He looks like a ball of cotton candy, and he's cute as anything, but Kirby can deliver some fun and mean gameplay as Kirby 64 The Crystal Shards proves easily. This is Kirby's first appearance on N64, though most will recognize him from his many incarnations over the years.
The story is as follows: An evil force called Dark Matter tries to overpower Ribbon who has in her possession the powerful crystal of Ripple Star, and during the scuffle the crystal shatters with its shards scattering throughout the universe. It's up to Kirby to recover them all, and his quest leads him through all sorts of colorful planets, meeting mini-bosses on each level, and trying to beat the big bosses as well.
Kirby's special power -- the ability to suck up his enemy and use that enemy's power -- is still here, but with a unique twist. Now Kirby can create a power combo by throwing that ingested power at another enemy. There are 7 individual powers available, and with the ability to mix them, kids can create a myriad of unique combinations. For example, Kirby turns into a lethal snowball after attaining double-ice power. Ice and shock combine to transform Kirby into a refrigerator with pieces of food that are like dynamite to enemies, but heal Kirby himself. Ice + bomb transforms Kirby into a snowman. He continues on his way and eventually explodes, turning any enemies unfortunate enough to be near him into ice cubes.
Along the way, kids can collect enemy info cards that can be viewed in a gallery and that arm players with the power of knowledge. There are 3 mini-games that allow kids to play with up to 3 friends. 100-yard Hop, for example, involves trying to hop to victory all the while dodging banana peels, frogs, puddles, and more. Each mini-game plays independently of the adventure and helps to boost replay value.
When kids beat the final boss of the game, they get a "sound check", allowing players to scroll through and listen to all the music and sound effects in the game. They also get the chance to go back and search for any shards they missed the first time through.
