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Kirby Canvas Curse (JP), also called Kirby: Canvas Curse and known in Europe as Kirby: Power Paintbrush, is a platformer adventure game for the Nintendo DS that was initially released in 2005 and the first game in the series to be released for the console. The game features unique touch screen control and fun mini-games. In the game, you must draw rainbow tracks for Kirby to ride on. The farther the track goes, the faster Kirby will go.
If you tap Kirby, he will do a spin attack killing most enemies that he runs into. If you tap an enemy, the enemy will pause, allowing Kirby just to run into him to kill him. This is another Kirby game in which he is a ball, like in the 2015 Wii U sequel Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
Plot[]
One day, a strange portal appears in the sky, and out of it comes the witch Drawcia. Drawcia casts a spell over Dream Land, turning it into a world of paint. Upon fleeing back into the portal she came through, Kirby gives chase, finding himself in Drawcia's paint-themed world. The witch curses Kirby, turning him into a limbless ball. After Drawcia escapes, the Magical Paintbrush (Power Paintbrush in the European version) turns to the player to help Kirby. Kirby sets off to find and defeat Drawcia to restore Dream Land to its normal state. Along the way, Drawcia creates replicas of Kirby's oldest opponents to slow him down. These include Paint Roller, Kracko, Kracko Jr., and King Dedede.
Gameplay[]
As aforementioned, the to control Kirby, you must use the touch screen and create rainbows, stun enemies, and make Kirby perform a spin attack.
If Kirby manages to perform a spin attack and kills an enemy with a special ability, then Kirby will be able to use the enemy's special ability to his advantage to not only destroy other enemies, but to also solve certain puzzles. Once you gain the enemy's special ability, all you need to do is tap Kirby to use it.
To create a rainbow, you must draw a line in any direction, the farther the rainbow goes, the faster Kirby will travel. With this, you are able to get to higher places, cross gaps, climb up walls, and also solve puzzles.
This function takes the place of the jumping ability in the previous games (rather than jumping to a certain area, all you need to do is create a rainbow path to the above area). The disadvantage of this mechanic is that once you start to draw a rainbow, Kirby's ink supply will rapidly drop. However, it will slowly regain ink.
Mini-Games[]
Like all the Kirby games, this one features unique and exclusive mini-games. These mini-games all use the touch screen in fun ways. One mini-game has you tracing the image as fast as you can to allow Kirby to progress through the level. Others have you drawing lines for Kirby to jump on and make him sling-shot toward blocks to break.
Other Translations[]
| Languages/Regions: | Translates to: |
|---|---|
| Europe/Australia | Kirby: Power Paintbrush |
Legacy[]
Artwork from Kirby Canvas Curse appeared as stickers in the Wii video game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The stickers included Meta Knight Ball and Waddle Dee Ball. Kirby Canvas Curse also appeared in the game's Chronicle.
Reception[]
Kirby: Canvas Curse received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one nine, two eights, and one nine for a total of 34 out of 40.
1UP.com called it "genuinely excellent", saying that "it's a welcome reinvention of gaming's most overplayed genre" and later concluded that Canvas Curse is "the DS's first great game". The stylus gameplay has also been noted, with IGN hailing it as "incredibly innovative", GameSpy saying it is "quite rewarding", and GameSpot calling it "a satisfying part of the gameplay." Official Nintendo Magazine ranked it the 96th best game available on Nintendo platforms. On the other hand, Play's editor disagreed, noting that "it's innovative... but for me, that's not enough."
The New York Times gave it a very favorable review and called it "tremendous fun". The Sydney Morning Herald gave it four stars out of five, saying that "Kirby's use of touch-screen technology provides a fresh and engaging game." However, Detroit Free Press gave it three stars out of four, stating that "there is some nice innovation, such as levels that are completely black until Kirby bumps into lanterns that put off light. And as we all know, in dark places like this, it's good to have a friend."
Kirby: Canvas Curse was the third best-selling game in Japan during its week of release at 75,365 units sold. Famitsu annual sales for the region show the game sold 276,418 copies by the end of 2005. According to NPD Group, the game sold just under 80,000 copies in North America during the month of June 2005. The following month, it was the top-selling DS game in the region at 50,000 copies.
Credits[]
External links[]
- Kirby Canvas Curse at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Kirby Canvas Curse at GameFAQs