Kirby fans are currently looking ahead to Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the pink puffball's first true 3D platformer releasing for Switch on March 25. The February 2022 Nintendo Direct revealed Forgotten Land is going a step further by adding even new bizarre mechanics like Mouthful Mode, which lets Kirby transform into objects with different purposes than his usual copy abilities. However, it's likely Nintendo and HAL Laboratory will have even more surprises in store after that release.
This year is the 30th anniversary of the Kirby franchise, and Nintendo's 2021 financial report highlighted "a variety of projects" in development to celebrate. Kirby has produced no shortage of spin-offs that could fit the bill, and in 2012 fans received Kirby's Dream Collection on Wii to celebrate the series' 20th anniversary. A new collection could focus on Kirby's more popular spin-offs given mainline titles are being released through the Nintendo Switch Online service, and a duology tailor-made for Switch releases are Kirby: Canvas Curse and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
Kirby: Canvas Curse - A DS Showcase
A lot of Kirby spin-offs since the Nintendo 3DS era have been expansions of sub-games present in mainline Kirby titles. For example, Kirby Fighters Deluxe and Kirby's Blowout Blast are more involved takes on side modes from Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot, respectively. Many of the spin-off titles before that were more unique, from early entries like Kirby's Pinball Land and the golf-like Kirby's Dream Course to the GameCube racing game Kirby Air Ride.
Kirby: Canvas Curse released for Japanese audiences in early 2005, about four months after the official launch of its release platform; the Nintendo DS. Many in America will likely remember its TV advertising campaign in which mascots for Kirby and a giant finger designed by KCL Productions wander the world together, and this stems from Canvas Curse being a showcase for the handheld's features.
Even though Canvas Curse is like a tech demo with entirely stylus-based platforming and touch controls, the game also stands out for its thematic style replicating various modern art movements in reference to its central antagonist: the paint witch Drawcia. While not a recurring antagonist like King Dedede, Drawcia would be referenced in various games to follow, including Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Team Kirby Clash Deluxe.
Kirby's Strange 10-Year Revival With Rainbow Curse
Like Kirby's Dream Course and Air Ride before it, Canvas Curse was a spin-off idea that seemed to disappear, replaced by other DS touchscreen fare like Kirby Mass Attack in 2011. Then Kirby and the Rainbow Curse released in 2015, foregoing its predecessor's art style in favor of claymation. This reflects its villain Claycia, a clear riff on Drawcia who winds up fitting the Kirby villain staple of being possessed by an evil entity.
Despite the visual shift, the premise behind Rainbow Curse's gameplay was similar to Canvas Curse in that Kirby becomes a ball which players guide using hand-drawn tracks. In this case the drawing was done on the Wii U Gamepad, which is perhaps the unfortunate fallout for Rainbow Curse. Despite bringing back an interesting spin-off concept from Kirby's past, the game released fairly late into the lifespan of the underwhelming Nintendo console and was likely overlooked as a result.
This is why a 30th anniversary collection paying tribute to the Kirby subfranchise with multiple entries would make sense. Both Canvas Curse and Rainbow Curse primarily took place on one screen, so any other visuals inherent to the top DS screen or the TV display could be transitioned into pause menus. The Switch also has touchscreen accessibility that goes unutilized in a majority of its biggest games, with just a few exceptions like Super Mario Maker 2. A Kirby "Curse" collection would not only be a fun way to celebrate this anniversary, it could offer another unique take on the character beyond Forgotten Land that's perfect for tie-in accessory sales.