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CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
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Product summary
Though Kirby Squeak Squad rarely finds a way to challenge you, it's a clever and cute enough platformer to recommend to most DS owners.
Specifications: ESRB: Everyone; Genre: Action; Number of players: 1-4 Players See full specs
Gamespot editors' review
- Reviewed on: 12/05/2006
- Released on: 12/06/2006
Kirby's debut on the Nintendo DS in last year's Kirby: Canvas Curse was an interesting and entertaining departure from the simple platformers that HAL Laboratory's pink puff mascot was accustomed to in previous games. Focusing entirely on touch-screen controls, Canvas Curse may have still technically been a platformer, but its unique control method for moving a balled-up Kirby around the world made for a really entertaining style of gameplay. However, for Kirby's follow-up performance, it's back to the days of old--but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Kirby Squeak Squad gives Kirby his legs back and has him hopping, floating, and transforming through a series of colorful new worlds on a quest to take down a new group of baddies. Fans of Kirby's numerous platforming adventures will find a lot to like about Squeak Squad, though they'll rarely find themselves challenged by it.
The story begins when one day, Kirby is enjoying a nice afternoon picnic. In front of him sits a scrumptious strawberry shortcake that he's about to inhale (literally). Suddenly, an unseen foe swoops in and steals the delicious cake. Immediately, Kirby suspects the dastardly King Dedede and sets off to King Dedede's castle to get back his meal. Not long after, it becomes clear that there are far more insidious forces at work--namely, a crew of thieving rodents called the squeak squad. During the course of the game, you'll fight each of the members of the squeak squad many times over as you collect a series of stolen treasure chests and hopefully get back that delectable cake.
For the most part, you control the game using the DS's buttons rather than the touch screen. You move Kirby around using the D pad; the A button lets him jump; and the B button has him inhaling any object that happens to get too close to the vacuum that is his mouth. All the usual abilities are on hand, such as being able to balloon up and float around an environment, as well as the ability to copy the attack abilities of an inhaled enemy. The key difference between Squeak Squad and other Kirby platformers is that now Kirby has the ability to store multiple items. Whenever you collect a bubble that contains any sort of power-up, be it a new copy ability or a health boost, you can store it on the touch screen. You can store up to five bubbles here, and many of these bubbles can be combined into new items or abilities. For example, you can combine two smaller health power-ups to turn them into one big health power-up. Or you can combine two copy abilities to result in a new, random ability (random being the operative word, as there doesn't seem to be any real rhyme or recipe to the mixing and matching of basic abilities). To activate any of the abilities in storage, you simply double tap on the bubble.
There are more than 25 copy abilities to play with throughout the game, which are all fun and unique in their own way. Some of the more memorable favorites include the metal ability, which turns Kirby into a big, clunking hunk of steel and makes him incredibly strong (though also very slow); wind, which turns Kirby into a tornado that can spin all over the place, hurting any enemy in its path; fighter, which gives Kirby a wide variety of awesome martial arts moves; and magician, which puts Kirby in an adorable little top hat and lets him both toss playing cards as a projectile weapon and fire off doves, like some kind of Contra-esque spread gun.
Kirby's copy abilities play into more than just simple attacks. Levels are laid out in such a way that often certain abilities will yield access to seemingly impenetrable areas. For instance, Kirby can take on an "animal" ability that not only lets him claw away at foes, but also lets him dig through sections of dirt. When Kirby takes on his fire ability, he can melt away ice and snow, as well as light the fuse of any nearby cannons--which Kirby happens to be able to stuff himself into to get fired off into new areas. Though none of the game's stages take longer than a few minutes to complete, each one contains a few alternate areas and paths, some of which yield hidden chests. From the outset, finding chests seems optional because you'll be able to defeat stages without finding any chests at all. But hidden throughout the various stages and worlds are five star seals you'll need to have handy to access the final areas of the game. If you play diligently enough and make sure to come away with the big chest hidden in each stage, you'll eventually find all the star seals with no problem. But if you miss any, you'll need to go back to any stages you didn't grab chests from if you want to continue.
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