Who knew that drawing rainbows to guide a pink ball to safety would make for such a swell game?
The game opens up with Kirby pursuing an evil witch who wants to steal all the colors in the worl...err...somethingornother. The story isn't really imperative to enjoying the game. Just know that there's a villain who turns our hero into limbless ball and its up to him to defeat the villain to bring him back his stubs. To do this he'll have to utilize the power of the rainbow, (and you the stylist) to poke enemies, traverse gaps, and carefully make way to the exit. Drawing these multicolored lines is really what makes the game, for without it, this would probably just be another generic platformer. Making loops, bouncing off the walls, and rolling about underwater doesn't sound all that fun on paper. But thanks to the smooth control and creative level design, the execution here is near flawless!
As you go about trying to set things right, you'll encounter the usual assortment of baddies. From the Rocket, to Waddle Dee, the enemies are about what you'd expect out of a Kirby game. And like every other Kirby game, the enemies powers can be absorbed and used to overcome certain obstacles and make the going a tad easier. Along with these are three different bosses that repeat and up in difficulty as you progress. One has you bouncing up, down, and all around as you try to navigate a series of switches to reach the boss itself, while another has you grabbing power ups to beat King Dedede in a cart race. But probably the best one is where you have to watch the boss sketch down some shape or object, then memorize the exact way in which he drew it to quickly and steadily copy it. If you're fast then you blaze onto the next sketch, if you're slow then prepared to be 'bomb'barded. It's a shame that these three repeat themselves often, but with the spruced up challenge and the differences between them, they just narrowly avoid overstaying their welcome. Even so, their a fun and welcome distraction all the same.
To sum up the presentation of this game would be like taking every piece of candy in the world and combining it with colored pencils and touch of crayola. It certainly no graphical powerhouse, but the end result is something so sugar coated and sweet that you can't but appreciate it's vivid appearance! To accompany the colorful visuals is music that feels right at home in a Kirby game. You got your charming upbeat songs playing through the earlier stages, you got your frantic tunes that follow a boss fight, and of course you have that unforgettable victory song that's remained a staple in the series. The music won't leave you humming after you've played, but it works well in each level. So all in all, its what you'd expect.
Now one of the downsides to this title is that the length of the game amounts to a measly 4 to 5 hours depending on how skilled with the rainbow you are. If the game was devoid of any kind of bonuses or special courses, you might've put it down to collect dust after the first playthrough. However, Kirby Canvas Curse does not skip on the goodies, and let me tell ya, there's plenty of 'em! By finding medals scattered around the stages, you use them as a sort of currency to purchase health extenders, new challenges, and even new characters. With all these and more, what seems like a small game is actually jam packed with content that's worth the effort!
So is Kirby Canvas Curse worth tracking down? Well if you've played any of the prior games, or even some of the more recent ones, you'd be doing yourself a favor in picking this one up! The gameplay is simple, accessible, and yet different. The graphics are rich, and the value beyond most seen on the handheld. And much like the pink ball himself, it's energetic, bright, and a whole lot of fun!