Agreed, plus the power combinations were fun even if some of them were a bit crappy (I'm looking at you melting ice cube and static). Fire sword, double ended lightsaber, exploding shirukins, double needle, and missiles were some of my favourite.
Having such unique setpieces as levels is something so special and charming about this game! I was struggling to understand why this game is so memorable and that's absolutely it, I'd love HAL to pick up this trend again, even if it means less levels, though with modern development, they could pull it off and have more levels as well. Really cool topic to cover!
Kirby Wiki admin here. This is a well-thought-out, well-constructed video. You have a great understanding of the game's original concept and design, and have clearly done a bunch of research on the topic. Good work! I only have two things to mention: -You compare it against Kirby Super Star quite frequently when that was not the series standard in 2000. While we've come to expect Copy Abilities to have fleshed out movesets today, at K64's release, KSS was the only one to attempt it. I feel Kirby's Adventure of Kirby's Dream Land 3 would have been a better comparison point. -You tend to separate mainline games from the spinoffs in a way that doesn't make sense to me, as if the spinoffs are invalid. Plugg in Kirby Star Allies was actually the second enemy to return from K64; the first was Snipper in Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble, but that's not worth mentioning because it's a spinoff? I've always viewed Kirby as Kirby regardless of the genre or mechanics, especially when discussing the series's development. Those are just some friendly critiques from my perspective. Keep making good videos!
@@Improvisado64 You’re right, I should’ve double-checked for the Japanese release date. I’ll own up to that error. Regardless, it strikes me as pointless to exclude relevant information on Snipper’s appearance following K64. Why say Plugg is the first enemy to reappear when he isn’t? It sounds more like the RUclipsr omitted it because no one would care about a spin-off, which rubs me the wrong way. When you make a blanket statement about the whole series, that means everything.
I would love to see a Kirby game that is like Kirby 64. Traveling to other planets, combining copy abilities, and being able to play as different characters with palette swaps.
Well, quite a few games do at least one of those. Kirby Super Star and Star Allies have the first, Squeak Squad and Star Allies have the second, and any game with 4-player multiplayer (e.g. Epic Yarn, Canvas Curse, Star Allies) does the third. I'm not sure if any others combine the three other than 64 though...
While I certainly agree with some points I think the results they ended up with aren't really as bad as you make them. The ability list for example was actually a great example why. Kirby 64 made me constantly want to try new copy abilities because I didn't immediately know which were best, as well as forced the player to try new things by placing a small amount of different elements next to each other. I don't think some being weaker or less practical was really a downside, because for a game where you actively figure out which one you want the spectacle of the power and practicality of finding it is important. Fire-Fire sucks because it 's really easy to get, but one could argue there are some pretty good uses and reasons why you'd want it instead given the large amount of space it carries you can cover gaps and its giant hitbox clearing pretty much everything.
Agree with all the above. This was my favorite Kirby game containing great mini games. Sadly still looking for a new Kirby game that got me as excited as this one did to my 9yr old heart
Totally agree, love this game and those power combos. Not all of them were for defeating enemies, some were useful for navigating the levels or gaining some other advantage like the spark+ice refrigerator that made healing items but could also hit enemies(probably not a very useful copy power though)
The nostalgia I feel for this game is very intense. I rented and played this game so much as a kid, and beat it so many times. I really want to see a rerelease or hd remaster for the Switch.
you can see a couple references to/reappearing ideas from this game in forgotten land - the level set pieces are way more unique and memorable, the upgraded copy abilities seem like the next logical step from the mixing in star allies and crystal shards and also have a couple that are similar to this game's combos (notably the two fire soup-ups), and let's not forget the old dedede proportions returning. fitting that the next (and true) jump into 3d contained a couple homages
I mean, they did eventually reuse the Shiver Star concept, so im holding out hope some of the other stuff makes it into future games. (at the very least Adeline, its heavily implied she is a direct descendant of the science ancients)
This was the first Kirby game I've experienced. It was a let's play on RUclips. Definitely holds a special place in my heart, especially the minigames and the final two stars.
I guess this game was just ahead of its time from a production standpoint. also, I could already tell you're one of those types that'll reach a hundred k subs sooner or later.
This was super interesting, I never even knew so much of 64 were never mentioned/used. Also wow 11 years gap after it jees. This shows quality content can't be judged by subs at all. This is like professional level. Subbed and looking forward to more
This was actually my first kirby game! I wouldn't play a standard kirby game till nightmare in dreamland on the GBA. I loved kirby 64 but never knew about 02 and the secret ending lmao
@@mechadusto6235 fun fact, Kirby 64 was my very first mainline Kirby game. My first-first being Epic Yarn. It's still one of my absolute favorite titles
Am i the only person who had like a really bad fear of scarfies? They creeped me out and i had a nightmare where they flew out my bookshelf and bit me and i SWEAR that bite felt real
I loved this video and it's spurn me to finally try Kirby 64 (as a long-time fan of Kirby games, I still haven't tried out this one particular gem.) One thing to note, however: "re-doing a level with the right ability" is a common trope that goes all the way back to Kirby's Adventure. KA had blocks which could only be destroyed with a handful of abilities, and sometimes, they were placed in such a way (like awkwardly above you, out of reach of most abilities) that you had to have the *exact* ability (like Hammer) to break them and get to hidden areas. This also *technically* isn't the first taste of Combo abilities, as Kirby's Dream Land 2/3's Animal Friends provide changes to your abilities, and in certain levels you had to have the right ability or combination of ability + friend to get the Rainbow Drop / Heart Star. The difficulty here was, sometimes the combo or ability required was ambiguous, leading to a lot of experimentation if it's your first playthrough or a significant amount of time has passed and you simply forgot. I'd rather have an unambiguous barrier of two colors so I know for sure which two abilities are needed (even if I have to do the level over again) than a springy looking guy who just sits there looking at you until you try to paw at it with ChuChu. On the flipside, if your friend + ability combo sucked, you could easily dump one or the other without losing access to both, if say you have to clear a difficult area. Seems like in K64, you are stuck with the dual combo with no way to simply "remove" one part of it. I look forward to the challenge!
