Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, the adorable platformer that features everyone’s favorite animated pink blob, is now available for free as part of a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.
The first Kirby game to include 3D computer graphics (albeit from a 2.5D perspective) was released in 2000 and follows the titular character as he attempts to reassemble a sacred crystal scattered by Dark Matter, a brooding, one-eyed, evil orb.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is an upper-tier online subscription for the gaming console that was released in October 2021. It costs $49.99—a good amount more than the regular Nintendo Switch Online sub—and includes a treasure trove of old-school games from the N64 and Genesis, as well as expansion packs for popular Switch titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which would normally set you back $24.99.
While Kirby 64 is available for players with an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, it won’t be permanently tied to your games library. If you cancel your subscription, you’ll lose access to everything included.