History YMMV / Kirby64TheCrystalShards

** While she's a relatively minor character who only properly appears in this game[[note]]though she makes a cameo in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' as a drawing in the post-credits image you get when completing "Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!" with Adeleine and Ribbon, Dark Meta Knight, or Daroach[[/note]], the Fairy Queen undeniably has a following amongst the fandom due to being an adorably awkward {{Meganekko}}, as well as her [[spoiler:[[SurprisinglyCreepyMoment surprisingly creepy]] appearance in the ending if you don't get all the shards]].

** The Waddle Dee that joins the main group is generally agreed to be Bandanna Waddle Dee -- who's been a main crew member since ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' -- minus the bandanna and spear. This was the first time a Waddle Dee joined on your side and in ''Star Allies'', we see Bandana Dee alongside Kirby, Dedede, and Adeleine and Ribbon when the latter were revealed to be in the game. That being said though, sometimes one of those interactions in-game could use a ''Parasol'' Waddle Dee instead.

** Flutters, PrettyButterflies which appear in the first stage of the first and penultimate stages of the game, are listed as enemies. Come ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', [[spoiler:and a butterfly does become not just an enemy, but a {{Superboss}}.]]

* {{Woolseyism}}: Rice balls were replaced with sandwiches outside of Japan. Curiously, though, Waddle Dee still eats a rice ball during the bonus game in all versions of the game.

* FridgeBrilliance: None of the other games do Ability mixing the way this game does. Except that some of the abilities resulted from ability mixing returned as "new" abilities in later games: Cutter+Bomb=Ninja (due to Kirby throwing shurikens while using this ability); Burning+Ice=[[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand Water]] (if you try to mix fire and ice, you obtain water; Kirby perfected this combo by the time Magolor arrived in Dream Land); Stone+Needle=[[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand Drill]] (Kirby uses a drill with this combo). The "ability mix" thing from this game is pretty much Kirby's way to learn new abilities.
* FridgeHorror:
** Shiver Star appears to be Earth (note the continents and moon), but it's completely covered in ice. And there are (man-made) robots who live in a (man-made) factory, but humans are nowhere to be seen.
** The state of matters at Ripple Star really drives home the need to stop Dark Matter. It's seen in the cinematic to be slowly being corroded, and indeed each stage looks worse and worse for wear. The horror comes in realizing that this is what Dark Matter plans to do with the rest of the universe.

** Although getting 100% on your file only applies for collecting all 74 Crystal Shards, some completionists take it a step further by attempting to collect the [[MonsterCompendium Enemy Info cards]] at the end of each level. Each level ends with a goal bonus minigame where you have to time the direction and distance of Kirby's jump to grab any given item on a picnic blanket. One such item is an Enemy Info card and getting the timing of jumps just right isn't that easy. What makes this even more of a chore is that if you mess up, you'll have to go through the entire stage all over again for another shot. Of course, this was only a problem for original N64 players, as post-N64 ports of the game have the option to use a save state feature, [[AvertedTrope making this sidequest less of a hassle]].

** 5-2, which is a very colorful sky stage where Kirby's floating is put to good use. The abundance of Ice powers and health make it much more forgiving than the other stages on Shiver Star, and the placement of the shards are very straightforward this time around.

** 5-4, the factory, is very memorable thanks to the chilling music and being a case of SurprisinglyCreepyMoment.

** Ice+Ice turns Kirby into an almost indestructible snowball. All enemies become absorbed in his path, and he smashes right through destructible blocks. At least until coming up to a wall, the player doesn't even have to do anything most of the time. Just tap the button, [[PassThePopcorn grab some popcorn]], and enjoy the mayhem.

** Stone+Needle allows you to fire a [[ThisIsADrill drill]] that destroys every non-invincible enemy in its path. Also, you can plow through enemies while holding on to it, making you an unstoppable projectile of doom. Also, it button mashed while in the air, and if a direction (horizontal) is held down, you can float insane distances, because activating the drill stops you from falling. Platforming and fighting help all in one.
** Ice+Spark. It turns Kirby into a refrigerator and pops out three food items. And it can be used in boss fights. That's right; this power lets you ''heal during boss fights!'' Even though it's hard to actually attack with it, [[StoneWall you can still outlast everything until you get enough lucky hits in]]. Just [[BottomlessPits don't take]] ''[[BottomlessPits too]]'' [[BottomlessPits long]] against HR-E.
** Spark+Spark surrounds Kirby with a huge ring-shaped forcefield that instantly fries any enemy that touches it -- and even while moving, only decreases its range to about the size of a regular Spark shield -- making it a great asset for defence.
** Burning+Bomb. Kirby jumps, spins, and shoots fireworks all around him. Usable three times before you have to land, and gets bigger with each use. You keep all of your momentum and mobility when attacking, making it great for moving through stages quickly.