You know overall I'd say dreamland 3 was harder to complete due to the confusing tasks you had to do each level. Though you're gonna die more more in Kirby 64, there's a lot of insta-kills. Hope you end up liking it, should be a real treat!
One thing that definitely _did_ stick around from this game in later titles was the 2.5D setup, with the 3DS games in particular expanding on it by adding 2-layer level design.
I really wish they brought back the copy ability combination feature. The ability to give your sword fire abilities and so on is cool, but being able to be a Swiss army knife Kirby is amazing
The wildly varied combo abilities were my favorite part of the game and I genuinely liked even the "useless" ones, the fire+fire especially just because it looks cool. Might not be the most effective way to get through a level, but it's something I look back fondly on when I remember the game.
I remember as a kid thinking every power doing one thing that one hit kills on normal enemies felt like a huge step backward from kirby super star where you had tons of different moves on each power, and many normal enemies would require you to combo them for a kill. I also really hated that they limited your flight to only a few seconds.
This will always be my favorite Kirby game. Even Forgotten Land just barely became a close second. And it'd because of all these features they never used again. I want power combos to come back!
been playing this on NSO recently and was reminded just how many hours i put into it as a kid. it’s funny because i don’t remember it being a favorite of mine, and as an adult i can see that it’s really nothing amazing, but there was something about it that i must have been fond of when i was young. even if it’s a bit bland or underdeveloped, it’s still a good title for an amazing system and i’m glad it has its place in gaming history. (fucking great music though, without a doubt)
Well with Kirby and the Forgotten land I think the move to 3D was incredible! I do really hope that at some point they remake Crystal Shards. It was one of my first ever games and holds a special place in my heart. Fire Sword was the best :)
Kirby 64 was my first and only Kirby game. Whenever I try playing any of the other kirby games, I just find myself getting really bored, but I could go back and replay Kirby 64 for hours. It could just be nostalgia, but I think it has a lot to do with the really high quality and interesting levels in Kirby 64. Currently, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is looking really interesting to me, because it has fully 3D environments that feel really reminiscent of the Kirby 64 levels. I might have to check it out later this year.
Most Spark-granting enemies don't have feet or walk in a strange manner, that's why Plug was brought back as a helper) The classic Sparky leaped around to move)
Kirby64 is without a doubt the pinnacle of the series for me. The visuals are just so wonderful, the character designs are wonderful, and the combining mechanic is astoundingly fun
My guess on why the 64 enemies were barely even seen again is probably because of the same reason that the Animal Friends barely ever showed up - the director of the Dream Land Trilogy (DL2, DL3, and K64) leaving the industry after this game. That and the series shifting aesthetically in the mainline games to be more in line with the anime, which Sakurai directed.
Kirby 64 is imo easily the best game in the series and still the only one that actually made me want to use all the abilities just to find out what they'd be (which I also think having a bit less balance encourages - this isn't some competitive multiplayer game). The way you describe the ability usage you apparently do in this game is how I play other Kirby games simply because they are so complicated and need time to learn (and also because they are far more boring/standardized). And yeah, up until the new game, Kirby 64 had by far the best level design/world in the series, too. Kirby 64 also has one of the best soundtracks in video games, with lasting impact on certain electronic music genres (like future bass), even. Think it was really understated just how important this game was. It's definitely among the list of Nintendo games that have made the most impact. Not sure there's much else in the Kirby series that has done that.
I loved this game, but yes, any time I could make the electric cutter combo and spin2win darth maul style I saw no reason to use any of the other 34 powerups.
Something always did feel a bit 'off' to me when it comes to kirby 64, its just so different from everything else in the series. Kinda like an uncanny valley effect
Fun fact: Fire + Fire is technically the most efficient ability in this game if your goal is to beat the game as fast as possible. It's used for the majority of any% speedruns of the game.
This game is one of the few games that makes me genuinely sad that we never got to see the concepts developed further. It was such a good conceptual building ground for Kirby, mechanically, aesthetically, and thematically. Imagine seeing the perfectly, simple textures and vibrant colors in HD with higher fps! The development of Dark Matter! I'm glad a lot of the newer Kirby games still celebrate a lot of its past but it's a damn shame this one is kinda washed away from time and it being too early for the tech at the time. To be honest, I'd be very much ok with shorter games if they included such interesting design and story.
Say what you will but Kirby 64 is probably one of my if not my favorite Kirby game. And I was born after it was released I just think it’s a great game especially for its time.
Interesting knowing how much would be reused from Kirby 64, that a lot more features were left behind. Kinda understand why it is, but i do admire the ambiguous nature of the ideas in 64.
Looking back I think it was the art style I liked the most with it. It had some of the most competent art direction on the system, 2.5D was hard to get right!
i honestly would love a kirby 64 remaster: adeline, dedede, and waddle dee become playable so that they actually contribute, more fleshed out ability combinations that have a better power balance, updated graphics but keeps the same style of the original kirby 64, etc. there are definitely issues with kirby 64 yet i can't help but love the game to bits, i'd love to see a more fleshed out version of the game :") probably won't happen though, RIP.
With Kirby 64 being my first Kirby game I was pretty disappointed by the blandness of most of the series for years, but after I actually got a good crack at the SNES games my appreciation for Kirby rose. Planet Robobot is the only modern Kirby I've cared enough to complete.
While it is true the combo copy abilities being very specific when it came to getting some shards, I really enjoyed this game when I was younger and if I were to replay it I might have a very different look on it. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING changes how I feel about that final boss and it's music, a literal masterpiece to the Kirby series in my eyes, but yeah no, I can see where the game falls flat and where it has it's ups, and gotta thank google, because without them spying on what I search up in recent times (images of 02 because I love his design) I would not have seen this and given the game some more thought.
🎵I must search for those crystal shards Even if the task maybe hard I will make sure that you will all see As I set our planets free! With the crystal powers that were once completely scattered It will be the very KEY TO DES TRO ING EACH AND EVE RY DARK MAT TER!🎵 I will never forget these lyrics.
There is one other thing I am pretty sure that only Kirby 64 did in the series, weaponize enemies.. Before swallowing enemies and projectiles, Kirby could pull them back out and hold them over his head to throw them, same as he does with the copy ability "stars" that result in the combo abilities most of the time. Some enemies, when pulled back out this way, would perform their attacks and allow Kirby to fight without using copy abilities, some enemies even behaved differently when they were thrown (not when simply spat back out).
