N-Z

N-Z File:N-Z.png In-game render of N-Z as seen in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Details Other game(s) Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Copy Ability None Enemy Info Card Similar entities Waddle Dee, Dark Matter

N-Z is an enemy character debuting and so far only appearing in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It appears to be a black spherical creature similar in size to Kirby with pointy cat-like ears, white feet and small black eyes, vaguely resembling a Scarfy, though with no mouth. N-Z does not give any Copy Abilities to Kirby when inhaled and swallowed. There is a Mid-Boss variant of N-Z in the first stage of Pop Star which sits in place as smaller N-Zs spawn around it. N-Z also appears on the 10th Enemy Info Card.

Locations

N-Z can be found in the following levels and stages:

N-Z locations in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Stage	Pop Star	Rock Star	Aqua Star	Neo Star	Shiver Star	Ripple Star	Dark Star
Stage 1
Stage 2							N/A
Stage 3							N/A
Stage 4	N/A					N/A	N/A

Connection to Dark Matter

Despite its unassuming appearance and relatively non-threatening presence, N-Z appears in peculiar locations in the game which imply that it is related to the main villain of the story; Dark Matter. Firstly, N-Z appears on every planet which Dark Matter has visited, but is absent from the four intermediate worlds which Dark Matter does not visit. Additionally, in stage 3 of Ripple Star, N-Z appears continuously from a dark vortex in the uppermost room, just before Kirby proceeds to the next stage to battle Miracle Matter. Lastly, in the final level Dark Star - a world composed entirely of Dark Matter - N-Z is the only common enemy that appears there.