One might say that the early 2000s was the golden era for Kirby. I don’t think that’s true, especially since the Switch era for Nintendo is nothing but Kirby classics, but back in the day, you had it good too. That is, if you liked cool spin-offs.
This edition of the Kirby Khronicles will investigate two of the more unique and memorable Kirby side projects that spawned sequels, cult followings, and a status as a “hidden gem.” But is this label truthful or just nostalgic nonsense? I argue that one of them remains good, the 2005 DS game “Kirby: Canvas Curse.” The other is 2003’s “Kirby Air Ride.”
You’d expect Kirby to be turned into a ball for one of these games, but he isn’t a wheel on a car for the other? What gives, Nintendo?!
“Canvas Curse”
The launch of the Nintendo DS was poor. I was there, and I remember there was not a lot of good games to play when that original clam shell design came out. This might have been the first great game to save the system (depending on if you love rhythm games or N64 ports).
“Canvas Curse” is a game built around the touch screen, and using the stylus to poke, guide, spin, and box in Kirby as he rolls along by himself. The levels, enemy placement, and secrets are constructed and laid out to be easily accessible by this new gameplay of drawing routes and bridges for Kirby to roll across. The rainbow lines you can draw get Kirby to knock into things, loop around, speed up to ram into stuff, and work into the mini-games as well (on-rail sections, flying the furthest in an Olympics-esque competition, etc.).
It’s not just a novel idea or quick gimmick; this is really quite a cool way to play a game, one that I can’t think of another example of, but I’m sure plenty of smartphone games have ripped it off. There are levels where you can’t touch the lava, areas that require you send Kirby in a direction that isn’t just “to the right,” and the way powers are doled out keeps you constantly pushing into the next area.
No wonder that there was a sequel for the Wii U — I bet that entire console was made for something like this with it in mind.
The only problem with “Canvas Curse” is that there are only really three bosses. You repeat them over and over, and giving the player a “choice” falls flat when they’re just so tiresome and easy every time. Even so, this is a wonderful little game that I very much enjoyed.
Can I say the same about the next game? Not quite. Sharpen your arrows, internet commenters.
“Kirby Air Ride”
I’m going to get roasted for this take, but I don’t care. This game does not hold up. I’m not saying it’s unplayable, but “Kirby Air Ride” is not a very good racing game, and it’s not even a good Kirby game.
As a racing game, it’s trash. It doesn’t feel good to slam into walls constantly, the machines are sunk by the need to brake and turn, and there’s a lot of waggling the control stick for your abilities.
The tracks aren’t that great, there’s little to no depth to any of it, and having just one button used for every action is beyond simplistic and demeaning. It’s just stupid design.
There are dozens of much better racing games in that era that make the comparisons brutal. Any “Need for Speed,” “Burnout,” “Gran Turismo,” “Midnight Club,” and “Mario Kart: Double Dash” make this look like a toy used to get the attention of drooling toddlers.
I think people have such fond memories over this game because of when it came out and the multiplayer they experienced with their friends and family members. While I cannot rip those away from your hearts, I can continue to bash going to that big grid of unlocks and sometimes just getting nothing. That shit feels bad. Top Ride is a “Mario Party” slot car mini-game in all but name, and should be ignored.
City Trial is the main mode people offer up as the main reason why this game is good, and I get what makes it cool. I really do. Collecting items to boost your stats, getting off your star or box is neat, and finding the special flying car or the Hydra you have to charge up is also quite clever. But the sheer randomness of this empty, boring, ugly city is like a bad sandbox to imagine a better game in.
As a Kirby game, this has the theming that screams “this is a Kirby game,” but none of the actual sauce in its gameplay to impress that upon you. God forbid you play this game alone — you’re really screwed because the CPU racers will not give you a good time. This is a racing game that’s not known for its racing, a bare bones package that controls poorly, and has one mode that’s innovative, but is basically required to have other people to play.
Stopping your race car to charge is not fun. The races are boring. This entire “game” is too simple and straightforward for its own good. It seems like a mod of a different bad game that people shoved Kirby skins into.
Please go play “F-Zero GX” instead, which has real risk and reward to its racing, a legitimately otherworldly sense of speed, and a razor-sharp soundtrack that trumps this one in every regard.
“Kirby Air Ride” is not a good video game, and I’m not afraid to say it anymore. Grow up, and recognize that your childhood is over.
Want to know even more about our beloved pink lad? I’ve written a whole lot about the early Kirby games already.
Image credit: “Kirby Air Ride,” HAL Laboratory
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