"Kirby doesn't "suck!" He rocks and "rolls.""

Now I'm not a huge Kirby fanatic. I mean, I've played the games, I've gotten into one or two of them, but I never actually bought one. I heard that this game was one of the greatest games for the DS, if not the greatest. I was still a little skeptical, but eventually, I saw that nobody didn't like the game! I had to get it after that.

So I did. Here's what I thought.

Story: 8/10

Sure, it's really simple. But then again, it's a Kirby game. I never actually paid attention to the story of any Kirby game, mostly because they're focused on the gameplay.

Kirby is turned into a ball by a witch, Drawcia. Now you, the one with the stylus and DS are the ones who control Kirby using dash attacks, copying enemies' ablities, and drawing rainbow lines for Kirby to go on.

Gameplay: 9/10

The gameplay is actually really fun, and doesn't get old because of the increasing difficulty. You draw rainbow lines using your stylus and Kirby glides across them.

You touch Kirby to dash. You can copy up to 11 different abilities by destroying certain enemies and use them against other enemies. The abilities aren't too useful though. Some are good, but others are just worse than dashing. I'd like to see better abilities. That's why I ranked the gameplay a little lower.

There are 7 main worlds with 3 levels each, making a total of 21 levels. That's not all. You can buy 8 extra levels to play in Rainbow Run.

What's Rainbow Run, you say? Well there has to be some more challenge and some more modes or it would get boring. Rainbow Run takes small sections of the level you chose, and you have to make it through it in either the shortest time, Time Trial mode, or Line Trial mode, where you try to use as little ink as possible.

What's a Kirby game without sub-games? Well there's three sub-games, each pretty fun.

There's Block Attack. Ball Kirby bounces around hitting blocks and destroying enemies. Go for the high score. Not one of my favorites, but still pretty fun.

Then there's Cart Run. Kirby is in a mine cart, and you control him getting fruit and killing enemies. You race King Dedede to the end of the level. Also go for the high score. This one is more fun than Block Attack, but not my favorite.

Paint Panic. My favorite. Probably the most frustrating for people, but still very fun once you get used to the way things work. It's pretty much connect the dots, only very fast paced and seems like the game never ends. Go for the high score in this one as well, one of my favorites.

Dash!Jump! is not really a sub-game, but it's the equivalent of the bonus game for extra stars at the end of every level in other games. You dash on an extra speedy runway, and then, using severely limited ink, make a ramp and try to make Kirby fly as far as possible. Very fun, challenging, and easy for extra lives.

Visuals: 10/10

Probably one of the best parts of the game, the visuals are very well done. The backgrounds are very artsy, ranging from simple watercolor-looking hills, to moseic-like volcanoes.

The graphics of the foreground are also well done. It's a 2D Kirby games, so graphics don't need to be good, but they look great. You can actually see Kirby as a ball, and not as a circle. The rainbow lines are bright and sometimes hypnotizing. If you can get past the mesmerizing colors of the rainbow you just scribbled, it will go perfectly with Kirby and everything around him.

Altogether, it's very pleasing to the eyes. The bright colors in some levels blends in well with the foreground. Other dark levels are highly contrasted with Kirby and some enemies to always make Kirby the center of attention, even while musing at the surroundings.

I'm not one to nag about graphics, but without the pleasing visuals, this game would be so much worse. It could be just my love of art, but I think most people will find everything very well done in the game.

Sound: 10/10

Kirby has always had great music. Whether it's the upbeat, happy melody of Green Greens, or any dark level in minor key, Kirby music has always been great. This game is no different.

Kirby: Canvas Curse features many remixes of old songs, around 40 of them, as well as many old returning classics. I won't ruin anything with any spoilers, but you'll be hearing many old Kirby songs if you play correctly.

The sound itself, leave the music alone, is very pleasing as well. You'll hear the sounds of many different abilities, and they don't really get annoying. The only complaint is how loud the dash is. It can sometimes get annoying if you don't get different abilities.

All in all, the sound is very pleasing (how many times can I say pleasing…). It's very classic, with a modern twist.

Replay: 9/10

Sure, Kirby's a short game. What Kirby game isn't? If you're good enough, you can finish the game in less than four hours! Most people aren't that good though the first time. There are 7 main worlds, each with 3 levels in each of them. The levels can range from 2 minutes to 10 minutes each.

Getting 100% takes time though. There are 250 medals scattered throughout levels, some are very challenging to the mind and the stylus-holding hand. There are also 20 unlockables you can buy with the medals you find. Major unlockables include extra levels to get medals in. Very redundant, but helps the replay value a lot.

100% can take many people up to 20 hours or more. All in all, you'll want to play it over again (I guarantee it.).

Overall, I give this game a 9/10. It's very innovative, and can last for hours and hours. It would be a 10/10, but I'd really rather see a longer game than this. It's pretty much an old Kirby game with a modern twist. Could be the best Kirby game to date, could be the best DS game to date. All in all, it's a great game you should consider trying.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/22/05