Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Reviews
Cuddly cute, surprisingly, outrageously fun and best of all minimally flawed.
Not since Super Mario 3D World has the Wii U, or any platform, seen such a cheerful and enchanting platformer. Guiding Kirby around each world in Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush is a true delight thanks to fluid controls, innovative gameplay and magnificent audio and visual presentation. The challenge of finding every hidden collectible means that there is something for practically everyone, as a range of skill sets have been accommodated by the developers. It's hard to finish the game without being hungry for more, but this is due to the high quality on offer, not a lack of content, while the budget pricing makes it exceptional value for money.
In an attempt to prove the viability of the GamePad touchscreen as a primary input device, Nintendo accidentally created an inferior sequel to a decade-old DS puzzler. Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush squanders much of its potential and achingly beautiful visuals, functional but lacking in lasting fun.
A fine game, if not a great one
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse doesn't feel quite as refined as Nintendo's other output in terms of gameplay, but that graphical style is what we'll keep coming back to. It's simply a beautiful looking game, which offers several hours in the main mode and even more in the challenge mode. As a budget release, there's enough content here to justify it, though perhaps not quite enough difficulty for platforming aficionados.
It's a minor blot, though, as elsewhere this lives up to the legacy of its predecessor, and takes it to new, interesting places. Kirby rarely gets a starring role in Nintendo's line-up, which is something of a shame, as the Rainbow Curse is another unconventional treat.
Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush isn't going to single-handedly change the face of gaming, or anything remotely as drastic, but it is nevertheless a very high-quality effort which showcases Nintendo's strength as a developer and provides a thoroughly whimsical and surprisingly deep gameplay experience for those of all ages. In common with a growing number of its peers, it leaves you shaking your head and wondering how Nintendo managed to make such a mess of convincing the public that the Wii U was a worthwhile purchase.
Massively cute it may be, but this is a Kirby title that packs substance to go along with its drop dead gorgeous style.
A tepid sequel to Kirby: Power Paintbrush, that even with its short running time barely manages to stretch it's small collection of ideas across a whole game.
Gets several points right, especially its artwork and visual environment. There's a lot of content to unlock and its difficulty curve is balanced enough. Where it fails is on providing a more captivating gameplay, as the game forces the players to constantly look down to their GamePads, wasting time in the process.
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Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush is one of the best-looking games on the Wii U, yet its creativity fails to reach the same dizzying heights where gameplay is concerned. It's fun and accessible, but doesn't offer enough substance to serve as anything more than fodder for a few lazy Sunday afternoons.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is a definite misstep for the Kirby series, and for Nintendo. Unless you have some young kids in your household, steer clear of this one.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is a fun little title that doesn't bring a ton to the table, but what it does offer, it executes quite well. A good game if you're looking for short bursts of platforming fun, just don't expect anything epic in scope.
An excellent debut for Kirby on the Wii U, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is amazing to see in motion. Too bad players won't get to do much of that, as spectators get the best seats for this show.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is still a thing of beauty, lovely to look at and challenging (but not punitive) in play. In places, you can even see the sculptor's fingerprints, but you can't leave any of your own.
Kirby offers a fantastic experience for the amount of content it provides and the price. The only caveat is that you will be forced to play the game strictly on the gamepad, which is a shame as the beauty shines through on your TV screen the most. You can attempt to play while looking at the TV and I'm sure some folks will be able to get some semblance of accuracy doing so, but for most, it's going to be a gamepad-only affair, and it's a shame. Anyone watching you play via the TV will be able to enjoy the colors and superb visual style the game throws at you the best. If you're ok with this, Rainbow Curse offers an extremely likable and fun stylus adventure for all ages.
After the last few willfully easy Kirby games, it's a nice change to see the poor little puffball repeatedly die as you struggle for mastery.
While playing the game, I thought of my father, who is a far better sketch artist than I am. He is one of those people who is interested in video games but professes to be allergic to dual analog stick controllers. If the game's stylus-driven mechanics can win him over, I might owe Nintendo a heartfelt tweet.
Despite its shortcomings, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse offers up an entertaining, albeit a frequently frustrating experience. The game's rainbow drawing mechanic makes great use of the Wii U's GamePad but the resulting gameplay unfortunately isn't always as fun as it could be.
For any fan of platformers, this is a game worthy of your shelf space.