If you want a game a similar ability combining system but with the ability to combine up to 3 of 'em, way more combinations, & more consistent quality across combinations, Copy Kitty is a great game no one's ever heard of & you can get it on Steam. It's a lot shootier & more action focused than a Kirby game but it's still a platformer with ability combinations & swords.
This is by far my favorite Nintendo game, it honestly killed me that no future Kirby game took from it. I’m a grown ass adult now, almost 30 yo, and I still remember fondly the music, the bosses and the level design from Crystal Shards. That O2 fight at the end absolutely blew my mind as a kid, lmao. I’ve been playing the virtual console kirby games on my wife’s switch and got again in love with the franchise and want to give their other games a chance, and will probably pick the new one because it looks more complex gameplay-wise than the past instalments of the wii/u era (?). Dunno, Kirby deserves better games.
For me, the part of Kirby 64's design I think modern kirby has been missing is the 2.5d level design. Having levels weave through the terrain and feel integrated with it, instead of being a flat plane, was a great idea. At least KaTFL combined the environment and the stage well.
mmmmm voring enemies, yos also, "throwing darts at a dartboard and seeing what sticks" great job, you managed to break an analogy, youre probably the only person to do that
It's a shame there Is no 3D Kirby game that can outbest Kirby 64 with Its uniqueness. The stuff they could do If they combined the right games, though. From Kirby 64: -3D world designs along Its 3D Interaction, plus giving the player a good panoramic glimpse of the world they are playing at, and also giving the player the feeling they are not just running a straight line. While you actually are, the camera view has a very Important rol there. -The abilities combination -the direct Interaction with monsters when absorbed then grabbed Instead of entirely absorbed to copy ability (I loved using the purple flying monster to fly straight forward fast, or the fish underwater that made you swim underwater really fast, or that bone fish that would throw Its head, which.... spammed his head, which was funny to use. There Is so much to tell) From Kirby Super Star Ultra (and pretty sure Saga, which I didn't get to play): -The variation of moves on most of each abilities. [It's the one thing most games of the franchice In general never did and was limited to just one move or a few] Most likely the main unusual feature of the game(s). -The multiple playable modes available From Kirby The Amazing Mirror: -It's a whole Open World Kirby game, and closely the only one. [One of Super Star's segments Is pretty close to that, the one about treasure hunt]. Just by combining these three games there Is room to potentially create the best Kirby game ever to exist. What a great day to be alive that would be...
ah shit I had this saved for later and finished the whole thing not realizing how obscure of a find this was for my algorithm lol amazing work man, genuinely thought you were a bigger channel lol
Nice video! Lotta potential man. It may be a good idea to remove any repetition in the script to streamline things. You mentioned that 'several features got abandoned' quite a number of times and a snappier structure could serve this video style well.
Two things: a funny missed point and a major disagreement. The missed point is that, technically, dark matter and zero(2) were also abandoned after this game. Of course they didn't debut in this game, but it's funny to think that not only were such large features not revisited but also the game's antagonists too. The disagreement I have is about two things. The first is replaying a level to have the right ability to get a crystal shard. I don't see the problem with this? There are plenty of games that have collectibles that you need to replay a level for. Heck, the praised Kirby and the Forgotten Land has tons of that if you want all the waddle dees. I just think it's too minimal to complain about even if it is a problem, especially with how gorgeous and atmospheric the levels are. Moreover, I thought it was really cool as a kid. Idk, I thought of it as a puzzle and enjoyed trying to find the right combination, as well as get back to the obstacle with that ability. The second thing I disagree with is about the variability of combinations' usefulness being a bad thing. I think that's part of the fun too! Unless you're keeping track, you're not gonna find all of the combos by the end of the game, so you'll always be looking for new ones. I think that leads the player to quickly discard abilities in search of new combos, so the idea of getting "stuck" with one feels off to me. That's not to say I expect players to discard useless combos when they recognize they're not good; I believe players will continue using bad abilities just because they picked them up, but that the duration of use is short nonetheless. Hell, even if most of them were slightly below average I'd still still support it because shaking up the gameplay, even from a (minor) accidental self-imposed difficulty, just makes every second of the game even more interesting, which I think is this game's strength.
Honestly, both points mainly lacked polish, the dark matter trilogy had a thing already with obscure mandatory puzzles for the true final boss (looking at you, dark castle), I think that some of them didnt really age well. Ability combinations... It is just advanced animal buddy system, which is great, at the cost of having more lows in quality, where in 64, alot of abilities screamed power, in dreamland 2 & 3 movement was held in higher regard. I suppose it is preference, though
Every power not being equally useful seems like a really stupid complaint. Nobody complains that 80% of weapons in most games are completely worthless, at least here seeing a bad ability is fun because they're all at least unique
It seems most people only like 64 because of the combo abilities but most of them are just bad or useless. I'm sure this could be fixed if HAL ever revisits this style, but they probably won't. I always just saw 64 as a dumbed down DL3, basically the same game with worse graphics, worse levels and less content. It's a shame that we won't ever see what an improved game in the style of Kirby 64. Also, 11:28 Plugg
I will always plug for Plugg tbh. You could tell HAL a lot of ideas that fizzled cuz they couldn't adjust to 3D. Like ALL of kirby's friends were gonna be playable before gettin reduced to stage gimmicks. But hey, at least they kept the lame minigame collection haha
7:34 Burn-Burn is the go-to ability for speedrunning and is also a pretty good boss killer. Spark-Spark can also consistently damage bosses, at least it did when I was playing with it...
Admittedly I’ve only played a few Kirby games and completed even less. I’m a bit sad finding out now that this one is so unique because it is one of my all time favorite games. The only problem I have with it is how short it is. I sort of wanted more of the adventure, you know? I’d hoped that there were similar Kirby games. I have heard that Kirby’s Dream Land 3 is about as close as it gets. Maybe I’ll have to try that one.
