"Kirby and the Rainbow Curse" is a video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. It was released in 2015 for the Wii U console. The game is a sequel to the Nintendo DS game "Kirby: Canvas Curse" and follows a similar gameplay style. In "Kirby and the Rainbow Curse," players control Kirby, a lovable pink creature, who is transformed into a rolling ball by a magic paintbrush. Using the Wii U GamePad, players draw rainbow ropes on the touch screen to guide Kirby through the levels. As Kirby rolls along the ropes, players can tap him to make him jump or attack enemies.
Rainbow Curse’s 28 stages, which took me about seven hours to get through, keep you moving at a brisk pace. Levels change in style and layout all the time, and throw in some much-appreciated variety like these vehicular stages. That said, I felt that the average level by and large was a bit too long. Canvas Curse kept stages to brief, tight challenges that brought back shades of Super Mario 3's brevity, whereas this follow-up tends to deliver a few too many levels that outstay their welcome.
Chip away at blocks of clay and using your rainbow powers to shield yourself from waterfalls really helped solidify the bond between my hand and the game world. Once Kirby has collected 100 stars which isn t hard , he can activate a super attack in which he grows huge and rockets around like a pinball for several seconds, breaking certain blocks in the process.
As Kirby rolls along the ropes, players can tap him to make him jump or attack enemies. The game features colorful and vibrant visuals, with a hand-crafted clay art style that gives it a unique and appealing look. The levels are filled with a variety of obstacles, enemies, and puzzles that players must overcome using their creativity and problem-solving skills.
Kirby and the rnbow curse
It's not all sunshine and rainbows.
I loved Kirby: Canvas Curse back on the DS, because it was the one launch-era game that made the second screen feel necessary. You moved Kirby in an inventive way, by drawing a path for him to ride along on. It was a platformer in which you were consciously creating the platforms. Canvas Curse fans have been clamoring for a sequel lo these many years, and we finally got one—but it’s on the wrong hardware. Rainbow Curse is a Wii U game; that should give you pause.
The GamePad is much smaller than my HD TV.
If you think of the Wii U as a giant DS, where the top screen is your TV, it sort of works. But in this case, the top screen is displaying the same thing as the bottom screen, but you can only interact with the bottom screen. The critical difference here is that the top screen in a 51” HD plasma television, while the lower screen is, well, not. You want to look at this game—which is gorgeous—on the top screen, but you can’t. The GamePad is not a Wacom tablet; there’s no on-screen indicator showing where the stylus is hovering over the screen. You are actively playing the game on your GamePad, and all the beautiful claymation graphics are being wasted.
This is the game’s core problem. Many of the subtleties of claymation—the uneven surfaces, the way things morph when hit, the way light and shadow play across a piece of clay—simply don’t show up on the GamePad. They do on the TV, but the tragedy is that the person playing the game gets the short end of the presentation stick. The game looks fine on the GamePad, but all the loving details that Kirby and the Rainbow Curse are built on are in short supply.
This place looks sufficiently tropical.
But let’s talk about the game itself. You guide Kirby through stages by drawing a path for him with rainbow paint. The paint does eventually run out, but you can find pickups that refill it for you or you can just wait a few seconds for it to restore itself. Your goal through each stage is to (1) survive; (2) collect all the treasure chests; (3) collect a lot of stars; and (4) grab the Secret Diary in the roulette at the end of the stage. Many stages are open and somewhat freeform, allowing you to explore at your leisure. Others are more directed, either with very specific paths forward or actual forced scrolling. Once Kirby has collected 100 stars (which isn’t hard), he can activate a super attack in which he grows huge and rockets around like a pinball for several seconds, breaking certain blocks in the process.
He’ll also transform into a tank, submarine, and rocket at various times, controlling differently through ensuing obstacle courses. These vignettes are fun diversions but don’t last long. There are three stages and one boss fight in each level, and stages can be quite long, typically clocking in at between 10 and 20 minutes. This is long enough to make you reconsider going back for treasure you missed the first time—especially since many treasure chests are “do it wrong and you miss it” sorts of affairs. Treasure chests contain character models and music tracks—nothing critical to the experience—but the completionist in me is very conflicted. My solution to missing a chest is to die immediately and try again, but the game isn’t heaping on 1-Ups like a New Super Mario Bros. game, so that can eventually take a toll. Lives don’t rain from the sky in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
One thing I really did not like: the game reuses bosses. They're tougher the second time, but it's not great.
