Hands on with DS' new Kirby
Time to suck-it-and-see with Nintendo's gobby pink platforming blob
Nintendo is well-known for its kid-friendly games. There's no blood or guts in the world of Mario and Donkey Kong. Luigi's doesn't have a secret drinking problem, nor has Princess Peach gone though a spoilt heiress phase of eating disorders and the inappropriate use of a videocamera with an untrustworthy male friend.
But sometimes even a pure mind has to work hard to avoid innuendo. It's not Kirby's uncertain species (pink creampuff or marshmallow?) that's the problem. It's his special powers that cause the concern.
You see Kirby has a big mouth, which he uses to suck up all manner of things. Frankly he's not fussy. Sometimes he just sucks up lots of air, expanding in the process, enabling him to float around. Other times however, it's entire enemies that get sucked into his enormous gob. Then he either spits them out to knock out other enemies, or swallows them to absorb their powers.
No wonder he blushes so easily.
But enough of such pussyfooting around. Whatever his particular peccadillos, Kirby is coming back to DS. And leaving behind the artistic leanings of 2005's touchscreen-heavy Kirby's Power Paintbrush, in the upcoming and currently awkwardly-titled Kirby (temporary name), the little fella is now in full battle mode as he tracks down the dreaded strawberry shortcake thief. Yes, despite our opening paragraph, it transpires crime rages out of control, even in the Mushroom Kingdom.
This is a colourful little platformer. There's all the usual amount of floating around, jumping, and sucking, swallowing or spitting that comes with being Kirby. But there's a little more strategy involved this time too, as you can use the touchscreen to mix-and-match how Kirby deploys the powers he has previously swallowed up. These powers also now have the ability to mess up the environment as well as enemies, with fire burning down trees and ice freezing water, both of which actions enable new areas of a level to be reached.
But the main focus of the game is fast-moving action, with Kirby frantically dealing with big bosses and waves of assorted baddies (click on the 'Watch It!' button above to see the game in full flow).
With a UK release not expected until the end of the year, there should be plenty of time for Kirby to give us something to shout about.