I wish they could give this game another chance, had so many cool ideas, I can see the many flaws it has, but I know they can rework them up and make it more pleasing. I grew up with his game, I remember the many struggles I had back then, it's just that there is something odd about this one (as well as with dreamland 3), I can't help but feel bored everytime I play it, maybe I'm sick of kirby games (although I love the pink soft cute ball). I have played all of them (except star ride, all the 3Ds installments and the last one). I'm giving kirby games a chance again, I just wish I could feel as refresh as I felt when I played Squeak squad and super star ultra. My highlights were with the first 2 dream lands, amazing mirror and the 2 latest I mentioned. I'm gonna try soon triple deluxe.
I think the BIG problem with Kirby's 64's moment to moment gameplay is flow. Like, you gotta constantly stop and go cuz most of the abilities stop you in your tracks or take control. Squeak/Super Star could be played way faster. I heard triple deluxe was good but I really wish they'd make the games harder in the future.
This game desperately needs a remake, or at the very least a rerelease that doesn't require me to pay 200 euros and a kidney for an original PAL cartridge of the game.
You lost credibility when you said Fire + Fire was "useless." Any speedrunner (though honestly I can't see how you can't see how by playing it normally) can attest that Fire + Fire is the most overpowered ability in the game. It covers an insane amount of distance and you're invincible through all of it.
This game is only short for the people that don't use all the abilities. When you beat the game you beat it again with new sets of moves. I've beat this one 3 times in a row without even experiencing slightest feeling of boredom. To me all the kirby games that came before and even after was inferior to endless fun of Kirby 64. Even tho they all was very good. And the fact that developers never got back to the combo system is just plain sad. I know it could have been hard to make back in 2000, but in 2022? I mean, at least one game?... But nope. I've heard that they fire the guy who made this one... Anyway thanks for the vid!
It was another kind of Kirby the pinnacle of Shimomura. Even the angle of analysis show how the serie evolved. Saying stuff like "the player shouldn't get rid of any copy abilities because it's a gumble" doesn't make sense because the whole concept of the game is just.. Discovering what would be the next surprise. And quite often, the Level Design was made to go with a certain combinaison which the enemies of the environment permitted. What if the new ability wasn't as good as the one before ? Kirby 64 is an atmospheric game where changing ability often was what was suggested to the player.... Like Kirby Dreamland 3 really which have the exact same combo system... Except with animal instead of two powers.
Thank you so much for the support, it really means a lot to me! I know the channel is still super tiny but I just want to keep working towards better content for you guys.
@@mechadusto6235 I know it's a small channel, I'm in a similar boat, but I believe numbers don't matter, if content is good. And you, my good sir, have great, well thought-out, and entertaining videos that at least make me happy to watch them
Fire + Sword will forever remain that one combo that none of us want to let go of in Kirby 64.
i mean it is in Kirby Star allies also Cutter is a Sharp Boomerang not a Sword
I was more of a fan of Electric + Sword, it looked like Kirby becoming a jedi
The real deal is fire+bomb tho, lets be honest
Nah fam, Ice + Electric
haha sword go slash
The level design of this game was amazing
Shiver star was my personal favorite! Transitioning from winter wonderland to robot factory over the course of several levels was such a cool idea.
Ikr
@@mechadusto6235 is it earth in a ice age
@@superepic9336 probably, although that's never confirmed
Agreed, plus the power combinations were fun even if some of them were a bit crappy (I'm looking at you melting ice cube and static). Fire sword, double ended lightsaber, exploding shirukins, double needle, and missiles were some of my favourite.
"The whole shtick with Kirby games is voring enemies to steal their power"
I guess this was the only way to describe it, huh?
In the very first Kirby game Kirby doesn't get a power when voring enemies, it was just pure platforming and vore.
the timestamp is 4:25 for people looking for it
Would u rather he say "sucking enemies" than "voring enemies" ? 🙃
@@waterking74 inhale them like cocanium
The thing is though, Voring implies kirby has organs. And a digestive system. He's a living black hole.
5:55 I'm so used to Mario following that statement with "they pinch back".
Because RUclips is where the “poop” is
*Wheezing to the music*
Having such unique setpieces as levels is something so special and charming about this game! I was struggling to understand why this game is so memorable and that's absolutely it, I'd love HAL to pick up this trend again, even if it means less levels, though with modern development, they could pull it off and have more levels as well. Really cool topic to cover!
I guess your wish is granted
I think it has to do with the N64's size limits and Hal not working on a main series Kirby game in awhile by the time of Return to Dream Land.
I think the biggest loss for the series was not going back to the awesome level scenery
What the heck are you talking about? Have you seen return to dreamland backgrounds?
well forgotten land sure delivered in that aspect lol
bruh literally all the kirby games that came after that had 3D graphics all have awesome level scenery, especially planet robobot
@@YashBeanz Even superstars ultra had awsome 3D backgrounds.
The reason why 3d paths werent used is cause they were too resiurce intesive!
Kirby Wiki admin here. This is a well-thought-out, well-constructed video. You have a great understanding of the game's original concept and design, and have clearly done a bunch of research on the topic. Good work! I only have two things to mention:
-You compare it against Kirby Super Star quite frequently when that was not the series standard in 2000. While we've come to expect Copy Abilities to have fleshed out movesets today, at K64's release, KSS was the only one to attempt it. I feel Kirby's Adventure of Kirby's Dream Land 3 would have been a better comparison point.
-You tend to separate mainline games from the spinoffs in a way that doesn't make sense to me, as if the spinoffs are invalid. Plugg in Kirby Star Allies was actually the second enemy to return from K64; the first was Snipper in Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble, but that's not worth mentioning because it's a spinoff? I've always viewed Kirby as Kirby regardless of the genre or mechanics, especially when discussing the series's development.
Those are just some friendly critiques from my perspective. Keep making good videos!
@@Improvisado64 Tilt ‘n’ Tumble released in 2001, the following year. Check the Dream Collection.
@@Improvisado64 You’re right, I should’ve double-checked for the Japanese release date. I’ll own up to that error.
Regardless, it strikes me as pointless to exclude relevant information on Snipper’s appearance following K64. Why say Plugg is the first enemy to reappear when he isn’t? It sounds more like the RUclipsr omitted it because no one would care about a spin-off, which rubs me the wrong way. When you make a blanket statement about the whole series, that means everything.
