Kuru Kuru Kururin

"Indeed, a smashing little puzzler for the GBA."

Kuru Kuru Kururin is a kind of puzzle meets adventure game but a thoroughly addictive one at that!

Gameplay - 9
Kuru Kuru Kururin is basically a simple game that involves piloting Kururin (a duck) in his special helicopter through narrow corridors. Your aim is to reach the goal line without colliding with the walls and other obstacles along the way, each time you do hit a wall or obstacle, 3 seconds is added to the time, and you lose 1 of your 3 lives or hearts as they are called, don't worry though because hearts can be replenished midway through courses in special 'heart zones'. The constant bashing into walls syndrome may frustrate you as it did me when you first begin to play, but with a little practice comes greater rewards.

Like all puzzle games, the controls are pretty basic, simply use the D-Pad to move the rotating stick through the mazes, press and hold the A or B buttons to increase speed of the chopper, lastly the L and R shoulder buttons can be pressed for some funky and amusing horn noises.

There are many modes to play in the game. They include 1) Adventure - this is basically the main plot where you have to search for Kururin's lost brothers and sisters over the 10 different worlds, each world has 3 levels. 2) Practice mode - simply go and practice you Kuru Kuru skills on any of the many levels available in Adventure mode. 3) Challenge mode - In this mode you can challenge the short courses on each level. There are 10 levels with 5 stages each, that adds up to 50 levels! 4) VS mode - here you can link up to 4 GBA for multi player mayhem. 5) Lastly there is a 'Make Up' option, in here you use the items acquired from the Adventure Mode to change Kururin's helicopter color and configuration, a nice little addition if I might say so myself.

In general I feel that the Adventure mode is superb, at first it starts off nice and easy to get you into the swing of things, but as you progress the obstacles and paths get a heck of a lot harder to navigate, this is magnified by the fact that your helicopter is constantly rotating and you really do have to use those springs and crevasses to your advantage else its game over. Challenge mode is a good distraction from adventure mode, it is a good place to improve you skills as many of the courses seem to be a lot harder, tighter and mentally strenuous. I have been known to almost throw my GBA in frustration due to its difficulty but thankfully I pulled through and grew to love its toughness.

Graphics - 7
This isn't really what matters in a game like Kuru. On the GBA screen you get a plan view of the rotating helicopter, in other words a 2D feel so graphically this game does have a very simplistic look to it, but nevertheless, it does the job well. All the levels are very unique looking and have a nice unique crisp feel to them. The GBA displays all the vibrant colors very well.

Sound - 7
Quite cheesy if you ask me, very typical of a Japanese made game but don't get me wrong the music is top notch for what a GBA game can achieve. A nice little addition is the ability to make several horn noises whilst your on the adventure mode such as a cow's 'mooooo' or a trumpet sounding noise. Very nice. Another point to mention is that all the levels have been given their own unique music which gives them a sense of identity ranging from the very eerie music in Ghost Land to happy cheerful music in Cake Land.

Replay Value - 9
This is where games like these come into their own. As explained earlier, there are over 80 courses to learn and master. A further world in adventure mode is unlocked when you have finished all other worlds. There is also another 5 levels in the challenge mode to be obtained, this is unlocked when you successfully complete the other 50 challenges. Even after you have beaten all the levels you can still try and attempt to beat your fastest times/scores, something that adds replay value to no extent. As always multi player is great fun and you only need one cartridge to do it!

Overall - 8

Ninto liked:
+ Easy to pick up gameplay
+ Quirky graphics
+ Steep learning curve

Ninto didn't like:
- Having to buy a link cable to play the fantastic multiplayer
- Very frustrating at times

If you like puzzle games, get this game now. If you live in the US, import from the UK now! I cannot emphasis this enough. For those new to the puzzle type genre, I suggest a quick fast rental but I am sure most GBA gamers will fall in love with this games playability.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/01/02, Updated 03/15/02