While the meat of the gameplay is in Story Mode, you’ll constantly be unlocking new Challenge Mode courses. Accessed from the main menu, Challenge Mode features bite-sized chunks of gameplay, arranged into individual minute-long segments. You’re tasked with recovering four treasure chests, with 15 seconds apiece, in each challenge (although there are rare longer ones). Challenge Mode asks you to master certain aspects of the controls, and I really sank my teeth into it. A few of them are very tricky, but completing any given room feels great.
There’s also multiplayer mode for Story and Challenge. Here, up to three friends—playing on Wii Remotes or Wii U Pro Controllers—can control Waddle Dee characters while player one uses the GamePad and controls Kirby. Your pals get to watch the TV, because Waddle Dee controls like any normal platforming character. He can jump, attack, and walk on rainbows, so your friends are likely enjoying themselves more than you are. The game also becomes significantly easier with more people. They can ALL collect puzzles pieces, for example, or help Kirby with crowd control during vehicle segments. Waddle Dee can actually pick Kirby up and carry him around!
In the end, Rainbow Curse is a good game that provides plenty of content for both single players and a group of friends. I’m annoyed by the length of some stages, however, and it’s a real shame that the player controlling Kirby cannot have the same viewing experience that the others players have. Thankfully, the core gameplay remains very enjoyable and I can still recommend it—but you should know what you’re getting into.
GameSpot Expert Reviews
One of the standout features of "Kirby and the Rainbow Curse" is its cooperative multiplayer mode. Up to three additional players can join the game by playing as Waddle Dees, Kirby's adorable sidekicks. Each player can contribute by drawing rainbow ropes or using other abilities to assist Kirby in his journey. The game also includes hidden collectibles called "Figurines," which can be unlocked and viewed in an in-game gallery. These figurines depict various characters, enemies, and scenes from the Kirby series, adding an extra layer of exploration and completion to the game. Overall, "Kirby and the Rainbow Curse" is a charming and creative addition to the Kirby series. With its unique gameplay mechanics and delightful visuals, it offers an enjoyable experience for players of all ages. Whether playing alone or with friends, this game is sure to provide hours of fun and excitement.".
Reviews for "Unlock the Rainbow: Collectibles and Achievements in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse"
1. Samantha - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. The gameplay was repetitive and monotonous, with Kirby just rolling along and not being able to fly or move freely. The controls felt clunky and unresponsive, which made the already dull levels even more frustrating to navigate. The graphics were colorful, but they couldn't make up for the lack of engaging gameplay. Overall, I found this game to be a letdown and would not recommend it to others.
2. Michael - 1 star - Kirby and the Rainbow Curse was a major letdown for me. The concept of using the Wii U GamePad to guide Kirby through the levels seemed interesting, but in practice, it was just tedious and frustrating. The controls were imprecise, making it difficult to accurately move Kirby around and collect all the stars. Furthermore, the levels themselves lacked variety and creativity, making each one feel like a repetitive chore. I quickly grew bored and frustrated with this game and would not recommend it to anyone.
3. Emily - 2 stars - As a fan of the Kirby series, I was excited to try out Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The game's reliance on touch controls made it feel more like a mobile game rather than a console experience. I found the levels to be uninspiring and the gameplay to be repetitive. The lack of variety in the enemies and power-ups was also a letdown. Overall, I was disappointed by the lackluster gameplay and would not recommend this title to other Kirby fans.
4. Brandon - 2 stars - Kirby and the Rainbow Curse was a major disappointment for me. The art style and visuals were charming, but the gameplay quickly became repetitive. The forced touch controls felt clunky and imprecise, making it frustrating to navigate through the levels. The lack of variety in levels and enemies made each stage blend into the next, further contributing to the monotony. I had high hopes for this game, but ultimately, it failed to deliver an enjoyable experience.