Kuru what? Kurukuru Kururin, that's what.
The first word is a phrase to describe the sound of something spinning
and the second is the name of the character who control piloting a special
helicopter represented by a spinning stick.
It's a maze game in which you have to guide a spinning stick round one
getting from A to B, avoiding the sides, changing direction with the use of
strategically-placed springs and topping up your energy (that lost by hitting
the sides) by guiding it over big patterned areas as shown in the screenshots.
I've only taken part in the one-player game, but up to four Gameboy Advances
can be linked together with only one gamepak in use, which makes a welcome
change from games used in previous consoles that always required a gamepak
in every handheld just so they could make some extra money.
Basic but colourful is the best way to describe the graphics here and they move with
great fluidity as you move your stick around, although at times when I'm
going around a bend I get the feeling that it would be easier with an analogue
joystick instead of a D-pad.
The backing music is a bit of the plinkety-plonk variety but can be catchy
with it. It's best heard through headphones as opposed to the standard speakers.
Sound FX don't amount to much more than bashing against the sides and the voice
that says "Start" when you set off.
If you don't want to keep running round the numerous levels, whether in the
usual 'adventure' mode or a practice, you can try the 'challenge', made up of
ten levels with five mini-courses each, collecting prizes as you go, but most
of the courses need a fair bit of lateral planning.
Overall, it's one of those games that infuriate you at first, making you put
your GBA down in frustration because you can't complete the levels. Then you
pick it up and try it again... and again, until you crack it.
GRAPHICS SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC PLAYABILITY ORIGINALITY ENJOYMENT
As of April 2009, Blu-rays and DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TH-37PX80B
37" Plasma TV with a Sony BDP-1500 Blu-ray player and played through a Yamaha DSP-AX820 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Jan 2011: Intel Quad Core Dell XPS 8100, i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80Ghz, 8Gb RAM, nVidia GeForce GTS 240, Windows 7
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
Basic but colourful is the best way to describe the graphics here and they move with
great fluidity as you move your stick around, although at times when I'm
going around a bend I get the feeling that it would be easier with an analogue
joystick instead of a D-pad.
If you don't want to keep running round the numerous levels, whether in the
usual 'adventure' mode or a practice, you can try the 'challenge', made up of
ten levels with five mini-courses each, collecting prizes as you go, but most
of the courses need a fair bit of lateral planning.
