Kuru Kuru Kururin

Kuru Kuru Kururin (くるくるくるりん) is a puzzle video game developed by Eighting and published by Onion Media for the Game Boy Advance. It was first released in Japan on March 21, 2001, June 11, 2001 in North America 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 sequels, Kururin Paradise and Kururin Squash!.

A 3D version of the game for the PlayStation and Dreamcast were being developed by Climax Studios and were supposed to be released alongside the Game Boy Advance version, but were cancelled for unknown reasons, despite it was finished in time for release. In 2016, the source code and most of the development assets for the PlayStation version were sold on two DVDs after Climax's bankruptcy, and the contents were released on the Internet Archive. An ISO image of the Dreamcast version was later found and leaked online in 2019 as well.

Gameplay
The player controls a slowly spinning stick called the Helirin, and must maneuver it through a series of mazes 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, which enables four players to participate in the action using a single cartridge.

The game starts with simple training levels, in which players are told how to play and how to get around the first corners. After that, there are three levels in each stage, which get progressively harder and longer. The obstacles and the look of the levels (ice, cave, machine, etc.) vary between stages. Beginners can play the levels on Easy mode, where the stick is only half of its usual 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 World 2000.

Reception
Kuru Kuru Kururin received mostly positive reviews from critics. It was praised for its simple yet addictive gameplay. Eurogamer 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."

Legacy
The first sequel entitled Kururin Paradise came out in 2002 for the Game Boy Advance. Another sequel was also released 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. It was ported to Xbox, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation Portable.

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. 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.