Review Review - Kirby Canvas Curse (NDS)

[TheGreat2nd]

Kirby Canvas Curse

The first original Kirby game on the DS, Kirby Canvas Curse, is actually a painter. …Ok, so it’s a bit exaggerated but in this game, you do not have direct control over Kirby. You don’t use the control pad to move him, but rather guide him using a paintbrush (hint: your stylus). The concept is simple. Drawcia has locked you in a painting, you must control Kirby with the magical paintbrush and lead him out. You lead him from one point of the level to the end by guiding him with your ink trails, and keep Kirby out of danger.

Gameplay
The gameplay couldn’t be any more intuitive. You see an enemy, you click it for it to become stunned, and when Kirby runs over it, Kirby gains its powers. You tap Kirby to make him go faster or use his special power. No more platforms? Simple, use your stylus to draw more platforms. Cannons shooting at you? No problem, use your stylus to make a shield for Kirby. The only catch is that you have limited ink, which refills when you are not using it, so you can’t always have the stylus down on the screen. What’s unique about this game is that the boss fights aren’t technically boss fights. They are more like mini games, such as painting connecting the dots, an Arkanoid clone, and a cart race against King DeDeDe. The game is 7 worlds, and takes about 15 hours to complete, so in no way is this some gimmicky game, but rather a full fledged Kirby game on the DS.

Graphics
The graphics are purely Kirby. Think of the GBA Kirby and imagine touching the screen, and you get Kirby Canvas Curse. The graphics are bright, colorful, and even a bit trippy. It’s simplistic, like most Kirby platformers, and leaves more to the action rather than the graphics. The backgrounds are pastel colored to keep attention to the foreground and give the rainbow lines from your stylus a priority.

Sound
The music is a definite plus, where you can see classic Kirby mixes added in. It’s more of the same with Canvas Curse, the effects are the same, and the music is remixed. Nothing great or new here, but it gets the job done.

Lasting Replay
The game lasts about fifteen to twenty hours to finish the main quest, but there are many secret medals to collect, 250 to be exact, and that should take a bit. In the end, you can unlock new features, such as new balls other than Kirby, new colored lines, and even music for the classic sound test.

Overall, this game is worth playing, due to it being such a unique DS game. Even if it’s just a rent, make sure to play this game from start to finish, because the final battle with Drawcia is one so unique, it couldn’t be pulled off in any platform but the DS.

Gameplay - 8/10
Graphics - 8/10
Sound - 8/10
Lasting Replay - 8/10
Overall - 8/10 (Not an average)