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| GENRE |
| Platformer |
| DEVELOPER |
| HAL Laboratory |
| PUBLISHER |
| Nintendo |
LOCAL WIRELESS
MULTI-PLAY |
| Yes |
Wi-Fi/GLOBAL ONLINE
MULTI-PLAY |
| No |
| MICROPHONE |
| No |
BUY NOW AT
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Kirby: Canvas Curse
The platformer is a staple of gaming that has endured many changes. Up until now only one series has dared neglect the jump and run mechanics established by Super Mario Bros. way back when. But where Bionic Commando forbade you jump, Kirby: Canvas Curse eliminates direct control of the character altogether, taking the platformer in a new and incredibly fun direction.
visuals
In keeping with its painting theme, this is straight up 2D animation with considerable polish. The lower screen, containing the action, holds colorful backgrounds and obstacles that are cheery and appealing. Grassy plains, sea beds, and caves are just a few of the environments that you traverse, so while the environments are pretty standard for the genre it takes advantage of the fact that the DS can output more color than the GBA. Kirby and his enemies animate well, and I never noticed the slightest hiccup in the framerate. An additional nice touch is the warning arrows above the bottom of the map to keep you from falling to your doom. The map is fine, but more information could have been put up there on the top screen.
audio
Audio is a mix of old Kirby favorites and new pieces in a traditional vein. The music is good, but not great. I enjoyed the boss intro music most, but there are some other pleasant tunes. More variety would have been nice given the spritely nature of nearly every tune. Sound effects are serviceable and further gameplay in some instances, such as when you land in a sticky pool and hear the distinctive splat it makes.
gameplay
While you can get a more in-depth analysis of the play mechanics in our preview, the basics are that you don't control Kirby directly, but use the stylus instead to paint where he will go in a series of two dimensional levels. Fans hesitant due to similarities to Yoshi Touch & Go should not be dissuaded-- this is a much fuller game experience. There are many different levels to play, spread out across eight worlds with various themes. All of the bases are covered, from ice to fire, and forest to castle levels. Furthermore, there is great incentive to replay levels for purposes of medal collection. Medals can be gained in each regular level as well as in the Rainbow Run mode, which challenges you to clear a level as fast as you can or use as little paint as possible to do so. So, while you could theoretically blaze through the game in five hours, you probably won't get it all the first time around. Like HAL’s Super Smash Bros. Melee and Kirby Air Ride a number of different unlockables are included from paint schemes and hidden characters to extra courses for the Rainbow Run mode. This would be worth very little if the play mechanics didn’t hold up, but they do. Like many excellent games, there is an ease of use in picking it up, but after playing a bit and coming back to the first level you realize how much you have improved. The powers included in the game aren’t liberally distributed, and are instead mostly used for a little added assistance or medal-grabbing, so depending on your preference, that might be a minor flaw. Save the end boss, the boss fights are included as some neat mini-games. While these are a welcome bonus, they probably could have been just that: a bonus. Hardcore fans will miss the mandatory Whispy Woods battle. Small issues aside, this is the single player DS experience that defines the system so far. It couldn’t be done on another system, but is also a fully fledged, well produced, and thoroughly fun game.
multiplayer
While Kirby Canvas Curse doesn’t have any multiplayer, it does have a nifty option that will alert you to a PictoChat session if one is going on nearby. I actually had a chance to use this at a movie theater, where two other DS users were scribbling before the lights dimmed. Every single-player DS game should include this option.
overall
Put simply, DS owners are missing out if they don’t have this game. It has longevity, charm, and controls that endure the wild departure from traditional platformers and make a highly enjoyable game. It comes highly recommended.  | | Kirby: Canvas Curse is the first next-gen game. It sets itself apart by being the first game that can't be duplicated on any of the current systems, including the PS2, Xbox, and GC. When I played Canvas Curse I got the same feeling I had when I first played classics such as Super Mario World and Sonic 2 so many years ago. There's a control scheme that's at once alienating yet familiar. Kirby rolls on screen, and sometimes I poke the touch screen frantically, unsure what to do. Other times the stylus seems an appendage, and Kirby effortlessly tumbles from one rainbow to the swirling loop of another. As with all great games, Canvas Curse plays as variations on a theme: guide a non-stop rolling Kirby to the exit. What begins as a few tentative taps to make Kirby dash or quickly stun an enemy evolves into drawing rainbows that convey Kirby down their length for as long as there's ink left in the gauge. Kirby sticks to and can be protected by the rainbows, allowing him to follow them upside down or move safely through an environment whose gravity is constantly changing direction. Of course, adhesive rainbows aren't all there is as Kirby's copy ability, mini-games, and a gamut of unlockables round out the gameplay and tug this title into classic territory. Overall, Kirby: Canvas Curse is a must-own game and should be a killer app for the DS. The game's character and theme may keep the title in obscurity; however, it sets a standard by which all DS and PSP titles will be judged and few will surpass. Forget GTA: Liberty City and Mario Kart DS: the future is here, and my, is it ever so much fun to play. 10/10 -- Abraham Walters |
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