Kirby strikes again with this great 2D platformer for the DS.
Kirby platformers have always had a reputation for excellency. Kirby: Canvas Curse only exemplifies the excellency standard Hal Laboratories has set for its games. Exploiting the touch screen to its fullest extent, Kirby Canvas: Curse will allow the gamer never a moment without the stylus in their hand. This aspect of the game works extremely well, as it offers a fresh take on a classic genre. You use nothing but the stylus to guide Kirby throughout the colorful world of Dreamland.
Kirby Canvas: Curse is the first platformer to take away boring traditional D-Pad gaming and replace it with a vibrant style of stylus gaming. In this game, he's been turned into a ball by an evil witch using the "Canvas Curse" (hence the name). The controls work well, and are pretty realistic. Tapping him speeds him up invincibly (almost), while dragging the stylus along the screen draws a rainbow. The rainbow function is a marvelous example of the work put in to making the game's physics so much fun. Rainbows demonstrate an array of functionalities, including walls to protect Kirby, escalators to elevate Kirby, and much more. Tapping obstacles will break them, and tapping enemies will paralyze them.
Some enemies hold onto specific powers that Kirby can acquire and utilize; a Spark ability for example, will enable Kirby to send out a shower of electricity in 360 degrees. A Tire power-up can turn the little guy into a speeding wheel to zip along paths and bash into destructible environments. A Bubble pick-up will inflate Kirby and let him float and bounce around the levels. These power-ups give Kirby (and players) the upper hand against enemies in a level, as well as give a lot of variety in controlling the little guy. But, more importantly, they're also used to gain access to much more hard-to-reach areas. What's the advantage of accessing those areas, you ask? Well, it's all about collecting coins.
Here's where the game branches off into numerous categories. Three bronze coins, called medals, are strategically placed in every level. Finding them often requires you to play a level multiple times, refer to the radar on the top screen, and use acquired powers. If you collect enough, you can trade them in for unlockables in Medal Swap mode. These unlockables include everything from extra songs to secret characters.
As contrary to the regular gaming experience as the main game is, so are the extras. Boss battles require you to race against the king of Dreamland, connect the dots, and play breakout, among a variety of other things. And to increase the replay value even more, there's the Rainbow Run mode. Time trials reward coins for speedily completing a level, while line trial rewards the player for using the least amount of rainbow "ink," used to draw rainbows.
There is so much gameplay in Kirby Canvas: Curse that it's impossible to put down. Hal Labs seemed to have exploited all of the DS's new functions except for one: wireless multiplayer. If some wireless competition were put in this awesome game, it would have completed the package.
Overall, this is a great game, especially for Kirby fans. Its only real weakness would be its lack of multiplayer.
Pros:
+ Good ol' Kirby platformer fun
+ Good replay value
+ Great 2D graphics
Cons:
- No multiplayer
- Generic, reused Kirby soundtrack