Kuru Kuru Kururin
Encyclopedia
is a puzzle video game developed by Eighting and published by Nintendo
for the Game Boy Advance
handheld video game console
. It was first released in Japan
on March 21, 2001 and in Europe
and Australia
on June 22, 2001 as a launch title. Kuru Kuru Kururin is the first title in the Kururin series and was followed by two Japan-only sequels, Kururin Paradise
and Kururin Squash!
s without touching the walls. The player controls the direction and speed of movement (there are 3 levels of speed), but the task is made difficult as the stick rotates continuously. Once the player has successfully completed a level, there are bonuses to collect, record times to beat, and a gold star for completing the level without any accidents. The game also features multiplayer support that enables four-players to participate in the action with the use of a single cartridge.
Kuru Kuru Kururin was released in Japan and Europe but not in North America. However, as the GBA has no region lockout, a North American GBA unit can be used to play either the Japanese or European version. The menus in the Japanese version are simple enough that they are easily navigable by a player who knows no Japanese.
The game starts off with simple training levels, where you are told how to play and how to get around the first corners. After that there are three levels in each stage that get progressively harder and longer. The stage determine the look of the levels (ice, caves, machine) and the different obstacles to avoid. For beginners the levels can be played on Easy mode, where the stick is only half size.
There is a mode called Challenge mode, which is a collection of smaller levels, usually involving only one or two corners or objects to dodge.
2000.
rated the game a score of 9 out of 10 points. The reviewer lauded the game's learning curve and stated that there would be no other puzzle game on the Game Boy Advance at the time that can "rival Kuru Kuru Kururin for its sheer addictiveness and fun-value." Nintendo World Report
, then known as Planet GameCube, gave Kuru Kuru Kururin the same score as Eurogamer and declared that it is "simple enough that anyone can pick this game up and play." The reviewer praised the game's multiplayer mode, which he described as "an absolute blast," as well as its lasting appeal, but also commented that the "cutesy" characters and music would be a turn-off for "a lot of people." Jeff Gerstmann
of GameSpot
rated Kuru Kuru Kururin 7.1 out of 10 and described its graphics as "simple but effective." He stated that the game is "excellent at filling up small periods of free time with its short, level-based nature." Computer and Video Games
was less impressed by the game, rating it 5 out of 10. The reviewer declared the game to be "extremely frustrating" and stated that it lacks "the perfect simplicity" of other puzzle games such as Mr. Driller
and Tetris
. Nonetheless, he also commented that the novel gameplay of Kuru Kuru Kururin "will find many fans" and that the multiplayer mode is "unexpectedly brilliant."
came out in 2002 for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan only, even though Kururin Paradise was previously showcased at E3 2002, the first time a Kururin game had been announced for the American market. Another sequel was also released only in Japan for the Nintendo GameCube
in 2004, entitled Kururin Squash!
, which became the only title of the series to feature 3D computer graphics
, as well as to appear on a home console.
Several references to the Kururin series are made in the Super Smash Bros. series. The Helirin makes a cameo appearance as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee
, but is incorrectly referred to as "Heririn" in the American version due to the nature of the Japanese language
. The Helirin later appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
as an Assist Trophy. Unlike most Assist Trophies, it doesn't attack, but it becomes part of the stage, and can be used as a platform or a wall. Several other things in the Kururin series appear as Trophies and Stickers in the game.
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
handheld video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. It was first released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on March 21, 2001 and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on June 22, 2001 as a launch title. Kuru Kuru Kururin is the first title in the Kururin series and was followed by two Japan-only sequels, Kururin Paradise
Kururin Paradise
is the sequel to Kuru Kuru Kururin on the Game Boy Advance. It was released only in Japan. However, as the GBA has no region lockout, any GBA unit can be used to play the Japanese version...
and Kururin Squash!
Kururin Squash!
is an action-puzzle video game developed by Eighting and published by Nintendo. It was released only in Japan on October 14, 2004. The game is the successor to Kururin Paradise and is the only title of the Kururin series with 3D computer graphics....
Gameplay
The player controls a slowly spinning stick called the Helirin, and must manoeuvre it through a series of mazeMaze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
s without touching the walls. The player controls the direction and speed of movement (there are 3 levels of speed), but the task is made difficult as the stick rotates continuously. Once the player has successfully completed a level, there are bonuses to collect, record times to beat, and a gold star for completing the level without any accidents. The game also features multiplayer support that enables four-players to participate in the action with the use of a single cartridge.
Kuru Kuru Kururin was released in Japan and Europe but not in North America. However, as the GBA has no region lockout, a North American GBA unit can be used to play either the Japanese or European version. The menus in the Japanese version are simple enough that they are easily navigable by a player who knows no Japanese.
