Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U)

With about a week until Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave I’ve just been trying to fill the dead time without committing to anything huge. Looking throught my library I picked up Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, which had to be short. I’ve played the spiritual predecessor to this game - Kirby: Canvas Curse - a couple times, both predating this review site, but I’m sure I’ll revisit it again. Given my fondness for the precursor, I expected to enjoy Rainbow Curse all the same. Immediately what separates this title from the other is the claymation stylization, which is bright and visually interesting. The gameplay is quite similar between the two, excepting the use of the Wii U gamepad in place of the DS touchscreen. There are seven total stages, each with it’s own theme not unlike other Kirby. The difficulty was overall very easy, with the exception of the lava themed world six. Each stage has a number of treasure chests to collect which are hidden throughout. The chests reward you with some collectibles at the end of the stage - you even get to tap them on the gamepad for some additional stimulation. One of the possible rewards are music tracks from across the series, but reimagined and orchestrated. I particularly enjoyed hearing some tracks from Kirby and the Amazing Mirror in a new form. In the gameplay, which matters most, this Rainbow Curse seems to take a step backwards. The core mechanics never evolve, and that’s evinced by the game’s meager length. You draw paths to progress linearly, activating a switch here and there, without much deviation. Unfortunately, there are no customizable path colors, something I quite enjoyed in the precursor. In each world there is also a boss fight, but unfortunately there are only a few bosses this time, each getting reused. The final boss is also underwhelming, especially by franchise standards. Perhaps the most irritating thing of all, is that you will spend the whole game having to look at the low-resolution gamepad image, while the colorful 1080p TV image is just ahead. Overall, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is a decent and colorful experience with an interesing control scheme. If you have a Wii U you might as well give it a try, but don’t go seeking one for this.

Play it for the:

Colorful claymation style
Stylus control scheme
Orchestrated music - both new and old

Reviewed on 2026-09-11

The game looks beautiful on the big screen - perfect for spectators.