The Switch has turned out to be a great console for fans of Kirby. First fans got Kirby Star Allies early on in the console's life, and then in 2022, the acclaimed Kirby and the Forgotten Land made its debut, taking Kirby on a 3D adventure that fans had only dreamed of before now. What's more, the Switch is a great console for retro Kirby fun, since Nintendo Switch Online offers fans a variety of NES and SNES Kirby games. Kirby fans' luck hasn't run out yet either. Anyone looking for another game to play after Kirby and the Forgotten Land can set their sights on Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.
Nintendo and HAL Laboratory took their time announcing content for Kirby's 25th anniversary, but now one clear piece of content has emerged. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is joining NSO, giving Switch owners an opportunity to revisit this innovative Kirby title. Not only is Kirby 64 worth bringing back during the anniversary as a memorable title, but its similarities to Kirby and the Forgotten Land make it worth playing on the Switch, especially for Kirby and the Forgotten Land fans who haven't had the chance to play the leading N64 Kirby title before.
Kirby 64's Innovations Compared to Forgotten Land
Kirby games always try out new Copy Abilities, but not all of them try to rethink how Copy Abilities function. Both Kirby 64 and Kirby and the Forgotten Land do, however. Forgotten Land famously features Copy Ability upgrades that adjust each of Kirby's powers and make him stronger in creative ways. Kirby 64, meanwhile, allowed players to meld Copy Abilities into Power Combos, which took advantage of both Copy Abilities to give Kirby a unique new ability. Power Combos may not have become a Kirby mainstay, but Kirby 64's extreme Copy Ability experimentation may have set the stage for Forgotten Land's bold ideas.
Both of these games also have tried new things with Kirby graphics and platforming design. Kirby 64 introduced 3D graphics to the franchise; every Kirby game since then owes its appearance to The Crystal Shards. Similarly, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a 3D platformer, and although HAL Laboratory says Kirby may not be 3D forever, it's an excellent proof of concept for further 3D Kirby games. Kirby 64 may still be a 2D platformer, unlike Forgotten Land, but fans may still find it interesting to compare the two games' approach to dimensions, such as how Kirby 64's Whispy Woods fight simulates 3D movement, as opposed to the truly 3D Tropic Woods fight.
Shared Themes Across Kirby Games
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Aside from mechanical concepts, there are story themes that Kirby 64 and Forgotten Land have in common. For one thing, both games focus on adventures outside of Planet Popstar: Kirby 64 takes players to several planets after leaving Planet Popstar, while Forgotten Land focuses on the titular planet that Kirby and friends are teleported to. For another, both games include a cute companion character who needs Kirby's help to collect something important. Kirby 64's Ribbon needs to collect dozens of crystal shards to defeat Dark Matter, whereas Elfilin wants to find Waddle Dees who were kidnapped by the Beast Pack.
Between similar mechanical features and shared plot elements, Kirby 64 seems like the perfect game to play after beating Kirby and the Forgotten Land. The N64 game certainly does a lot of things differently, but it's clearly a close ancestor to Forgotten Land. Even if Nintendo and HAL Laboratory don't release any more games during the Kirby anniversary celebration, these two games make a strong pairing due to their shared ability to show how the franchise has grown. Kirby 64 is hardly a surprising addition to the Nintendo Switch Online N64 library, but it still has a lot of value.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is available now for Nintendo Switch.