** Ice+Ice turns Kirby into an almost indestructible snowball. All enemies become absorbed in his path. The player doesn't even have to do anything most of the time. Just [[PassThePopcorn grab some popcorn]] and enjoy the mayhem.

* VindicatedByHistory: This game was originally disliked for the same reason as its predecessor ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3'': the mere fact that [[ToughActToFollow it wasn't]] ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar''. Now, it's enjoyed for its TwoAndAHalfD presentation, the unusual degree of challenge in the stage design, giving Kirby an ImpliedLoveInterest, and, once again, being SurpriseCreepy. However, the ''Kirby'' series switched back to ''Super Star''-style after that, due to the initial poor reception of these two games. Many fans are eager to see another game like them.

** While she's a relatively minor character who only properly appears in this game[[note]]though she makes a cameo in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' as a drawing in the post-credits image you get when completing "Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!" with Adeleine and Ribbon, Dark Meta Knight, or Daroach[[/note]], the Fairy Queen undeniably has a following amongst the fandom due to being an adorably awkward {{Meganekko}}, as well as her [[spoiler:SurpriseCreepy appearance in the ending if you don't get all the shards]].

** To go alongside the Shiver Star=Earth theory, a lot of fans go with the idea of [[SoleSurvivor Adeleine being from this planet]], as [[TokenHuman she's the only human seen on Planet Popstar]] (that is, if she and [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3 Ado]] are [[AmbiguousSituation the same person]]), not counting cameos like [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Samus]] in ''Dream Land 3''. This is backed up by the guidebook saying Adeleine is ''visiting'' Popstar, rather than hailing from there.
** Alternatively, some fans also interpret Shiver Star as being one of the planets owned by [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot Haltmann Works Co]], due to the industrial settings in the later stages and the company's tendency to mechanize planets. This ended up getting indirectly {{Jossed}} by WordOfGod, as they stated that planets taken over by the company usually have a giant H to mark the planet as theirs (which Shiver Star lacks). That doesn’t stop fans from interpreting it as such anyway.
** The Waddle Dee that joins the main group is generally agree to be Bandanna Waddle Dee -- who's been a main crew member since ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' -- minus the bandanna and spear. This was the first time a Waddle Dee joined on your side and in ''Star Allies'', we see Bandana Dee alongside Kirby, Dedede, and Adeleine and Ribbon when the latter were revealed to be in the game. That being said though, sometimes one of those interactions in-game could use a ''Parasol'' Waddle Dee instead.

** Ice+Spark. It turns Kirby into a refrigerator and pops out three food items. And it can be used in boss fights. That's right; this power lets you ''heal'' during ''boss fights''! Even though it's hard to actually attack with it, [[StoneWall you can still outlast everything until you get enough lucky hits in.]] Just don't take ''too'' long against HR-E.
** Spark+Spark surrounds Kirby with a huge ring-shaped forcefield that instantly zaps any enemy that touches it.

** Flutters, PrettyButterflies which appear in the first stage of the first and penultimate stages of the game, are listed as enemies. Come ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', [[spoiler:and a butterfly does become an [[BonusBoss enemy]].]]

* MemeticMutation: Kirby 64 is a Rated T Game[[labelnote:Explanation]]When the game got announced for Nintendo Switch Online, the first thing that showed in the trailer was the ESRB Rating as "T" for blood and violence (which applies to the service overall, not just Kirby 64, as the rating can only be as low as the highest individually rated game). This didn't stop people from joking how the game was more hardcore than ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'', which was also noticed for having a "Fear" warning on its rating.[[/labelnote]]

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: Spark+Cutter (the twin-bladed light saber), Cutter+Bomb (the exploding shuriken) and Cutter+Burning (the FlamingSword) tend to see the most use among players, as they are powerful abilities whose fast and stylistic attacks cover a wide range. If nothing else, they look [[RuleOfCool really cool]].

** Spark + Cutter gives Kirby a light saber similar to [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Maul]]'s, leading to the ability being commonly referred to as "Darth Kirby".

