Beginners can go to Rules Land to learn about the game. There is an Option Laboratory where you can, amongst other things, view play records and choose different sounds and songs. This title requires 70 Mb of free hard disk space. The Crystal Shards is a vivid and action-packed game for young kids. This is an almost 3D adventure, but not quite.
Controls are simplistic, making it very easy to play.
The music is fun with some familiar tunes from older Kirby games, as well as all-new sounds. Parents will possibly want to join in on the fun, but this video game is best for the younger crowd. The main challenge involves learning what combinations of powers to use against enemies. Plenty of details need to be attended to, and players need to think ahead and sequence their moves carefully. Even the layout track designer mode requires forethought and planning.