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KIRBY AND THE RAINBOW PAINTBRUSH (WIIU)
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a.k.a. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Publisher: Nintendo. Developer: HAL Laboratory Released: May 2015 (Europe). Genre: 2D platformer. Posted 18th September 2023. By Tom Clare © 2023 |
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HAL Laboratory has always taken risks with its enduring Kirby series. Decades of creative efforts have led to a number of sparkling works (I will always be an apologist for the fantasy golf multiplayer perfection that is Kirby’s Dream Course), as well as a small handful that didn’t quite hit the mark. Sadly, Rainbow Paintbrush (Rainbow Curse outside of PAL territories) slips into the latter category. A console evolution of the 2005 DS outing Kirby: Power Paintbrush, the trademark solid foundations so prevalent in Nintendo platformers is absent here, with a catalogue of control issues meaning things struggle to come together on Wii U.
A malevolent hole opens in the sky, draining all the colour from Dream Land. Fortunately, the fairy Elline manages to return some colour (and more crucially, motion) to Kirby. She explains that her sister, Claycia, has not only taken a turn for the ‘evil’, but has used the colours she syphoned to create seven new worlds, which Kirby must traverse to bring all that pigment, and peace, back to his world. Well… it is a platformer, so we’ll cut it some slack.
Rainbow Paintbrush isn't the Wii U's most impressive platformer, but its simple, colourful nature is pleasant
The game plays out on the GamePad, and you’ll likely have no time to follow the action unfolding on your TV. As with the aforementioned DS game, the lovable pink blob navigates via the stylus, where the player can draw rainbow ropes to help Kirby navigate the levels, creating bridges and pathways. Unusually for a platformer, our protagonist can’t jump, but there are several transformations and special moves to help liven things up.
Whilst there’s some fun to be found here, more often than not you’ll have to work quite hard to extract it. Kirby’s linear, stylus-led movement is repeatedly exposed as clumsy and scattergun, and this is especially prevalent during some excruciating boss fights. Painting lines for movement works nicely, some of the time. However, there’s a myriad of ways it can go wrong. Blind spots near the corners of the screen can omit life-saving strands of rope, seeing Kirby plunge to his doom. Starting an upward curve fractionally too high results in the hero bumping into the edge of the rope and promptly reversing course. Kirby sometimes takes to the wrong side of the rope, leading unintentionally to the player blocking him into corners. The hero also has an unfortunate habit of continuing to gravitate towards bosses after landing hits, as you desperately try to manoeuvre him out of the firing line.
Whilst there’s some fun to be found here, more often than not you’ll have to work quite hard to extract it. Kirby’s linear, stylus-led movement is repeatedly exposed as clumsy and scattergun, and this is especially prevalent during some excruciating boss fights. Painting lines for movement works nicely, some of the time. However, there’s a myriad of ways it can go wrong. Blind spots near the corners of the screen can omit life-saving strands of rope, seeing Kirby plunge to his doom. Starting an upward curve fractionally too high results in the hero bumping into the edge of the rope and promptly reversing course. Kirby sometimes takes to the wrong side of the rope, leading unintentionally to the player blocking him into corners. The hero also has an unfortunate habit of continuing to gravitate towards bosses after landing hits, as you desperately try to manoeuvre him out of the firing line.
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The game compounds these issues by including a veritable boatload of moving-screen levels, where hazards such as lava or the perimeter of the screen itself will result in a life lost. Basic functions such as speeding up, changing course and stopping are all possible, but none are especially intuitive. If anything, the game becomes more frustrating the further you progress. The Gondola Ride levels in particular can be punishing and morale-sapping. The penultimate world, Red Volcano, is tricky because the fiery surrounds are suddenly dangerous enough to instant-kill Kirby, rather than simply knocking off a bar of health. You’d better come prepared with a few lives in hand, or else these can become aggravating.
Though such annoyances are never far from the surface, Rainbow Paintbrush possesses the framework of a nice platformer. With Kirby able to transform into a rocket, a tank and a submarine, the game branches out a little, making fun, alternative uses of the rainbow rope. These sections are nothing world-beating, but they’re often a little less fraught than the platforming levels. Indigo Ocean proves a highlight with its underwater sections that, given the game’s broader issues with Kirby’s movement, work surprisingly well. Blue Sky Palace will please fans of retro formats, with its 16-bit throwbacks that see platforming across a cloudy sky and some neat side-scrolling shooter segments. Kirby + Kirby offers a flash of ingenuity, as the player must help two Kirby’s on adjacent, separate paths. There’s a healthy dose of evolution to be seen, level-to-level.
