An evil witch has transformed Kirby into a pink ball via an evil curse. With no arms or legs Kirby simply rolls around the screen. In Canvas Curse the d-pad and buttons aren’t used at all. The touch screen is the only input device players have at their disposal. The main action takes place on the touch screen whereas the upper screen provides a map of the area with locations of secret medals (more on that later). When you slide your stylus across the touch screen, a rainbow line appears. Kirby can ride on these lines in the direction they were drawn. To change directions all you have to do is draw a vertical line and Kirby will bounce off it and roll the other way. You can do whatever you like with the lines; draw loops, make ramps, or block dangerous lasers. There is a gauge in the upper screen that shows how much “ink” can still be used to draw lines. This depletes quickly if Kirby isn’t touching the ground and once it runs out no more lines can be drawn for a short time. The gauge will quickly replenish itself if Kirby is resting on land.

Tapping Kirby with the stylus will allow him to dash for a short distance. If he hits an enemy while dashing the enemy will be defeated. Some enemies have abilities that, when defeated, yield a power-up to Kirby. Only one power-up at a time can be used. If an enemy strikes you, you will lose the power-up. If you tire of the ability you can release it by touching a panel in the lower left of the screen. Some abilities will be needed to navigate secret passages and to break through special barrier blocks.

Enemies can also be tapped with the stylus, which will temporarily stun them. Kirby can then simply roll through the enemy to defeat it or avoid it altogether. Star blocks and other barriers can be broken simply by touching them with the stylus. With rainbow roads being drawn wherever you like and blocks able to be broken, the levels are really open to exploration. Scattered throughout the levels are Point Stars. Similar to coins in the Mario series, collecting 100 of these will net you an extra life. Medals are also hidden throughout the game and by collecting these you will be able to swap them for exciting prizes. Many of the stages are expertly designed so that you’ll see a medal, but need a special power-up to reach it. In many cases you’ll find yourself playing through the level again to try and obtain all of the medals. After the levels are beaten within each world you’ll square off against a boss, each one requiring unique ways to defeat it.

Kirby is presented in glorious 2D. The levels are extremely colorful, feature parallax scrolling, and can sprawl great distances. The enemies all animate wonderfully, giving the game a nice cartoon look. The ability to go where you want with the rainbow lines is a refreshing change from the normal platform games out there. Yoshi’s Touch & Go sort of touched on this idea, but Kirby implements it in much better fashion. The music is upbeat like you’d expect in a game of this nature and be sure to turn on “Surround Sound” in the options menu as it does a fantastic job of separating the left and right speakers.

Kirby Canvas Curse is one of the best handheld games to come out this year. It’s loaded with fresh ideas and new play mechanics. The game has a nice difficulty level that ramps up sharply toward the end. Kirby is a joy to play and packed with fun levels that gamers of all ages will enjoy. If your Nintendo DS has been collecting dust, Kirby is the best reason out there to crack it back open and have a great time. I’ve never been much of a Kirby fan, but Canvas Curse has made a believer out of me.