you enter the next level which appears to be some sort of shopping mall. when you’re first going through the level, you’ll probably think nothing of it, but when you begin to take note of the entire place, you’ll notice something’s definitely up. for example, let’s compare and contrast to Forgotten Land’s “Alivel Mall”. while both are similar on the surface, the two of them have very different vibes. Alivel Mall has moving walkways and escalators, a dining room on the inside and outside, that one big hallway with the giant window you can look out of, this is a genuine mall being kept alive by the enemies of that game. Shiver Star’s on the other hand feels more like a mish-mash of seemingly random stuff. low ceiling rooms with random blocks everywhere, elevators powered by wind up keys, a big ass garden and aquarium, and some weird room with a bunch of giant nuts and bolts on the ceiling and floor, in a way it barely qualifies as a mall. even with Shiver Star’s theme playing, something about the whole place is uncanny. it feels very strange and robotic, it makes you wonder just what exactly was this mall’s true purpose. the final level of the world has you go down into an underground location. it’s then that reality hits you. yep, you’re inside an abandoned industrial factory. King Dedede shows up to help put you at ease for a bit, nevertheless the mood is still tense and those hammer machines with the psychotic grins certainly aren’t helping in your favor. then you get to the next room and spot a bunch of big test tubes in the background with various giant creatures inside of them. a pink hippo thing, some white bird, a black cat without any limbs. And some humanoid creature wearing an old-fashioned hood. what the hell was going on in this area? if you pay attention long enough, you’ll notice that the cat actually blinks and moves its ears. these things are still alive. just how long were they left inside these tubes and what kind of experiments were the inhabitants performing down here? at last you make it to the end. before you’ve been battling mostly cartoonish looking bosses (not sure what Pix’s exactly supposed to be), but that changes as you’re now face to face with a GIANT ROBOT. it’s no Iron Giant, it’s packed with missiles and changes its formation to some kind of Heavy Lobster expy, this thing was built for combat. by now you should have pieced everything together. giant robot, abandoned mall and factory, test tubes, the striking resemblance to real life planets. there used to be a human-like civilization living on this planet, however it’s all but been abandoned as all its residents have “moved away”. unfortunately we’ll probably never get any more information about Shiver Star’s backstory as it has never appeared or been mentioned in a Kirby game since. unless you have Shimomura on speed dial, we’re all out of luck.

okay let’s (thankfully) leave Shiver Star so I can briefly talk about the true final boss music of this game. this track right here is probably the second most iconic Kirby final boss track right behind none other than King Dedede’s theme. I guarantee even if you haven’t played a Kirby game you’ve most likely heard a version of this track somewhere on the internet at least once. we started off with a melancholic track and now we finish the game with another one. everything in Dream Land 2 and 3 has all led to this very battle. this is a battle that you can’t back away from, all you can do is “tough it out” and see it through to the end, or die trying. there’s something about facing this final boss for the first time that feels so special, it’s as if you’re witnessing a huge historical moment in front of your eyes, at least that’s how I felt when I fought it. actually it may as well be a historical moment since this is the last time we ever see traditional Dark Matter as the antagonist of a Kirby game. this track signifies the end of Dark Matter. it’s their last hurrah as the leader desperately attempts one final time to destroy Kirby for good. of course, we all know who made it out in the end….

wow what a wacky kids game amirite?! I may have been a bit critical when it came to the item collecting but it’s no surprise I love everything else. the story’s great, the music’s excellent, the world building is interesting, yeah I’m thinking good game. real quick I want to bring up something that not much people talk about, and that’s some of the scrapped ideas that were meant to be included. there were some cool levels that never made it into the actual game like a laboratory, a meteor shower, and even a giant whale! not only that, but Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede were all meant to be playable, there’s even early screenshots of them in action that you can find online! basically what I’m saying is that this game could have been even more based. even if all this stuff got scrapped, what we ended up getting was still amazing, and it doesn’t surprise me that there are people who’d like to see a Kirby game in this style again. maybe one day we’ll see it happen, Kirby 64’s old enough to the point that it can be considered nostalgic, so maybe HAL will bless us one day and bestow us a spiritual successor when we least suspect it. someday….

I can beat N-Z in a fight