Last year's Kirby Canvas Curse was an interesting debut for Nintendo's pink eating machine on Nintendo's curious handheld system. That game made good use of many of the Nintendo DS' unique properties, but left many fans of traditional Kirby games feeling a bit flat. If you're among those gamers that just want an eating and platforming good time from your Kirby titles then Kirby Squeak Squad is just what the doctor ordered. It's a traditional platforming game that takes what everyone knows and loves about the series while adding just a hint of touchscreen play. It's a solid effort that will satisfy Kirby fans, but falls short in a few areas.

Leggo My…Shortcake???

Kirby's having a dandy old day (like many pink puffballs do) and is about to enjoy a scrumptious piece of strawberry shortcake (the food, not the action figure) when his delectable snack is snatched up before his very eyes. While the circumstances of this culinary theft are a bit shady, Kirby has his suspicions of who the culprits are. He inflates into action to recover his rightful treat and gets into all sorts of adventures along the way.

While revenge over cake isn't a common theme in videogames, it serves this title well. Kirby is a silly, whimsical character that should be starring in silly, whimsical adventures. Furthermore, it sets up the titular Squeak Squad and gives Kirby a reason to go forth and pound the crap out of them. The narrative is cute and frames the game well.

Inhale and Conquer

In customary Kirby fashion, you run around, inhale things, absorb powers, and beat up bad guys. For the most part, the action is well done, though veterans of the series will find the gameplay quite easy. The DS differentiator here is that the bottom screen is used to store Kirby's power-ups. It's essentially his stomach (we're not quite sure what the proper biological term would be for Kirby's race) and you can mix up the power-ups for some interesting effects.

The abilities are the real star of the game. With more than 20 to choose from, Kirby's abilities help him vanquish foes and reach seemingly impenetrable areas in each level. It's good fun to play around and experiment with new powers, many of which are accompanied by adorable visual effects.

The mix-and-match facet of the game is interesting at first, but mostly unnecessary. Combining like items will result in a more powerful item of the same type. Combining different powers has a totally random effect. In theory, having the items on the touchscreen helps keep you stay connected to the game since you don't have to shuffle through menus to make new concoctions. In practice, it removes you from the game anyway and having your items on the bottom of the screen is no more convenient than pausing the game to mix them up.

That's It?!?

When you're done with the charming but way-too-short story mode, there are a bunch of minigames for you to play alone or with up to three other players. Unfortunately, they aren't very good and don't add much value to the overall package. In fact, they're pretty much worth ignoring.

In many ways, Kirby Canvas Curse is like New Super Mario Bros. There's nothing all that new in terms of gameplay and the touchscreen use is minimal. That said, what is there is quite entertaining. Kirby Canvas Curse is a cute little game with colorful visuals, wonderful music, and fun gameplay. It's a shame the game is so short (you'll beat it in a day without much of an effort) and that the minigames feel tacked on. If the story mode were longer and more flushed out, this would have been up there with Kirby's greatest adventures. As it stands, it's still a pretty good and pretty fun one.

Article by: Raymond M Padilla
Video produced by: Jonathan Solin