Kuru Kuru Kururin

"Kuru Kuru Kururin: For more than just the birds."

Games nowadays focus almost entirely on their graphics and sound, without as much consideration for gameplay. Consequently, such beautiful games do not fare well in the long run. In contrast, some people find some games to be rather unattractive or plain, though the gameplay is addicting. Kuru Kuru Kururin is such a title. While its looks are rather plain, it is a very addictive game (Unfortunately, this game is currently available only in Japan and Europe).

The story goes like this: A mother bird takes ten of her children out for a stroll (the main character Kururin is a fellow sibling, but is not present at the time). The ten children wander off unbeknownst to the mother, at least until the last minute. Panicked, the mother rushes off to find Kururin to tell him of the situation. And so, Kururin jumps into his odd helicopter, propelled by slowly-rotating blades, in order to save his siblings.

Well, the story may not really be needed to play this game. It's a title you can immediately pick up and play. The object of the game is simple: maneuver your helicopter (which looks like, as most folks say, a rotating stick) through the maze from start to finish. The blades take damage when they hit walls, and three consecutive hits shatter the helicopter, consequently making you go back to the beginning. Some stages have recovery pads that will repair your chopper and replenish your energy. There is no ''life'' limitation, so can keep trying until you make it through. In later stages, assorted obstacles--spike balls, pistons, and cannons--make things even harder for you. To move quick, you hold A or B while moving. To move even quicker, you hold both A and B while moving. And for the heck of it, you can beep a horn when pressing L or R.

Of course, just getting to the goal intact is the simple way. In order to unlock any secrets in the game, you must go through the mazes without colliding into anything at all. This of course takes a lot of time and patience, but it IS possible. In addition to this challenge, you can also try to rush to the finish in order to beat the record time. And yes, something will happen when you beat all the record times.

There are assorted modes of play in the game. The main mode is the story mode, featuring most of the big heavy-duty mazes. Along with a normal version, an easy version of this mode is available where the helicopter blades are shorter. Another mode is the challenge mode, filled with several small mazes. What makes them challenging is that not only are there no recovery pads in any stage, but your helicopter will only take two hits before it shatters. A training mode is available to help you get through the story mode mazes. This modes also features a demonstration option that shows you how to maneuver through. A customization option is available to change the appearance of your helicopter (color and shape options are added when found in the story mode). Finally, they offer a multiplayer mode, where four people race to the finish in each of the challenge mode mazes. Handicaps that can be adjusted are stamina (1-4 hits) and length of helicopter blades. This game supports the single-cart option, so only one copy of the game is needed to play the multiplayer mode.

So mow you know what the game features and how its gameplay works. But what of detail? As I had mentioned before, the graphics are overall simple, though still a great deal more detailed than a GBC game. As for sounds, they seem standard enough. As cartoony as some of the game sounds, they fit the style of the game. Voices are also heard in the game. Music is also very simple. While some of the more advanced instruments are used in the game, some of the beep-like original Game Boy sounds are present. Even so, some of the tunes sound nice, and a few are even a little catchy (the main menu tune, for example).

And what of replay value? Story and challenge modes are tricky, and trying to go for the records and perfect runs are even greater challenges. But once you complete each and manage to access all the secrets, there seems to be nothing else to do...not counting, of course, multiplayer mode. Competition can always be a challenge, and once your friends get the hang of the game, you'll find yourself having a tough time trying to win. Anything really bad that I have to say about the game? Well, the only real gripe I have about the game is that you only get to race against your friends in the challenge mode stages. Racing in the story mode would prove more interesting. What's more, CPU competition wouldn't be too bad either. And I think that's about all I see worth griping about.

Overall, I think this is a very good game, certainly worth checking out. The graphics and sounds aren't anything to write home about, but it's the gameplay that really shines in this game, and it does so quite well. And good news for the United States: as I write this, it has been confirmed that a sequel to this game, ''Kururin Paradise,'' is slated for release in the country. Keeping much of the aspects of the original, you'll finally get a chance to see for yourself just how addictive the game can really be. But if you can't wait to try this game out, you can look in import stores for this game. It's enough of a challenge to tie you over until the sequel comes.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/27/02, Updated 05/27/02