I don’t care much for Super Mario Sunshine.
No, this isn’t a typo. I am starting a review for a Kirby game by bringing up Nintendo’s ubiquitous plumber mascot. Mostly because I want to admit to my hypocrisy early on and get it out of the way.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse surely isn’t Kirby in the traditional sense. There are no pretenses to try and hide that fact. The second the game was revealed everyone was already talking about how much the game looked like Canvas Curse, and to be honest the game isn’t far from the DS classic.
And while I despise Super Mario Sunshine because it felt like a chore (you literally have to clean things using a glorified hose), and changed Mario too much for my tastes, Rainbow Curse is, mind the pun, much more digestible (Kirby. Eating. Get it?) than the Gamecube’s lone Mario platformer.
Like the upcoming Yoshi’s Wooley World, the Wii U is turning heads not by taking advantage of high-res human-like renders, but instead delving into new and original art styles. Rainbow Curse’s medium of choice is clay. The art direction is where this game really sings, and if you pulled my arm it was the main motivator in advancing through the game.
“What’s the next level going to look like?” I would often ponder as I slogged through the game.
Not that it was a complete slog, mind you. Kirby games are notoriously easy, but without his signature copy ability, the difficulty climbs pretty high. Not to classic Konami heights, but high nonetheless. Like Canvas Curse, you guide Kirby around level to level by drawing a magical line (in this case, a rainbow-colored line) via the stylus on your Wii U Gamepad. There is little to no learning curve in Rainbow Curse to speak of, but as you advance the game is far less forgiving.
For a game with a rather hum-drum mechanic, the level and world designs are incredibly varied, and I never felt as if I was playing the same level over and over. This was even more prevalent in boss battles, that took far more skill in conquering than in typical Kirby titles.
Kirby really feels natural in a world made of clay, far more than one made of sprites or even yarn. Maybe, because in the right light, Kirby looks like a ball of clay; not to mention, the fact that the pink powerhouse is incredibly moldable.
It’s hard to judge a game for something it never intended to be. No, it’s not traditional Kirby. But I wished, every second of the game it was. Hopefully the next time we see Kirby clay-ified, his copy ability will return, and controlling him will be done with a directional pad.
Despite the fact that I usually play the Wii U and watch T.V. or listen to a podcast simultaneously in true 2015 fashion, Rainbow Curse’s soundtrack is one of the best Kirby soundtracks produced. Play with the speakers on full blast, you won’t regret it.
No, Rainbow Curse isn’t the typical Kirby goodness you’re used to. If you hated Canvas Curse, the game’s awesome art direction won’t salvage that this game is almost exactly the same. And while the game is far from the best offering on the Wii U, it’s still a great (and cheap) offering for all your puzzle-platforming fans. 7/10
Buy: Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Kirby Amiibo