Kirby 64 has a "game-breaking bug" on Nintendo Switch

If you're having trouble getting through the underwater levels in Kirby 64, don't panic - it's not just you. According to a new post on the Nintendo Switch subreddit, it looks like a "game-breaking bug" is preventing some players from advancing through the game.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is the very latest game to have been added to the growing library of classic titles currently available to subscribers of Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass. 

But less than 24 hours after its release, multiple players are reporting issues with the emulated platformer, stating that if you happen to get hit by "certain damage sources" underwater, you'll get stun-locked so badly, you'll have to reset the game.

"Kirby 64 has a game breaking bug in under water levels on NSO," Keyblademasternadroj said on Reddit. "Getting hit by certain damage sources under water causes you to enter hit stun forever, and you need to quit the level to fix it. I don't remember this happening on original hardware."

To exemplify, they also added a video that shows what happens - take a look below:

kirby_64_has_a_game_breaking_bug_in_under_water from r/NintendoSwitch

The OP believes the only thing affected players can do is quit the level and keep trying until they get through the level without taking damage. At the time of writing, Nintendo has yet to respond to the bug, and as it doesn't seem to be an issue that was present in the 20-year-old original game, it looks like a patch to the Switch version of the game may be necessary. For now, though, take your time and just try not to get hit!

12DOVE awarded Kirby and the Forgotten Land review an impressive 4.5 stars out of 5, saying: "The way Kirby and the Forgotten builds on the traditions of the series really makes it feel like we've entered into a new era for the pink puffball. The bigger, more open 3D setting full of challenges and inventive features makes this an unmissable adventure for long-time fans. And for newcomers, I can't think of a better introduction. 

"There's just no holding back my excitement about what the future may hold for the series going forward. Kirby and the Forgotten Land truly is a delight from start to finish."

Don't know much about Kirby? Created by Masahiro Sakurai when he was just 19 years old, Kirby is one of Nintendo's most popular characters. While many assumed that Kirby was a Mario-esque ghost due to the box art on the western release of Kirby's Dream Land, Sakurai always intended his lovable hero to be pink. 

Here's our ultimate guide to 30 years of Kirby games.