Rollin'

Hiiiii!,

When Nintendo first debuted its revolutionary handheld gaming platform in late 2004, a lot of people, myself included, were skeptical. The lineup was unimpressive at best and nothing truly showcased the possibilities of the touchscreen to create memorable titles. Then, as hope was fading for the fledging console, a savior appeared in the form of a small pink ball.

Kirby: Canvas Curse is one of those unconventional platformers, like Bionic Commando, with no jump button. The game is controlled entirely with the stylus; by drawing lines onscreen players create tracks and platforms to guide the puffball through the various stages. Angling them up and down makes jumps and allows our hero to pick up momentum, respectively. The lines can also be used as protection from laser fire or other projectiles. Tapping Kirby gives a burst of speed and doing likewise to enemies stuns them, allowing for the absorption of their powers. This inventive game design provided a truly fresh and innovative experience that was simultaneously incredibly intuitive and deep.


Visually, the game is no slouch with colorful, candy-coated environments you would expect from a Kirby game. While the graphics do not exactly push the system very hard, they are nicely rendered and fun to look at. The game's music mostly consists of catchy remixes from older games in the series, but this is in no way a bad thing as most of them are very good. The level design, while not spectacular, is sufficiently varied and accommodates different play styles. With three hidden coins in each stage and some added minigames the game has a decent amount of replay value, especially for a portable title. The second screen keeps the action uncluttered by providing a map and other pertinent information, but after such creative utilization of the touch screen I kind of hoped for a more inventive use.

Around the time of Canvas Curse's release was when the DS truly began to take off. While the system's success can be linked to many causes, I see this Kirby title as a turning point for Nintendo. By fully embracing touch screen input, HAL Laboratories proved the console's potential to put inventive twists on old formulas, as well as paved the way for other developers to take greater advantage of the stylus control.

I can't believe I ate the whole thing,
Kirby