@@Improvisado64 It is an impressive absence, I agree. More of these foes should’ve returned in subsequent games.
@@Improvisado64 When speaking authoritatively, you HAVE to include stuff "nobody cares about." To not do so is spreading misinformation.
I would love to see a Kirby game that is like Kirby 64. Traveling to other planets, combining copy abilities, and being able to play as different characters with palette swaps.
Well, quite a few games do at least one of those. Kirby Super Star and Star Allies have the first, Squeak Squad and Star Allies have the second, and any game with 4-player multiplayer (e.g. Epic Yarn, Canvas Curse, Star Allies) does the third. I'm not sure if any others combine the three other than 64 though...
Acro might not've shown up again, but there is a robot in Planet Robobot that looks surprisingly similar
It's even called Mecha Acro. It was meant to be a reappearance.
While I certainly agree with some points I think the results they ended up with aren't really as bad as you make them. The ability list for example was actually a great example why. Kirby 64 made me constantly want to try new copy abilities because I didn't immediately know which were best, as well as forced the player to try new things by placing a small amount of different elements next to each other. I don't think some being weaker or less practical was really a downside, because for a game where you actively figure out which one you want the spectacle of the power and practicality of finding it is important. Fire-Fire sucks because it 's really easy to get, but one could argue there are some pretty good uses and reasons why you'd want it instead given the large amount of space it carries you can cover gaps and its giant hitbox clearing pretty much everything.
Agree with all the above. This was my favorite Kirby game containing great mini games. Sadly still looking for a new Kirby game that got me as excited as this one did to my 9yr old heart
Totally agree, love this game and those power combos.
Not all of them were for defeating enemies, some were useful for navigating the levels or gaining some other advantage like the spark+ice refrigerator that made healing items but could also hit enemies(probably not a very useful copy power though)
The nostalgia I feel for this game is very intense. I rented and played this game so much as a kid, and beat it so many times. I really want to see a rerelease or hd remaster for the Switch.
I'd kill for a port on switch, right now so many n64 games are stuck cuz no virtual console...it drives me nuts
You’re in luck 😉
This aged good
you can see a couple references to/reappearing ideas from this game in forgotten land - the level set pieces are way more unique and memorable, the upgraded copy abilities seem like the next logical step from the mixing in star allies and crystal shards and also have a couple that are similar to this game's combos (notably the two fire soup-ups), and let's not forget the old dedede proportions returning. fitting that the next (and true) jump into 3d contained a couple homages
Also dededes design he looks likr a pear in both games
second tier of needle even has an almost identical design to the double needle power in 64
Wow dude, this is legit interesting. I really like the editing and writing, it's simple but actually catches your attention. Definitelly subbing!
I mean, they did eventually reuse the Shiver Star concept, so im holding out hope some of the other stuff makes it into future games. (at the very least Adeline, its heavily implied she is a direct descendant of the science ancients)
This is the quality of a big channel and a lot of people watching it. Also one of the best Kirby lore videos I have seen. Keep going!.
Considering the structure of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, I think they're bringing back those more unique non-tiled level designs.
This was the first Kirby game I've experienced. It was a let's play on RUclips. Definitely holds a special place in my heart, especially the minigames and the final two stars.
Same
I guess this game was just ahead of its time from a production standpoint.
also, I could already tell you're one of those types that'll reach a hundred k subs sooner or later.
Kirby 64 walked so Forgotten Land could fly. Always pay respect to the games that paved the way for the series
For a small channel, this is a really good video! I’ll keep an eye on the content you make now
Thanks, I really appreciate the support!
This was my first and favorite Kirby game. Kirby in general is an underrated Nintendo franchise
I'm pretty sure it was my first kirby game too! I don't think I could pick a FAVORITE though...too many options
Let the poor boi in Mario Cart already
@@skygard49 he will be in the next. He WILL BE
So is pikmin (or at least the trilogy)... I love these both franchises.
I wouldn't say Kirby is underrated
This was super interesting, I never even knew so much of 64 were never mentioned/used. Also wow 11 years gap after it jees. This shows quality content can't be judged by subs at all. This is like professional level. Subbed and looking forward to more
"Fire+fire is useless".
Speedrunners:"You are useless." xD
We all know mouthful mode will eventually be forgotten
LAND hahahhahahahhahahahhahaha
This game was my personal favorite Kirby when I was young.
This was actually my first kirby game! I wouldn't play a standard kirby game till nightmare in dreamland on the GBA. I loved kirby 64 but never knew about 02 and the secret ending lmao
@@mechadusto6235 fun fact, Kirby 64 was my very first mainline Kirby game. My first-first being Epic Yarn. It's still one of my absolute favorite titles
Am i the only person who had like a really bad fear of scarfies? They creeped me out and i had a nightmare where they flew out my bookshelf and bit me and i SWEAR that bite felt real
I loved this video and it's spurn me to finally try Kirby 64 (as a long-time fan of Kirby games, I still haven't tried out this one particular gem.)
One thing to note, however: "re-doing a level with the right ability" is a common trope that goes all the way back to Kirby's Adventure. KA had blocks which could only be destroyed with a handful of abilities, and sometimes, they were placed in such a way (like awkwardly above you, out of reach of most abilities) that you had to have the *exact* ability (like Hammer) to break them and get to hidden areas.
This also *technically* isn't the first taste of Combo abilities, as Kirby's Dream Land 2/3's Animal Friends provide changes to your abilities, and in certain levels you had to have the right ability or combination of ability + friend to get the Rainbow Drop / Heart Star. The difficulty here was, sometimes the combo or ability required was ambiguous, leading to a lot of experimentation if it's your first playthrough or a significant amount of time has passed and you simply forgot. I'd rather have an unambiguous barrier of two colors so I know for sure which two abilities are needed (even if I have to do the level over again) than a springy looking guy who just sits there looking at you until you try to paw at it with ChuChu.
On the flipside, if your friend + ability combo sucked, you could easily dump one or the other without losing access to both, if say you have to clear a difficult area. Seems like in K64, you are stuck with the dual combo with no way to simply "remove" one part of it. I look forward to the challenge!
