![]() |
Part VI: Touch Kirby!
|
|
|
Kirby: Canvas Curse
(DS, 2005)
As the first Kirby game available to feature use of a touch screen, it would be illogical if they didn't put it to some good use. And put it to good use they did. Kirby has suddenly be thrust into a paint-filled countryside after Dream Land was painted over by a witch named Drawcia. You'll soon discover, after a brief bout of gameplay, that Kirby: Canvas Curse is not a platformer game as one might expect. Or, shall I say, it's not a platformer with a traditional control scheme. Instead, in order to get Kirby from one point to another, you'll have to draw a rainbow pathway that he can roll across. Tapping Kirby can cause him to gain a burst of speed, while tapping the enemies helps defeat them. This is some of the most innovative gameplay that the Kirby franchise has ever seen, and Kirby's round qualities make him a perfect candidate for rolling around.
|
|
|
|
Kirby: Squeak Squad
(DS, 2006)
This is another Kirby game that follows a typical platformer mold. This time around, King Dedede has stolen Kirby's strawberry shortcake, and now he must fight to get it back! They were really scraping the bottom of the barrel for that idea. Criticisms have mainly focused on its lack of originality, citing no particular evolution in the series, plus the fact that the DS's unique touch screen remains unused. There are a few new powers for Kirby to use, though, including Ghost and Metal transformations. There are also some multiplayer gaming aspects and mini-games as well. However, there's nothing overly special about this title, but it can give you a look at what a standard Kirby game looks and plays like.
|
|
|
|
Kirby Super Star Ultra
(DS, 2008)
This is an updated version of Kirby Super Star for the SNES. In addition to all the mini-games that were available in the original, Kirby Super Star Ultra boasts several new games as well, such as "Revenge of the King", which is basically a more difficult version of "Spring Breeze", and "Kirby on the Draw", a shooting gallery-based game. The graphics and sound quality have all been given a boost as well, and the game naturally makes better use of the additional touch screen. 3D cutscenes have also been included to round out the package.
|
|
|
|
Kirby Mass Attack
(DS, 2011)
Sometimes, people can't get enough of Kirby. The love is so great that a single Kirby can't contain it all: it takes TEN of them to absorb all that emotion! That's what Kirby Mass Attack's main draw is. You control up to ten Kirbies at a time, using the stylus to point out enemies and objects for the pack of Kirbies to tackle. But wait... how did Kirby manage to separate into ten Kirbies? That DOES seem odd. Well, it would be odd, had Necrodeus, leader of the Skull Gang, magically made it happen -- and then killed off all by one Kirby before setting off again. So Kirby has to try and make himself whole again and defeat Necrodeus. Sounds weird? Typical Kirby...
|
|
|
|
Kirby: Triple Deluxe
(3DS, 2014)
Yet again, Kirby has his work cut out for him. While everyone in Dream Land was sleeping, an enormous beanstalk sweeps up various buildings into the clouds of Floralia, including Kirby's home! There, he must have a showdown with Taranza, the creator of the beanstalk, to try and save Dream Land. Little does he know, it is the goal of Floralia's leader, Queen Sectonia, to take over Dream Land for her very own, piece of piece, inch by inch! Kirby won't let THAT happen... Kirby: Triple Deluxe offers 3DS owners more of the platforming they have come to know and love over the past two decades. He can now use new abilities, such as "Archer" for shooting arrows or "Beetle" for digging around underground. If classic Kirby gameplay is what you seek, then this game won't disappoint. As well, two of the mini-games featured here, Kirby Fighters Deluxe and Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe, were both offered separately as 3DSWare downloads.
|
|
And so ends this retrospective of the Kirby series. I know that I didn't include any games in which Kirby makes a cameo appearance -- particularly the Smash Bros. series. But I should save those types of things for future retrospectives (which gives you an idea that this won't be the last). Anyway, the Kirby series is one of Nintendo's greatest staples. Although there have been a few unusual dips along the way (like the practically unrelated Kirby's Avalanche), Kirby has remained an icon from old-school gaming who pleases the hearts and playing thumbs of gamers young and old.
(Screenshots provided courtesy of GameFAQs)
|
|
![]() |