Though such annoyances are never far from the surface, Rainbow Paintbrush possesses the framework of a nice platformer. With Kirby able to transform into a rocket, a tank and a submarine, the game branches out a little, making fun, alternative uses of the rainbow rope. These sections are nothing world-beating, but they’re often a little less fraught than the platforming levels. Indigo Ocean proves a highlight with its underwater sections that, given the game’s broader issues with Kirby’s movement, work surprisingly well. Blue Sky Palace will please fans of retro formats, with its 16-bit throwbacks that see platforming across a cloudy sky and some neat side-scrolling shooter segments. Kirby + Kirby offers a flash of ingenuity, as the player must help two Kirby’s on adjacent, separate paths. There’s a healthy dose of evolution to be seen, level-to-level.
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There are plenty of extras to unlock, from some lovely-looking figurines, to storybook gallery illustrations and more than 100 pieces of music from Rainbow Paintbrush and its numerous predecessors. The player is awarded a medal at the end of each stage, the value of which is dependent on the number of stars accrued. It must be said though, the pull for repeat plays is fairly low. Extras housed in chests are easy to miss, as is regularly the case with the 15-second challenge rooms. These demand quick thinking followed by swift and clinical execution, and more often than not feel unsatisfying.
These don’t see Rainbow Paintbrush batting to the best of its ability. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop HAL Laboratory from dedicating an entire mode to them, consisting of dozens of challenges. Each consists of four 15-second puzzles and if you don’t fully grasp what’s required within the first couple of seconds and then execute flawlessly, you’ve little hope of success. For most, the challenges will generate little enjoyment, meaning they can’t be seen to add significantly to the game’s lifespan.
These don’t see Rainbow Paintbrush batting to the best of its ability. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop HAL Laboratory from dedicating an entire mode to them, consisting of dozens of challenges. Each consists of four 15-second puzzles and if you don’t fully grasp what’s required within the first couple of seconds and then execute flawlessly, you’ve little hope of success. For most, the challenges will generate little enjoyment, meaning they can’t be seen to add significantly to the game’s lifespan.
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Its presentation is so-so. It has been praised for its claymation style visuals, so I’ll be diplomatic and say they’re perhaps an acquired taste. Rainbow Paintbrush lacks the distinctive beauty of Yoshi’s Wooly World or the refinement of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and the game looks less impressive on the TV than it does the GamePad. A lot of the levels look colourful and pleasant, but perhaps a fraction too simple. Nevertheless, the game showcases some nice jingles familiar to the series (the level completion tune always raises a smile) as well as acceptable sound effects. Seven worlds, one for every colour of the rainbow, each offers three levels and a boss fight, the quality of which is rather hit-and-miss.
Rainbow Paintbrush is a solid platformer consisting of a good number of ideas and likeable settings. The trouble is, it doesn’t have any notable high points, no stunningly memorable levels to elevate it to the level of other Nintendo platformers. With lots of awkward moments stemming from fiddly controls, these instead come to define the experience. By no means a disaster, but Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and New Super Mario Bros U. are stronger alternatives for those seeking a more accomplished Wii U platformer experience.
Rainbow Paintbrush is a solid platformer consisting of a good number of ideas and likeable settings. The trouble is, it doesn’t have any notable high points, no stunningly memorable levels to elevate it to the level of other Nintendo platformers. With lots of awkward moments stemming from fiddly controls, these instead come to define the experience. By no means a disaster, but Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and New Super Mario Bros U. are stronger alternatives for those seeking a more accomplished Wii U platformer experience.
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VERDICT
"Not a disaster, but Rainbow Paintbrush doesn't really deliver any high points. The rainbow rope proves a problematic tool on Wii U and means there's as much frustration as enjoyment." OVERALL: 5/10 |
OTHER WII U PLATFORMER GAMES REVIEWED
New Super Mario Bros. U (2012, Wii U)
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Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (2015, Wii U)
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