Nintendo has saved its home console market, but can it save its franchises?

[GooseGaws]

On the Kirby side of things, that series seems to be geared exclusively toward handhelds since the N64 days (and the lackluster GC game) and has done quite well there. Canvas Curse was a superb game and Squeak Squad sold surprisingly well. The series started out on handhelds, and as the character's popularity remains very strong in Japan, it makes perfect sense to continue the series on their most popular system, the DS. The style of Kirby games lends itself better to a smaller-scale experience than a full console-style release anyway, and the games do not necessarily suffer for it.