Kirby: Squeak Squad

Kirby: Squeak Squad arrived on the Nintendo DS in December 2006, roughly two years into the handheld's commercial peak. By that point the DS had already proven itself a powerhouse for Nintendo franchises, and Kirby had most recently appeared on the platform with Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005), a stylus-driven experiment that leaned heavily into the DS's touch screen. Squeak Squad, developed by Flagship — a subsidiary best known for Pokémon handheld titles — took a more traditional approach, delivering a side-scrolling action platformer that felt deliberately familiar in the spirit of classic Kirby games on the Game Boy Advance and Super Nintendo. The game's premise centers on Kirby's strawberry shortcake being stolen by a gang of mice thieves called the Squeak Squad, sending the pink puffball on a globe-trotting pursuit across eight worlds. The narrative is intentionally lighthearted and thin, serving mainly as a vehicle for the series' signature Copy Ability system. Players inhale enemies to steal their powers, with over 20 abilities available including Sword, Fire, Ice, Tornado, and the new Ghost ability, which allows Kirby to possess enemies entirely and control them directly — a mechanic new to this entry. Controls map cleanly to the DS face buttons and d-pad, with the touch screen used for a secondary inventory system. Kirby can store up to three items or ability bubbles in a chest displayed on the lower screen; tapping these mid-run lets players mix two ability bubbles to create upgraded or combined powers, adding a light puzzle layer to ability management. Each of the eight worlds contains multiple stages built from short, horizontally scrolling rooms, with a mid-boss and a main boss capping each world. Hidden treasure chests are scattered throughout stages, and collecting them unlocks sub-games, ability scrolls that enhance specific Copy Abilities, and other bonuses, giving completionists a reason to revisit stages. The game's pacing is brisk — individual stages rarely overstay their welcome — and the difficulty curve is gentle, consistent with the series' reputation for accessibility. Boss encounters are visually inventive and test mastery of whatever ability the player has on hand, though experienced Kirby players will find most of them manageable on a first attempt. At launch, Squeak Squad was received as a competent, polished entry that prioritized comfort and accessibility over innovation. Critics noted that it did not push the DS hardware as boldly as Canvas Curse had, but praised its tight controls, colorful sprite work, and the satisfying depth of the ability combination system. The game's relatively short main campaign was offset by its treasure-hunting replayability and the unlockable sub-games, making it a solid portable experience suited to the pick-up-and-play nature of the DS.