"Possibly the best handheld Kirby game, and without question the best original DS game to date."

Several months ago, the DS was going through a massive drought of games. As many know, the DS was released very early around the holiday season to be given a head start, which had a big impact on the quality games available. At launch, the only games worth picking up to many DS owners were Super Mario 64 DS and Feel the Magic.

After launch, many highly anticipated new, great AAA games available in the near future. Very few half-decent games, let alone high quality titles were being released, although there were a few games that were a love-or-hate sort of situation, including Warioware: Touched!, Yoshi's Touch & Go, and Pac-Pix. Those were titles that received mixed opinions; many argued that these games were not fully completed games. Many DS owners looked to the horizon, where many an AAA titles lay, including Mario Kart, Metroid Prime: Hunters, and Animal Crossing, including many others. But for others, that was far too long to wait. So, DS gamers set there sights on Kirby: Canvas Curse, which, by checking out the videos, looked like an incredibly experience.

And now, many months later, the game has been released, and to fans of the Kirby series and to those looking for a good DS game to enjoy, this game has proven to be the first, great original title the DS has to offer so far.

Kirby has been in many handheld games in the past, but many would put this at the top of their list. It's not an incredibly deep game, but the addicting gameplay, the large amount of unlockables, and just the charm that the game has makes you want to keep playing.

Story: This is a game that doesn't rely on its storytelling ability to keep the player's attention. It's far from compelling, but instead a simple storyline is laid out for the game so it doesn't seem like Kirby is rolling through worlds for nothing. You see, Kirby has lost both his arms and legs because of an evil witch who has turned everything into a giant painting. Basically, it's up to you to use your “magic paintbrush” to guide Kirby through the game. If you're wondering, that's the stylus. Kirby goes through different levels and stages to find her and defeat her. Simple as that.

7/10

Graphics: The game is in 2D, which is the only way this game would've worked. Everything flows brilliantly, and every world is amazingly vibrant and colorful. The graphics are very well done, definitely amazing for 2D. Enemies are very vivid, just like the backgrounds, which intricate and detailed. If you're concerned about the graphics, then you really have nothing to worry about.

9/10

Sound: The game has many old tunes from past Kirby games, and they all sound incredible with the DS's speakers. The music isn't very repetitive, so you won't have to listen to the same songs over and over; there is a lot of variety. The effects seem implemented smoothly, so you'll find it enjoyable. Also, you can unlock songs and listen to them in the Sound Test section of the options menu, after you collect some medals. It's pretty fun listening to some of them. Altogether, the sound won't be a let down; it's all done without any jagged edges.

8.5/10

Gameplay: This is definitely where the game shines, you'll find the gameplay is quite addicting. It's actually pretty simple, though. The game only involves the stylus, and it is used to draw paths to guide Kirby through worlds. You'll need some precise skill to get through some of the more difficult levels, and this is the primary way Kirby will travel, and it's one of the most interesting and enjoyable things about the game. You can tap enemies to stun them, and tap Kirby to dash. You can use the dash attack to defeat an enemy, or you can use it as a small boost of speed while guiding Kirby on the rainbow paths. If you draw loops, Kirby will have a much more effective speed boost. There are also so nice puzzles to solve to nab medals, which can be used to unlock extras. Don't think the stylus is used just for that though, not far into the game you'll find you have to use it to protect Kirby from things like lasers and fireballs, you can tap lanterns to light them, and you can tap giant boulders that with roll after Kirby and they'll shatter. The interactivity with this game is just astounding.

Also in the game are certain enemies whose ability you can acquire, which has been a trademark throughout the Kirby series. There are eleven useful abilities that specific enemies have, and all you have to do is defeat the enemies and that ability is yours. That ability will take the place of his usual dash attack, and if you don't want the ability, you can simply tap the icon in the bottom left corner and it's gone. The gameplay is what really makes this game, and it's integrated together perfectly. The gameplay is the most important part of any game, and it doesn't disappoint here.

9.5/10

Length: The “main game” as it's called isn't very long, there are seven levels with three stages, which have three mini-worlds in each of them. You could probably beat the game in 3-4 hours if you played right through. However, if you are aiming to complete the game at 100%, it may take anywhere from 10-20 hours.

8/10

Unlockables: Remember those medals I mentioned earlier? Well, you'll be needing those. There are three medals hidden (well, not hidden, since you can see them on the map) throughout each stage, so that makes nine for each level. You will soon find that most of the medals are obtainable through “Rainbow Run”. Rainbow Run allows you to go through any level you have beaten, and try a time trial or a line trial. You can win up to three medals on each one, so now you see a much larger opportunity to grab medals.

What are these medals for? Well, in a section called Medal Swap, you can use those medals to unlock a huge variety of different things. Anything from songs, different types of ink, an extra notch on Kirby's life bar, to different characters and new levels for Rainbow Run is available for a certain amount of medals. All in all, there are 250 medals in the game to collect, so you'll be busy for a while. On top of that, because there are up to five different characters you can play as, this game has nice replay value. Each character is different too, and not a clone of Kirby so you'll have a different experience each time.

9/10

Overall, this game is a must-buy for all those looking for an enjoyable experience on the DS. If you're considering renting it, I say don't. Buy it instead, because chancing are you'll find yourself loving the game, especially if you're one of the many who have been itching to play a new, fun, and original title on the DS. Kirby: Canvas Curse is a game that can easily be enjoyed just as much by anyone; you don't have to be a hardcore Kirby fan to have a great time playing this game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/19/05