The game starts off with simple training levels, where you are told how to play and how to get around the first corners. After that there are three levels in each stage that get progressively harder and longer. The stage determine the look of the levels (ice, caves, machine) and the different obstacles to avoid. For beginners the levels can be played on Easy mode, where the stick is only half size.
There is a mode called Challenge mode, which is a collection of smaller levels, usually involving only one or two corners or objects to dodge.
Plot
The story begins when Kururin’s brothers and sisters go missing, and it is up to him to find them. Kururin is initially unsure that he is up to the task because he has never left his home world before. Being the adventurous and helpful fellow he is, Kururin agrees to rescue his lost family. Teacher Hare trains Kururin in the art of controlling the Helirin, a stick-shaped helicopter that has a slow-spinning propeller. Piloting the Helirin through the different worlds will be a difficult task, but using Teacher Hare's valuable lessons, Kururin bravely sets out on his adventure to rescue his lost family.Development
Kuru Kuru Kururin was developed by the Japanese company Eighting and first announced at the Nintendo Space WorldNintendo Space World
Nintendo World, formerly called Nintendo Space World, Nintendo 64 Space World, Super Famicom Space World, Famicom Space World, and , is a video game trade show hosted by Nintendo, typically to unveil new consoles or handhelds...
2000.
Reception
Kuru Kuru Kururin received mostly positive reviews from critics. It was praised for its simple yet addictive gameplay. EurogamerEurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
rated the game a score of 9 out of 10 points. The reviewer lauded the game's learning curve and stated that there would be no other puzzle game on the Game Boy Advance at the time that can "rival Kuru Kuru Kururin for its sheer addictiveness and fun-value." Nintendo World Report
Nintendo World Report
Nintendo World Report is a Nintendo-specific video game website that covers Nintendo's current consoles, the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, and Wii.-History:...
, then known as Planet GameCube, gave Kuru Kuru Kururin the same score as Eurogamer and declared that it is "simple enough that anyone can pick this game up and play." The reviewer praised the game's multiplayer mode, which he described as "an absolute blast," as well as its lasting appeal, but also commented that the "cutesy" characters and music would be a turn-off for "a lot of people." Jeff Gerstmann
Jeff Gerstmann
Jeff Gerstmann is an American video game journalist and former editorial director of the gaming website GameSpot and the founder of the gaming website Giant Bomb. He began working at GameSpot in the fall of 1996, around the launch of VideoGameSpot when GameSpot separated PC and console games into...
of GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
rated Kuru Kuru Kururin 7.1 out of 10 and described its graphics as "simple but effective." He stated that the game is "excellent at filling up small periods of free time with its short, level-based nature." Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
was less impressed by the game, rating it 5 out of 10. The reviewer declared the game to be "extremely frustrating" and stated that it lacks "the perfect simplicity" of other puzzle games such as Mr. Driller
Mr. Driller
is a series of video games developed by Namco. Mr. Driller puts the player in the role of a driller moving down through screens of blocks, having to keep his air supply from running out while avoiding being squashed by falling blocks...
and Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
. Nonetheless, he also commented that the novel gameplay of Kuru Kuru Kururin "will find many fans" and that the multiplayer mode is "unexpectedly brilliant."
Legacy
The first sequel entitled Kururin ParadiseKururin Paradise
is the sequel to Kuru Kuru Kururin on the Game Boy Advance. It was released only in Japan. However, as the GBA has no region lockout, any GBA unit can be used to play the Japanese version...
came out in 2002 for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan only, even though Kururin Paradise was previously showcased at E3 2002, the first time a Kururin game had been announced for the American market. Another sequel was also released only in Japan for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
in 2004, entitled Kururin Squash!
Kururin Squash!
is an action-puzzle video game developed by Eighting and published by Nintendo. It was released only in Japan on October 14, 2004. The game is the successor to Kururin Paradise and is the only title of the Kururin series with 3D computer graphics....
, which became the only title of the series to feature 3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
, as well as to appear on a home console.
Several references to the Kururin series are made in the Super Smash Bros. series. The Helirin makes a cameo appearance as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
, but is incorrectly referred to as "Heririn" in the American version due to the nature of the Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. The Helirin later appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
as an Assist Trophy. Unlike most Assist Trophies, it doesn't attack, but it becomes part of the stage, and can be used as a platform or a wall. Several other things in the Kururin series appear as Trophies and Stickers in the game.
External links
- Kuru Kuru Kururin at Nintendo.com.auNintendo AustraliaNintendo Australia Pty. Ltd. established in 1994, located in Victoria is Australia's local head office, sales, licensing and distribution centre for products and other Intellectual Properties created by Nintendo Co., Ltd of Kyoto, Japan and is owned by Nintendo Co., Ltd in Japan. Prior distribution...
(archived from the original) - Official Japanese website (translated using Excite.co.jp)
- Official Japanese SpaceWorld 2000 webpage (translated using Excite.co.jp)
- Kururin series at Hardcore Gaming 101