We put the lack of fanfare surrounding Kirby and the Rainbow Curse – or Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush, as it’ll be known over here – down to the omission of a European release date. It’s pretty hard to get excited about something that could, potentially, be months away.
American gamers however have been enjoying the first amiibo-compatible Kirby for a couple of weeks. Well, we assume that they’ve been enjoying it – reviews have been slightly mixed. Mostly good, to be fair, but the Kirbster has been on the receiving end of a few harsh reviews.
Giant Bomb’s review in particular. They called the colourful claymation platformer “tedious†and compared it to something you’d expect to find on tablets or mobiles. GameSpot meanwhile said that it’s “like doing a mile on a stationary bike and discovering that you only burned away calories from one bite of your lunch burrito”.
Enough negativity – as you can see below, the majority of outlets found it to be a high rolling adventure:
A+ – Nintendojo: “Truly no other game uses the Wii U touch screen to its fullest with such flair. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is a beautiful, creative, and fun-loving game that absolutely deserves your time and attention”
5/5 – US Gamer: “Simply put, if you have a Wii U, Rainbow Curse makes for an essential addition to your library; Nintendo’s latest system might not have much longer to live, but it’s still heartening to see a developer create a console experience that couldn’t happen anywhere else”
4.5/5 – Hardcore Gamer: “Its claymation visuals are astoundingly beautiful, and while brief, Kirby’s latest adventure is never anything less than satisfying”
9/10 – EGM: “Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is a fine successor to Canvas Curse—it’s on par or better in many ways and should provide a potent challenge for even the most experienced platform player”
9/10 – Destructoid: “It’s a game that has a little something for everyone, all without compromising its unyielding, unique, and undivided attention on its mission to blast pure adorableness into the world in all directions. If Kirby and the Rainbow Curse doesn’t make you smile, you may need to see a doctor for that”
8.5 – The Jimquisition: “As shrewd as it is straightforward, HAL’s latest effort provides an afternoon of unassuming fun for a fair price, and no matter how much I try, I just can’t ever over how damn wondrous it looks!”
8.5 – Polygon: “Kirby and the Rainbow Curse shines because it’s a simple game that delivers superbly on a simple concept. You’re repeating many of the same actions again and again, but with each new stroke it feels more refined, more graceful. I’ve never felt smarter or more sophisticated while playing a Kirby game”
82/100 – GamesBeat: “Basically, if you were a fan of Canvas Curse, there’s no reason to think you won’t enjoy this sequel. A little bit of the uniqueness is gone, but this is still a fun twist on the traditional sidescroller”
8.0 – IGN: “The never-ending barrage of charm more-than makes up for some of its less-than stellar elements. There’s a pot of platforming gold at the end of this rainbow”
4/5 – GamesRadar: “With a handmade look, and a different approach to platforming, Rainbow Curse is one of Kirby’s strongest spin-offs, and one of the best uses of the Gamepad to date”
7/10 – Nintendo Life: “Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon: a pleasant roll through a gorgeous world, with some novel concepts, and one of the most beautiful games the Wii U has yet seen. However charming the game may be, Rainbow Curse is a few strokes from greatness: overly repetitive mechanics, underused ideas, and a failure to integrate its clay theme into gameplay in any meaningful way keep it from reaching the lofty heights to which it potentially could. Well crafted, but not a masterpiece”
3/5 – Attack of the Fanboy: “Perhaps if more variety had been thrown in, or if the pace had been quickened overall, there might be more entertainment hidden within the game. Without that, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is only worthwhile for those that are particularly drawn to its charms”
5/10 – GameSpot: “Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is a tiring game. It’s taxing without being rewarding, like doing a mile on a stationary bike and discovering that you only burned away calories from one bite of your lunch burrito. The game gets frustrating quickly due to repetitive obstacles and there’s not much incentive to dig into a game that won’t give you that agency. It’s a mediocre romp through a gorgeously detailed world that doesn’t give you the control you need as a player, which ultimately dulls its shine”
2/5 – Giant Bomb: “Playing Kirby and the Rainbow Curse was a tedious experience from beginning to end, and it lacks the “time and place” factor of Canvas Curse. If Nintendo was more open to bringing its properties to mobile and tablets, I could see the game being more appealing as a cheap eShop or iPad title. As a full-fledged $40 Wii U title, however, it only feels like a disappointment”