Game Review Data
 


Game Title
Kuru Kuru Kururin
Publisher
Nintendo
Features
1 Cartridge/4 Players, Battery Backup
Format
Puzzle/Action
Reviewer
Vic Viper


RATING

Good!


Ratings Scale:

Excellent!

Good!

Playable!

Ho-Hum!

Yuck!


Archived Game Reviews:

From A - Z

 

 
Introduction

After the Game Boy Advance launched worldwide, people everywhere had a chance to enjoy the future of portable gaming. While that's a good thing, there are several games that were not included in the North American Game Boy Advance launch. Kuru Kuru Kururin is an example of a good game that failed to make it to the United States. Originally one of Nintendo's own four GBA launch titles along with F-Zero, Napoleon, and Super Mario Advance; it's a shame that this game never made it to North America.

Screen Shots

GamePlay

So you're probably wondering, what exactly is Kuru Kuru Kururin? It's a simple idea. You're in a pod with a large spinning blade attached to it (sort of like a helicopter). The blade spins around in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and it's your job to navigate your way to the goal.

Sounds easy, doesn't it? Think again. The difficulty can depend on the length of the blade, how narrow the pathways are, and what kinds of obstacles stand in the way.

You are allowed to hit three obstacles before your pod is destroyed, and some of the pathways are curved so you will have to make sure you are spinning in the right direction and time your movement just right so you don't get stuck in the middle of a bend. Located around many levels are springs that can change the rotational direction of your blade, moving barriers, and mines.

In addition to these obstacles, there are also some energy recharge fields in some levels; and while you can recharge your energy as much as you want, you can't get a perfect score unless you finish the stage without ever bumping into an obstacle.

In addition to finishing the level, you can try to beat the top scores by finishing the stage within a set amount of time. If you care for getting the highest score, this game can offer much replay value.

Controls

The control scheme is simple, but it works. The direction pad of course moves your spinning blade in whichever direction you press. The A and B buttons both increase the speed at which you move. You can hold both down at the same time for even more speed. The select button will shorten the length of your stick, and the start button pauses the game. As for the L and R buttons, they don't really do much other than make sounds (horns and animal noises, oddly enough.) I never saw what the point of this was, but nevertheless, they are part of the game.

Graphics

The graphics come together nicely. For the most part, the game is very bright, with good use of the GBA's color palette. The levels consist of an animated background plane, walls, a few animated objects (the start point, recharge areas, goal, etc.), and of course, your spinning character. Everything moves along smoothly without any worry about slowdown, making the graphics of Kuru Kuru Kururin seamless with the gameplay.

Sound & Music

A mixed bag in terms of quality. Some of the music isn't too far beyond what the original Game Boy could do, but what's there is good enough. There is also a fair amount of digitized sound effects, which doesn't particularly add much to the game. The music is upbeat for the most part, which is fitting for a action-puzzle game like this. I liked some of the music in the latter levels, but there aren't really any memorable tunes in the game.

Final Comments

Kuru Kuru Kururin, while not the Game Boy Advance's answer to Tetris, is a solid game that's worth checking out. It's a great idea for a portable system, and Kururin adds to the Game Boy Advance's library of unique games. It's a shame that this game never made it to the North American GBA market, and it doesn't look like it ever will.

@ EAGB Advance 2002. All rights reserved.