Kirby has come a long way since his initial monochromatic debut in Kirby’s Dream Land. Now the “tough creampuff” is making his way to the Nintendo DS in what Nintendo is calling a Touch Platformer game: Kirby: Canvas Curse. There’s a playable demo of the game on display at E3 2005 and I was glad to get my stylus on it. From the looks of things the DS finally has its first full featured game that didn’t spawn as a technical demo.
In Canvas Curse a witch has transformed Dream Land into a picture and has magically locked Kirby into a ball shape. Using the touch screen it’s up to the player to influence the environment around Kirby as he rolls around. You do not control Kirby directly, but you do manipulate the world around him to keep him rolling in the correct direction (a gameplay gimmick that reminded me of Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures from the days of the Super NES).
The demo features three levels: a tutorial that explains how to control the game, a beginner level, and a level of intermediate difficulty. Here’s how the game plays: Kirby rolls along the various platforms and surfaces in the game. By tapping Kirby with the stylus he will perform a basic attack that can knock enemies to bits. To stun an enemy and prepare it for whacking just tap the respective baddie. Tapping enemies that contain powers (fireball, electric shock, etc.) will give up their abilities if they collide with Kirby after being stunned. Tapping Kirby while he holds an ability activates that ability. Kirby’s copying abilities weren’t really required in the demo. They were certainly there, but collecting them seemed like more trouble than it was worth. It was usually easier to just tap stun the enemies and destroy then rather than steal their powers. This is the extent of Kirby’s controllability. You have no direct say on where he moves.
What you do have direct control over is the path Kirby will take as he rolls along. By drawing on the touch screen with the stylus players can create a series of walls, alternate paths, and escalator-type inclines that change Kirby’s route. For example, in the Beginner Level the default path would have taken Kirby into a field of enemies, but by drawing a new path above the baddies Kirby instead rolled up into a field of stars (which are worth points). If you’re familiar with the DS’s Yoshi Touch & Go then you probably already know how this works. Vertical lines create walls that will deflect Kirby back in the opposite direction and diagonal lines will allow Kirby to change his route (he can even roll up straight vertical paths if you provide him with a steady change from horizontal to vertical orientations). Each line drawn on the screen costs ink and if the ink meter runs dry then Kirby is on his own. Fortunately, ink is rapidly refilled whenever Kirby rolls along a standard non-drawn path.
With all of this in mind you’re probably wondering what the point of all of this involves. The bottom screen of the DS displays the action and the top screen shows a map of the current level. The object of the game is to maneuver Kirby from the start to the finish of each level (like any other traditional Kirby game). The demo seemingly contained no secrets or bonuses, but it did show off the solid gameplay. I enjoyed my time with Kirby: Canvas Curse and am looking forward to its release in June 2005. The only drawback I can see to the game is that it’s a little too straightforward and, judging solely by the demo, contains no secrets or alternate routes. Here’s hoping the final game does have these things because up until this point Kirby has been, well, on a roll.
Second Opinion by: Brian Langlois
Kirby Canvas Curse is another stylus only game for Nintendo DS. This one, however, is a cut above the others. The gameplay is fast and smooth with a vibrant color palette and excellent control response.
The game bagan with a tutorial which is a long-winded way of telling you to touch whatever you want to affect. Tapping enemies with the stylus will stun them and tapping Kirby will cause him to dash through them. You can also tap other objects and buttons to activate fans and other devices. The best thing is the ride lines, which can be drawn anywhere with the stylus. Kirby will follow the rainbow trails even uphill. They can also be used as barriers to keep enemies away from Kirby and to keep Kirby from falling off ledges. Be careful though as you can run out of ink.
No Kirby game would be complete without the ability to steal an enemies powers. This is done simply by touching the enemy while they are stunned or by dashing into them. I was able to use the Beam, Wheel, and Fire, powers in the demo. One drawback is that when you aquire a power it is activated by touching Kirby and it replaces the dash. There are areas where Kirby moves somewhat slow and the dash can definately save some time.
Really, this game is fantastic and bright and perfect for Kirby fans. The action can get fast and a little hectic at times, but it is a lot of fun. This one looks to be another real winner for Nintendo DS.