You know overall I'd say dreamland 3 was harder to complete due to the confusing tasks you had to do each level. Though you're gonna die more more in Kirby 64, there's a lot of insta-kills. Hope you end up liking it, should be a real treat!
one of the greatest games of all time. I miss it. Shame they never continued to keep making these games better and better
One thing that definitely _did_ stick around from this game in later titles was the 2.5D setup, with the 3DS games in particular expanding on it by adding 2-layer level design.
a person with 161 subs with the editing skills of someone with millions of subs.
i can't give you a million but i can at least make that number 162
Now it's coming back this month on the N64 game collection
I really wish they brought back the copy ability combination feature. The ability to give your sword fire abilities and so on is cool, but being able to be a Swiss army knife Kirby is amazing
The wildly varied combo abilities were my favorite part of the game and I genuinely liked even the "useless" ones, the fire+fire especially just because it looks cool. Might not be the most effective way to get through a level, but it's something I look back fondly on when I remember the game.
I remember as a kid thinking every power doing one thing that one hit kills on normal enemies felt like a huge step backward from kirby super star where you had tons of different moves on each power, and many normal enemies would require you to combo them for a kill. I also really hated that they limited your flight to only a few seconds.
This will always be my favorite Kirby game. Even Forgotten Land just barely became a close second. And it'd because of all these features they never used again. I want power combos to come back!
been playing this on NSO recently and was reminded just how many hours i put into it as a kid. it’s funny because i don’t remember it being a favorite of mine, and as an adult i can see that it’s really nothing amazing, but there was something about it that i must have been fond of when i was young. even if it’s a bit bland or underdeveloped, it’s still a good title for an amazing system and i’m glad it has its place in gaming history.
(fucking great music though, without a doubt)
Well with Kirby and the Forgotten land I think the move to 3D was incredible! I do really hope that at some point they remake Crystal Shards. It was one of my first ever games and holds a special place in my heart. Fire Sword was the best :)
i actually thought i was looking at a mainstream popular channel, nice video!
13:31 Kirby and the fogotten land existing: "So anyways~"
Kirby 64 was my first and only Kirby game. Whenever I try playing any of the other kirby games, I just find myself getting really bored, but I could go back and replay Kirby 64 for hours. It could just be nostalgia, but I think it has a lot to do with the really high quality and interesting levels in Kirby 64.
Currently, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is looking really interesting to me, because it has fully 3D environments that feel really reminiscent of the Kirby 64 levels. I might have to check it out later this year.
Most Spark-granting enemies don't have feet or walk in a strange manner, that's why Plug was brought back as a helper)
The classic Sparky leaped around to move)
“While this isn’t a huge amount of copy abilities for a Kirby game”
**kirby 64 with the biggest number of copy abilities in any game:**
Kirby64 is without a doubt the pinnacle of the series for me. The visuals are just so wonderful, the character designs are wonderful, and the combining mechanic is astoundingly fun
My guess on why the 64 enemies were barely even seen again is probably because of the same reason that the Animal Friends barely ever showed up - the director of the Dream Land Trilogy (DL2, DL3, and K64) leaving the industry after this game. That and the series shifting aesthetically in the mainline games to be more in line with the anime, which Sakurai directed.
Kirby 64 is imo easily the best game in the series and still the only one that actually made me want to use all the abilities just to find out what they'd be (which I also think having a bit less balance encourages - this isn't some competitive multiplayer game). The way you describe the ability usage you apparently do in this game is how I play other Kirby games simply because they are so complicated and need time to learn (and also because they are far more boring/standardized). And yeah, up until the new game, Kirby 64 had by far the best level design/world in the series, too.
Kirby 64 also has one of the best soundtracks in video games, with lasting impact on certain electronic music genres (like future bass), even. Think it was really understated just how important this game was. It's definitely among the list of Nintendo games that have made the most impact. Not sure there's much else in the Kirby series that has done that.
I loved this game, but yes, any time I could make the electric cutter combo and spin2win darth maul style I saw no reason to use any of the other 34 powerups.
Great Video. I loved Kirby64, but it felt a hallow for me compared to the other games. This video, kinda explains it, thank you.
Something always did feel a bit 'off' to me when it comes to kirby 64, its just so different from everything else in the series. Kinda like an uncanny valley effect
14:08
kirby darth maul.
KIRBY DARTH MAUL!
well the game did come out a year after the phantom menace released
Fun fact: Fire + Fire is technically the most efficient ability in this game if your goal is to beat the game as fast as possible. It's used for the majority of any% speedruns of the game.
This game is one of the few games that makes me genuinely sad that we never got to see the concepts developed further. It was such a good conceptual building ground for Kirby, mechanically, aesthetically, and thematically. Imagine seeing the perfectly, simple textures and vibrant colors in HD with higher fps! The development of Dark Matter! I'm glad a lot of the newer Kirby games still celebrate a lot of its past but it's a damn shame this one is kinda washed away from time and it being too early for the tech at the time. To be honest, I'd be very much ok with shorter games if they included such interesting design and story.
Say what you will but Kirby 64 is probably one of my if not my favorite Kirby game. And I was born after it was released I just think it’s a great game especially for its time.
And that is why this is my favourite kirby game. It had so many one offs, it was by far the most unique.
Interesting knowing how much would be reused from Kirby 64, that a lot more features were left behind.
Kinda understand why it is, but i do admire the ambiguous nature of the ideas in 64.
Looking back I think it was the art style I liked the most with it. It had some of the most competent art direction on the system, 2.5D was hard to get right!
Imo, Super Star multiple moves for an ability, Crystal Shards combo abilities, & Robobot’s mech all in one game would be a dream
I literally forgot about this game till the forgotten land was announced..shame on me
The ideas of this game wasn't abandonment anymore, forgotten land is full of 64 references
Still forgotten land is missing something, Adeleine as a playable character, for the lore that connect forgotten land with 64,
i honestly would love a kirby 64 remaster: adeline, dedede, and waddle dee become playable so that they actually contribute, more fleshed out ability combinations that have a better power balance, updated graphics but keeps the same style of the original kirby 64, etc. there are definitely issues with kirby 64 yet i can't help but love the game to bits, i'd love to see a more fleshed out version of the game :")
probably won't happen though, RIP.