** Cutter + Bomb gives Kirby the power to throw explosive ninja stars. It's extremely rapid-fire, hits almost instantly, kills practically all standard enemies in one hit -- complete with [[TheJoysOfTorturingMooks the blade satisfyingly impaling them before it explodes]] -- and lets Kirby stay in one place in mid-air to repeatedly and easily hit the weak points of bosses. Needless to say, most of them go down ''very'' fast.
** Burning + Burning basically turns Kirby into a huge comet that allows Kirby to soar for long distances, destroying everything in his path. He can also fly for much longer after Kirby has used his breath up, allowing him to soar for great distances past whole stages. You can't control your flight as the comet, but that's rarely a concern.
** Ice + Ice turns Kirby into an almost indestructible snowball. All enemies become absorbed in his path. The player doesn't even have to do anything most of the time. Just [[PassThePopcorn grab some popcorn]] and enjoy the mayhem.
** Stone + Cutter turns Kirby into [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3 a stone form of one of his past companions]]. In stone form, Kirby is invincible, plowing through most enemies while at worst losing his stone skin if he hits a Gordo or other similar spiked item (without losing health or the power). Now, just mash B until you get Pitch (the small bird), who can fly almost indefinitely, and you'll pass through most stages easily. As a bonus, Kirby won't be affected by water currents in this stone form, which helps immensely in a [[ThatOneLevel certain water stage]].
** Burning + Cutter. In addition to looking [[RuleOfCool really cool]] and carving through most enemies with all the ease of a holiday ham, this {{BFS}} can be dragged behind Kirby, swung around him, held above his head, and thrown forward as a projectile (with Kirby able to summon another afterwards if desired), allowing Kirby to cover every angle but directly below him. It especially helps when fighting Acro and HR-H/E.
** Spark + Cutter gives you a [[DoubleWeapon double-ended laser sword]] that you can spin around yourself. What it lacks in the versatility of the fire sword, it makes up for in speed and attacking range. Cutest [[Franchise/StarWars Sith]] ever.
** Not only does Spark + Stone -- which lets Kirby throw a large boulder surrounded by an electrical field and tethered back to him with a long bolt of lightning -- look cool, but you can hit enemies from every angle if you [[HyperDestructiveBouncingBall let the rock bounce around on its electric cord]]. You can '' casually walk'' through some stages with this combo.
** Stone + Needle allows you to fire a [[ThisIsADrill drill]] that destroys every non-invincible enemy in its path. Also, you can plow through enemies while holding on to it, making you an unstoppable projectile of doom. Also, it button mashed while in the air, and if a direction (horizontal) is held down, you can float insane distances, because activating the drill stops you from falling. Platforming and fighting help all in one.
** Ice + Spark. It turns Kirby into a refrigerator and pops out three food items. And it can be used in boss fights. That's right; this power lets you ''heal'' during ''boss fights''! Even though it's hard to actually attack with it, [[StoneWall you can still outlast everything until you get enough lucky hits in.]] Just don't take ''too'' long against HR-E.
** Spark + Spark surrounds Kirby with a huge ring-shaped forcefield that instantly zaps any enemy that touches it.
** Burning + Bomb. Kirby jumps, spins, and shoots fireworks all around him. Usable three times before you have to land, and gets bigger with each use. You keep all of your momentum and mobility when attacking, making it great for moving through stages quickly.
** Bomb + Bomb equals a SpreadShot of [[MacrossMissileMassacre homing missiles]]. Said missiles fire off in a wide fan-shaped pattern and track all on-screen enemies to blow them up, making them ridiculously good at crowd control.

** Needle + Bomb lets you temporarily turn into a [[InvincibleMinorMinion Gordo]]; holding down the B button to float through the air and then [[SpikeShooter explode while firing spikes outward]] upon releasing. A great offensive and defensive move -- due to its range and most projectiles stopping and enemies dying on contact with you while you're transformed -- that also serves as a good additional mid-air boost when you're out of breath from hovering. [[SpamAttack It can also be fired rapidly in place]], letting you quickly stab your way through most bosses from any angle.

** The satisfying thwock! when you take out an enemy. More so when you destroy multiple enemies at one time through a stack or a miniboss summoning hordes of them to destroy. Especially true with the loud ZAP sound whenever an enemy runs into a Spark + Spark field that's already up.

** An Adeleine puzzle in 2-4 requires Kirby to obtain the Bomb + Spark combo in order to brighten up a room to see her drawings, giving the combination of buttons to press in the next room to obtain a Crystal Shard. The Copy Ability combo is not difficult to get in said stage, but the player needs to figure out that there are hidden drawings in the first place -- something that can easily be missed due to the lack of any cues from Adeleine herself (she does nothing but merely stare at the wall) -- and the possibility of not even knowing how Bomb + Spark works. It's also one of the only Copy Ability puzzles that doesn't hint at which combo to use, making it entirely possible that a player may not bother to experiment to figure it out due to lack of telegraphing.

* ThatOneSidequest: There's a Crystal Shard in stage 4-2 that requires you to carry the Bomb + Stone ability all the way to the end of the stage (because nothing in 4-2 itself will give you that particular combination) to blow open a wall. It's widely regarded as the most annoying Shard in the game because Stone + Bomb is easily [[ScrappyWeapon one of the worst Copy Ability combos]], and there's no way to replace it in the stage if you drop it. Add to this that there is an area where the platforms are rather difficult to stay on and you'll get a hair-pulling experience.

** 5-4, the factory, is very memorable thanks to the chilling music and being a case of SurpriseCreepy.