Kirby: Canvas Curse Review

Kirby: Canvas Curse - Review - Nintendo DS - PickyPants

As much as I like the Nintendo DS, I think I chose this game to review specifically to rile up harshly. His insistence to stick to the "cool kidz" gaming console that is the PSP whips me into a frenzy, and the only recourse I have is to force him to review the gayest video game ever made (I mean gay as in awesome).

Kirby: Canvas Curse is a game where you paint rainbows with a magical paintbrush for a plush pink ball to fly around on. Suck on that harshly!

Ok first things first, I have never really given the Kirby series much play time, with the exception of groaning when randomly selecting him while playing Super Smash Bros. Melee. There is a threshold every Nintendo fan tries to cross, where cutesytsey-ness of a game and its childlike qualities become too much for the person to enjoy. Most of us are fine playing Mario Kart, the platformers, the Smashes, and the Zeldas despite the inherent kiddyness of the titles. We just have a great old time and snicker at the "cool kidz" who would rather look good playing a game then have fun playing it. But the Kirby series has always teetered dangerously on the edge for me. It's just a little too creepy.

Thankfully, early as it was in the DS' life, Kirby Canvas Curse looked different enough for me to pick up and try. And I am very happy I did.

Canvas Curse uses no buttons at all, just the stylus. It seems a little unnerving at first, and I started to feel like the game was too simple. You trace lines on the screen for Kirby to follow, and poke and prod Kirby's enemies while he gleefully bounds around smashing into stuff. After the first three chapters of the game, however, the pace picks up considerably, and the difficulty increases exponentially.

Kirby gains his enemy's abilities when he smashes into them. There are many different types of abilities and each is pretty interesting and fun to screw around with. Thankfully, with a few exceptions, the abilities you gain aren't required to pass the level you are on like Wario Land 3, so you get to simply enjoy the new "suit" (as it were) without pressure.

The later chapters of this game get downright devious, with fast scrolling levels, spikes and lasers shooting everywhere and large bosses. Thankfully you always feel like you have complete control of Kirby. The stylus interface really clicks, and your brain makes split second decisions to problems quite easily.

A great element of the game is hunting down and spending "medals." These medals are found hidden in every level, as well as being earned from rerunning levels to a time limit, and for playing unlocked mini-games. Once you accumulate enough medals, you buy extra content from a "store." The content runs the gamut between very lame (unlocking songs in the sound test menu) to cool (new mini-games) to awesome (higher life total for The Kirb). This feature really adds a lot of replay value, and is a good way to mess around when you don't have much time to play, or are frustrated by the current chapter.

The only negative thing I can think of is this game really only stays fun for a certain amount of time before you might want to turn it off, like Metroid Prime Pinball or Wario Ware. Thankfully, also like both those games, Canvas Curse is something you can come back to again and again.

While not the best title in the DS line, Kirby is a solid platformer that tries something new, and suceeds. Here here!

PickyPants 2/14/2006

Review - Kirby: Canvas Curse - Nintendo DS - harshly_von_smokenstein

Kirby Canvas Curse is a fucking delight. I fucking love this game. From the moment I start my DS up to the moment I shut it off I was fucking hooked. Fuck, I love this fucking game so much. What with the ability to choose from over 30 different heroes to the fact that both Sentinel and Scourge offer slight nuances to master....Fuck, this game is unbelievable.

What will make you either a Kirby Newb, or Godlike, is the knowledge of the item base in the game. Is Kirby an Intelligent Hero? Then you may want to steer towards Perseverance so you can go for Refresher later. Yet, Agility or Strength Kirbies can benefit from this same item as it later becomes a component for Battle Fury.

One of the least used items in the game in my opinion, is the Diffusal Blade, but it is so delicious. 10 Charges of Purge, Feedback, and some Agility/Int bonuses that Kirby can really use early or mid-game.

Used up all the charges? No problem! It is an ingredient for a tier 3 item...Manta Style! Unlimited charges, but costing mana, it allows you to create 2 illusions of yourself. Great if you are fighting those big zapper type heroes who will be forced to guess which one is real.
Assuming the enemy Kirbies haven't gotten a Kirby Gem or Kirby Wards.

I didn't know this, but evidently the developers of this game decided to push the envelope and allow customized sound as well. When a particular Kirby, be it Sent or Scourge, gets several Kirby-Kills in a row...an announcer bellows "MONSTER KILL!" or "GODLIKE" or perhaps "HOLY SHIT". Its great. But from Unreal Tournament. I'm fucking addicted to this game.

So thank you, PickyPants. Thanks for making me review Kirby's Whatever Adventure Involving Clouds, Rainbows, Stars, Unicorns, and Other Assorted Crap. I loved it. MONSTER KILL!

harshly_von_smokenstein 2/15/2006