"Kirby: Canvas Curse uses the Nintendo DS's touch screen well, but is short"

Nintendo is a company that continuously emphasizes the importance of quality games over hardware on every possible occasion. However, the Nintendo DS's first generation of games sure does not show this philosophy. While it was hyped as a new and unique system, the number of games worth buying has remained quite small for quite some time. The capabilities of the Nintendo DS have hardly been used. Most of the games that do use a majority of the Nintendo DS's functions have felt more like extended tech demos than games. Just as the storm seems harsh, the clouds clear, and a rainbow appears…

A rainbow line, that is. In the game Kirby: Canvas Curse, our lil' pink hero has been chucked into a painting dimension by an evil witch. He has also been turned into a ball. Though all seems lost, a rainbow brush in your hands will allow you to draw lines that will guide Kirby through various levels of gameplay. While the game looks similar to Kirby's other platforming games, all of the action is controlled with that pointy stylus of yours; only the pause button is used. The top screen shows a map and game statuses.

The game opens with an optional tutorial that is quick, fun, and painless. It explains the various ways in which the rainbow lines can be used to progress through levels. A rainbow line is drawn with just a swipe of the stylus. These rainbow lines can be used to guard against enemy attacks, to climb upward, and other possibilities. Rainbow lines act in a manner similar to escalators. When Kirby hits a line, he is automatically propelled in the direction in which the line is drawn. This can make changing directions a bit difficult, as a line must be drawn straight vertically in order to turn the character around. As lines are drawn, an ink gauge is used up. Once it has been depleted, no more lines can be drawn. It restores quickly if Kirby is on the ground, but if he is airborne, then the recovery time will be significantly longer.

Another important move that the player can use in order to aid Kirby is the touch dash. By tapping Kirby, he will quickly roll in the direction he is facing. This can be used to gain speed. Enemies can be eliminated with this same skill, or the player can tap the enemy and then let Kirby touch the foe. Certain enemies will give Kirby special abilities for him to use, such as spark and stone. This is a concept with which any Kirby fan should be familiar. Unfortunately, the ability is triggered in the same way as the touch dash. This can lead to annoyance if the player is aiming for a quick time through the stage, as the ability overrides the touch dash. If the player does not want the ability, he or she can discard it by tapping its icon in the corner of the screen. Regardless, when going for a quick time, the time consumed by having to go out of one's way to remove the ability can sometimes be nothing short of detrimental.

Each stage is cleverly designed to utilize the various skills the player and Kirby have up their sleeves. Like many Kirby games, the level designs contain many secrets that demand multiple visits. While it is mostly an affair of going from one door to the next, there is quite a lot to behold in that space. There are objects such as cannons, star blocks, and bomb blocks that can all be activated with the tap of the stylus. There are also enemies such as Waddle Dee and Gordo to defeat. The stages also contain point stars. If 100 of these are collected, the player will earn an extra life.

The boss battles are unique, but somewhat disappointing. Instead of the typical “get his health down to jack nothing” affair, the makers of Kirby: Canvas Curse chose to create three very different scenarios. The three bosses are King Dedede, Kracko, and Paint Roller, along with their more difficult versions. King Dedede's battle is a race in which Kirby and his nemesis are riding in mine carts. Kracko's battle feels similar to the classic Game Boy game known as Kirby's Block Ball. Kirby bounces around an area and must progress forward by defeating the enemies. Neither of these bosses provide much of a challenge. Paint Roller's fight forces the player to draw a bunch of different figures. Though the concept is interesting, the detection is very flawed. The player may have to draw the same line multiple times before it is detected by the game. It sure contains more challenge than the other boss battles, but not in a way that is fair to the gamer. All three of these boss battles unlock sub games that are played in a similar fashion. The last boss feels more like the typical Kirby battle.

Once a world has been completed in the game's main mode, it can be played again in a sub-mode known as Rainbow Run. This mode offers two different challenges for each level: Time Trial and Line Trial. Time Trial is a race to the finish. Line Trial forces the player to use as little rainbow ink as possible in order to reach the end. It makes each level feel like a puzzle as one tries to find the simplest route possible. The quality of performance found on these levels will snag the player a certain number of medals. The requirements for the max number of medals range from stupidly easy to frustratingly challenging. This mode allows for quick, pick-up-and-play fun.

The medals earned in Rainbow Run and found scattered throughout the levels of the main game can be spent to unlock secrets. The secrets include different characters, new stages, different styles of lines, and more. The process of unlocking these secrets is where Kirby: Canvas Curse gets most of its replay value. Obtaining all of the medals can be a very difficult and time-consuming task, so there is a good amount of game time here for the dedicated.

While Kirby's latest adventure is fun, there are some flaws that taint the experience. Most significant is the fact that the game itself is short. It can be beaten in four hours if the player simply goes from start to finish. This situation is partly remedied by the secrets to unlock and the medals to be earned. However, none of the secrets are exactly dazzling; many will not find them all to be worth the effort. Also, the game's control scheme can sometimes be frustrating. Turning Kirby around takes longer than it should, and the spin dash cannot be used while an ability is held. Plus, the game will sometimes ignore a line if it is drawn to be extremely short, which is mostly an issue in Line Trial.

The graphics found in Kirby: Canvas Curse are of the quality found in his Game Boy Advance adventures. They feature the same bright and cheery environments found in many of the pink hero's games. The animation found in both Kirby and the enemies is smooth. The frame rate keeps a steady pace as the action progresses. While nothing revolutionary, the graphics are pretty and fit the Kirby mood like a glove.

The audio portion of Kirby's DS game falls into the same bucket. Like the rest of the Kirby games, the music is upbeat and happy. The sound effects should be familiar to any fan of the series, as should the drought of voice samples.

Kirby: Canvas Curse is a noble attempt to show what Nintendo's latest handheld can do. It uses both the touch screen and dual screens to aid in the action. While Yoshi Touch & Go felt more like a great start than a complete game, Kirby manages to hold a decent amount of content. While it still feels too short, it also manages to have a selection of modes that make it great for quick play sessions on the go. It can be frustrating and the graphics and sound are nothing revolutionary, but Kirby: Canvas Curse is a fun use of the DS's capabilities that just about any gamer can enjoy.

Gameplay: 8.5 – Great use of the touch screen through well-designed levels added in with a good selection of modes makes for a fun experience. Frustration sometimes sets in, though.

Graphics: 8 – The graphics are pretty, but could have been done on the Game Boy Advance.

Sound: 8 – The audio is certainly of an acceptable quality, but it seems almost the exact same as every other Kirby game

Lifespan: 7.5 – The game can be beaten in less than five hours. There are secrets to unlock, none of which are truly remarkable. It is good for a quick play on the go, however.

Closing Comment: Kirby comes to us in a unique, but relatively short, game that is possible only on the DS.

Verdict: 8.3/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/05/07