Kuru Kuru Kururin

"Spin my pretty stick, spin!"

Kuru Kuru Kururin is one of gaming's little oddities. Released out of nowhere into an unsuspecting public, it's no wonder that people passed over it in favour of more recognisable or less bizarre games. Was it deserved, though? Definitely not.

The idea of the game is that you are a duck piloting a helicopter. From the point of view of the game, it looks like a stick. You need to pilot this stick through mazes which grow increasingly difficult, which end up trying their best to squish you, smash you or otherwise incapacitate you. Three strikes and you're out - back to the beginning. The aim is to collect all your siblings who have run away and are loitering in various levels, often in a place where it's difficult to get in and out without smashing yourself into the walls.

The stick rotates automatically, and you need to take this into account when traversing the levels. There are very few places where you can stop and wait for the stick to get to the angle you need it to be at, so often is the case where you have to increase your speed to get through bends or corners. It rarely feels like a chore, although it does get frustrating sometimes on the later levels, when you've misjudged it and you lose all your health as a result.

The graphics are well done, if not breaking new ground. Sharp sprites and colourful, detailed backgrounds mean that rarely if ever are you unable to discern where to go due to graphics. Sounds are good as well, with a new track for each new world that goes well with the levels. The effects are limited to brief moments when you hit the walls and when you die, and are barely noticeable most of the time.

As far as replay value goes, it mostly depends on how much of a perfectionist you are. There is a puzzle mode outside of the main levels to keep you challenged for a while, but the majority of the play comes from getting perfects on levels you've already completed. There aren't that many levels in the game, and whilst there are a good few difficult ones that can keep you coming back to finish for ages, all in all there's not much to keep you playing beyond the first 10 or 15 hours play.

It's well worth giving a go, especially if you are looking for a good pick-up-and-play game. You won't regret it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/02/08

Game Release: Kuru Kuru Kururin (EU, 06/22/01)