One thing about the Kirby franchise that has always been consistently amazing yet goes underappreciated is the presentation. Sometimes the series can get really experimental with the visuals and art style and Kirby Canvas Curse is one of the earliest examples of this. Everything about this game SCREAMS "abstract". From the background paintings, to the sound design, to the music, it's all super unique and really well done. Touch screen controls are never my go-to when it comes to videos games yeah but for what it is it ain't half bad here. Sure the level design has to be a bit basic to compensate but the copy abilities were added for some flair, so that's lovely. Never gonna 100% it though! Fuck that! 😄

As much as I'm looking forward to playing the sequel, there will most likely never be a Kirby game like Canvas Curse ever again and tbh I think that's pretty cool

This is a simple yet effective use of the Nintendo DS touch controls, and it is also highly addicting. The premise is that Kirby has become a ball and must stop an evil witch from transforming his world into an art piece. You don't control Kirby but rather the Magical Paintbrush, providing him a road to travel on.

Each stage is created in a way to lets you use your stylus to move Kirby wherever you wish him to, and you must utilize the environment and even some enemies to get him to the goal. I'll admit that some stages are quite frustrating due to the controls as you do need to be precise in some areas, but for the most part, this game is quite lenient and easy.

One of the weakest parts of this game is its length and its lack of creativity. It does have some good ideas in here, and to be honest, the final boss fights are some of the most memorable in the entire series for me, however, these moments are so far and few between. Coupled with the fact that you can beat this game in under 4 hours. There are "challenge" modes, but they require you to play the same stages over and over which is monotonous.

The game looks good and the music is really good. once again, the final boss theme shines the most here and is easily one of the best tracks in the entire franchise. If the team had expanded on the ideas presented in this game and added a few more levels to showcase those ideas, I think this would have been a classic DS title. As it is though, it is a quirky but interesting title in the Kirby franchise. I would check it out if you have the opportunity but don't expect a masterpiece.

When the Nintendo DS released in late 2004, it was indicative of a philosophical overhaul happening at Nintendo. Their last mainline system, the Gamecube, was vastly outsold by the PS2, and even failed to outperform the new console on the block, the Xbox. They were no longer the definitive video game console, and as a result, focused on developing a more innovative and unique approach to gameplay. Of course, this was manifested most prevalently in the Wii, but the DS was surely innovative in its own right; its two screens, touchpad, microphone, and Wi-Fi capabilities were all extremely novel at the time. And when you have a brand new piece of hardware, you want to show it off. And so, only a few months after the DS's release, came Kirby: Canvas Curse, fully designed to take advantage of the dual screen, touch screen technology-for better, or worse.

Something that is likely to have a large influence on your enjoyment of Canvas Curse is its utter commitment to its gimmick. In this game, you don't control Kirby; rather, you control a magic paintbrush which creates paths, deflects attacks, and activates abilities. The entirety of the game takes place-and is controlled by-the touch screen. And this extends beyond gameplay; you can't even navigate the menus without use of the stylus. This is something that would seem novel at the time, but can quickly get frustrating-and is emblematic of CC as a whole. Each level will have Kirby rolling along the path in front of them, relying on the player to draw paths, diverting him away from danger, and defeating enemies. For one thing, it's certainly unique, and it's a creative application of the touch screen which does seem to fit Kirby's vibe perfectly. Levels are generally short, and it's a relatively quick game overall. There's a great amount of diverse level themes here, and while they make for good background art, they sadly don't feel like much more than coats of paint over a singular type of level. You rarely have to adjust your thinking in Canvas Curse; the game plays effectively the same through its brief runtime.

It also keeps up the trend of Kirby games having an easy to beat, difficult to complete selection of gameplay. For what it's worth, there's a lot of added content here, whether it be the boss minigames, timed challenges, or modified clear conditions. It's one of the game's biggest strengths; there's truly a challenge for all skill levels here. The problem is that, with Kirby: Canvas Curse, it's rarely a challenge worth undertaking. Because of the player's role in the game, Kirby moves on his own, idly rolling around, bouncing off walls, only using an attack or ability when tapped on. Since Kirby is always on the move, constant attention is required. Like the stylus only gimmick, it's bound to get old pretty quickly. In fact, it doesn't really seem like the DS was designed to be played with a stylus constantly; as a result, playing this game for more than a few levels at a time is bound to feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Kirby is a series that's also known for its epic feeling boss fights, and while the final boss is probably the best part of the game, the other bosses are severely lacking, and feel more like non-sequitur minigames rather than a complementary inclusion. As a result, Canvas Curse doesn't feel like a game that was well put together; it's a loose (and small) collection of ideas gathered around a central theme of only using the touch screen. The novel technology must have been impressive at the time-this game is astonishingly the joint-highest rated Kirby game ever on Metacritic, for example-but it doesn't offer anything beyond that, save for a few interesting challenge modes and a charming aesthetic. Its devotion to a gimmick is laser-focused to its detriment, especially when the controls can feel as inconsistent and clumsy as they do here; in truth, it's not particularly fun to play even in the occasions when they work great.

Kirby (in 2005 and today) is an incredibly recognizable character whose base design caters to a large demographic of players. That makes the series a great choice for a flagship title in which the benefits of a new system can be conveyed to a large audience. But in spite of its critical acclaim at the time, Kirby: Canvas Curse wouldn't be the game to do so. And that's probably for the best. It's not a totally irredeemable game by any measure-more dull than anything-but it's also proof that new isn't always better, and that everything is best in moderation, and that novel ideas can quickly become irrelevant. And not many series know that better than Kirby.