With Kirby 64 being my first Kirby game I was pretty disappointed by the blandness of most of the series for years, but after I actually got a good crack at the SNES games my appreciation for Kirby rose.
Planet Robobot is the only modern Kirby I've cared enough to complete.
You should also try triple deluxe
What about Forgotten Land?
While it is true the combo copy abilities being very specific when it came to getting some shards, I really enjoyed this game when I was younger and if I were to replay it I might have a very different look on it. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING changes how I feel about that final boss and it's music, a literal masterpiece to the Kirby series in my eyes, but yeah no, I can see where the game falls flat and where it has it's ups, and gotta thank google, because without them spying on what I search up in recent times (images of 02 because I love his design) I would not have seen this and given the game some more thought.
🎵I must search for those crystal shards
Even if the task maybe hard
I will make sure that you will all see
As I set our planets free!
With the crystal powers that were once completely scattered
It will be the very
KEY
TO
DES
TRO
ING
EACH
AND
EVE
RY
DARK
MAT
TER!🎵
I will never forget these lyrics.
Kirby 64 is my all time favorite I still played it repeatedly because I enjoyed it since childhood
There is one other thing I am pretty sure that only Kirby 64 did in the series, weaponize enemies.. Before swallowing enemies and projectiles, Kirby could pull them back out and hold them over his head to throw them, same as he does with the copy ability "stars" that result in the combo abilities most of the time. Some enemies, when pulled back out this way, would perform their attacks and allow Kirby to fight without using copy abilities, some enemies even behaved differently when they were thrown (not when simply spat back out).
Zero Two was such a legendary boss. Just gave off that "biblical angel" feel that made the fight so intense
If you want a game a similar ability combining system but with the ability to combine up to 3 of 'em, way more combinations, & more consistent quality across combinations, Copy Kitty is a great game no one's ever heard of & you can get it on Steam. It's a lot shootier & more action focused than a Kirby game but it's still a platformer with ability combinations & swords.
This is by far my favorite Nintendo game, it honestly killed me that no future Kirby game took from it. I’m a grown ass adult now, almost 30 yo, and I still remember fondly the music, the bosses and the level design from Crystal Shards. That O2 fight at the end absolutely blew my mind as a kid, lmao. I’ve been playing the virtual console kirby games on my wife’s switch and got again in love with the franchise and want to give their other games a chance, and will probably pick the new one because it looks more complex gameplay-wise than the past instalments of the wii/u era (?). Dunno, Kirby deserves better games.
K64 was abandoned because if it was released, it would have confirmed that, according to Kirby lore, Kirby was, or is, a biblically accurate angel.
the existence of void termina was the best thing to happen to kirby lore tbh, I'm hyped to see where the story goes next
For me, the part of Kirby 64's design I think modern kirby has been missing is the 2.5d level design. Having levels weave through the terrain and feel integrated with it, instead of being a flat plane, was a great idea. At least KaTFL combined the environment and the stage well.
mmmmm voring enemies, yos
also, "throwing darts at a dartboard and seeing what sticks"
great job, you managed to break an analogy, youre probably the only person to do that
It's a shame there Is no 3D Kirby game that can outbest Kirby 64 with Its uniqueness.
The stuff they could do If they combined the right games, though.
From Kirby 64:
-3D world designs along Its 3D Interaction, plus giving the player a good panoramic glimpse of the world they are playing at, and also giving the player the feeling they are not just running a straight line. While you actually are, the camera view has a very Important rol there.
-The abilities combination
-the direct Interaction with monsters when absorbed then grabbed Instead of entirely absorbed to copy ability (I loved using the purple flying monster to fly straight forward fast, or the fish underwater that made you swim underwater really fast, or that bone fish that would throw Its head, which.... spammed his head, which was funny to use. There Is so much to tell)
From Kirby Super Star Ultra (and pretty sure Saga, which I didn't get to play):
-The variation of moves on most of each abilities. [It's the one thing most games of the franchice In general never did and was limited to just one move or a few] Most likely the main unusual feature of the game(s).
-The multiple playable modes available
From Kirby The Amazing Mirror:
-It's a whole Open World Kirby game, and closely the only one. [One of Super Star's segments Is pretty close to that, the one about treasure hunt].
Just by combining these three games there Is room to potentially create the best Kirby game ever to exist.
What a great day to be alive that would be...
good god i hope youre still active. i havent clicked on your channel yet but i found this
7:32 fire times fire is actually the best ability for speedrunning
Literally only for people who know exactly what they're doing
ah shit I had this saved for later and finished the whole thing not realizing how obscure of a find this was for my algorithm lol
amazing work man, genuinely thought you were a bigger channel lol
lmao, thanks. I've been performing a lot of sacrifices to appease the algorithm so it'll blow up eveeeeentually, mark my words!
Nice video! Lotta potential man.
It may be a good idea to remove any repetition in the script to streamline things. You mentioned that 'several features got abandoned' quite a number of times and a snappier structure could serve this video style well.
Two things: a funny missed point and a major disagreement. The missed point is that, technically, dark matter and zero(2) were also abandoned after this game. Of course they didn't debut in this game, but it's funny to think that not only were such large features not revisited but also the game's antagonists too.
The disagreement I have is about two things. The first is replaying a level to have the right ability to get a crystal shard. I don't see the problem with this? There are plenty of games that have collectibles that you need to replay a level for. Heck, the praised Kirby and the Forgotten Land has tons of that if you want all the waddle dees. I just think it's too minimal to complain about even if it is a problem, especially with how gorgeous and atmospheric the levels are. Moreover, I thought it was really cool as a kid. Idk, I thought of it as a puzzle and enjoyed trying to find the right combination, as well as get back to the obstacle with that ability.
The second thing I disagree with is about the variability of combinations' usefulness being a bad thing. I think that's part of the fun too! Unless you're keeping track, you're not gonna find all of the combos by the end of the game, so you'll always be looking for new ones. I think that leads the player to quickly discard abilities in search of new combos, so the idea of getting "stuck" with one feels off to me. That's not to say I expect players to discard useless combos when they recognize they're not good; I believe players will continue using bad abilities just because they picked them up, but that the duration of use is short nonetheless. Hell, even if most of them were slightly below average I'd still still support it because shaking up the gameplay, even from a (minor) accidental self-imposed difficulty, just makes every second of the game even more interesting, which I think is this game's strength.
Honestly, both points mainly lacked polish, the dark matter trilogy had a thing already with obscure mandatory puzzles for the true final boss (looking at you, dark castle), I think that some of them didnt really age well. Ability combinations... It is just advanced animal buddy system, which is great, at the cost of having more lows in quality, where in 64, alot of abilities screamed power, in dreamland 2 & 3 movement was held in higher regard. I suppose it is preference, though
I haven't played this game since I was a kid,but it's still my favorite kirby game
Every power not being equally useful seems like a really stupid complaint. Nobody complains that 80% of weapons in most games are completely worthless, at least here seeing a bad ability is fun because they're all at least unique
It seems most people only like 64 because of the combo abilities but most of them are just bad or useless. I'm sure this could be fixed if HAL ever revisits this style, but they probably won't. I always just saw 64 as a dumbed down DL3, basically the same game with worse graphics, worse levels and less content. It's a shame that we won't ever see what an improved game in the style of Kirby 64.
Also, 11:28 Plugg
I will always plug for Plugg tbh. You could tell HAL a lot of ideas that fizzled cuz they couldn't adjust to 3D. Like ALL of kirby's friends were gonna be playable before gettin reduced to stage gimmicks. But hey, at least they kept the lame minigame collection haha
7:34 Burn-Burn is the go-to ability for speedrunning and is also a pretty good boss killer. Spark-Spark can also consistently damage bosses, at least it did when I was playing with it...
"Voring enemies to steal their power"
... Yeah I guess
I recently rebought this game at a pawn shop. I liked it a lot as a kid and Kirby's Dream Land for GB.
9:09 Forgotten Land begs to differ.
to think that this year marks the first full 3d mainline Kirby game
Admittedly I’ve only played a few Kirby games and completed even less. I’m a bit sad finding out now that this one is so unique because it is one of my all time favorite games. The only problem I have with it is how short it is. I sort of wanted more of the adventure, you know? I’d hoped that there were similar Kirby games. I have heard that Kirby’s Dream Land 3 is about as close as it gets. Maybe I’ll have to try that one.
Wow I expected you to have more subs than that. Excellent video, earned a sub for sure.
Keep up the good work!
This is my favorite Kirby game ! I wish we got a direct sequel.
Why did bleekly from Lilo and stitch just give me a 14 minute lecture about Kirby and the crystal shards?
Holy underrated gods this needs more views likes and subs
this is a lot of words to say "sakurai's egomania"
I have the dream collection on the wii just for this game. TBH though I play the original about as often since its a quick fun romp.
you sound like a combination of Sheeze (guy who does boundary break) and Fawfulsminion, I think it's cool
I wish they could give this game another chance, had so many cool ideas, I can see the many flaws it has, but I know they can rework them up and make it more pleasing. I grew up with his game, I remember the many struggles I had back then, it's just that there is something odd about this one (as well as with dreamland 3), I can't help but feel bored everytime I play it, maybe I'm sick of kirby games (although I love the pink soft cute ball). I have played all of them (except star ride, all the 3Ds installments and the last one). I'm giving kirby games a chance again, I just wish I could feel as refresh as I felt when I played Squeak squad and super star ultra. My highlights were with the first 2 dream lands, amazing mirror and the 2 latest I mentioned. I'm gonna try soon triple deluxe.
I think the BIG problem with Kirby's 64's moment to moment gameplay is flow. Like, you gotta constantly stop and go cuz most of the abilities stop you in your tracks or take control. Squeak/Super Star could be played way faster. I heard triple deluxe was good but I really wish they'd make the games harder in the future.
This game desperately needs a remake, or at the very least a rerelease that doesn't require me to pay 200 euros and a kidney for an original PAL cartridge of the game.
Look at the photos at 5:17. Look at the one at the top left. It's Sans.
5:18 Holy f*** it's sans undertale. (in the top left)
You lost credibility when you said Fire + Fire was "useless." Any speedrunner (though honestly I can't see how you can't see how by playing it normally) can attest that Fire + Fire is the most overpowered ability in the game. It covers an insane amount of distance and you're invincible through all of it.
This game is only short for the people that don't use all the abilities. When you beat the game you beat it again with new sets of moves. I've beat this one 3 times in a row without even experiencing slightest feeling of boredom. To me all the kirby games that came before and even after was inferior to endless fun of Kirby 64. Even tho they all was very good. And the fact that developers never got back to the combo system is just plain sad. I know it could have been hard to make back in 2000, but in 2022? I mean, at least one game?... But nope. I've heard that they fire the guy who made this one... Anyway thanks for the vid!
It was another kind of Kirby the pinnacle of Shimomura.
Even the angle of analysis show how the serie evolved. Saying stuff like "the player shouldn't get rid of any copy abilities because it's a gumble" doesn't make sense because the whole concept of the game is just.. Discovering what would be the next surprise. And quite often, the Level Design was made to go with a certain combinaison which the enemies of the environment permitted. What if the new ability wasn't as good as the one before ? Kirby 64 is an atmospheric game where changing ability often was what was suggested to the player.... Like Kirby Dreamland 3 really which have the exact same combo system... Except with animal instead of two powers.
With you for the long haul, I love the writing and style of your videos, and I always click the notification when a new video comes out
Thank you so much for the support, it really means a lot to me! I know the channel is still super tiny but I just want to keep working towards better content for you guys.
@@mechadusto6235 I know it's a small channel, I'm in a similar boat, but I believe numbers don't matter, if content is good. And you, my good sir, have great, well thought-out, and entertaining videos that at least make me happy to watch them
@@GoldenTGBYou're too kind! I suppose there ARE advantages in starting small, i'm hoping to set up livestreams soon to chat and stuff
@@mechadusto6235 looking forward to it
I love the mix power ups
Fire x fire is actually the main ability for speed tuning
"Bu..but some abilities suck ass..."
Yes, and that's fun.
Remember being a kid and choose bad matches up not for usefulness but for fun and challenge.
Hey this was a fun video. Thanks for the info obviously subbing