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クルクルランド
©Nintendo 1984
Release: 1984-11-22 (¥4500)
Cartdridge HVC-CL
Action/Puzzle game
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Released in America as
CLU CLU LAND
( NES-CL-USA )
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Released in Europe as
CLU CLU LAND
( NES-CL-XXX )
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Clu Clu Land is a single screen puzzle/action game by Nintendo.
The aquatic kingdom of Clu Clu Land is at stake - a group of sea urchins,
the Uniras, have stolen all the treasures of the country. Goruppī (aka Gloopy) the
bubble fish (known as Bubbles in the rest of the world) ventures out to retrieve
all the gold they have taken along with them and hidden inside their underground
lair. Each stage simply consists of a grid of turn posts. Gloopy is very fast
but can't stop nor turn by himself, and therein lies the very core of the gameplay - she
must hang onto these posts to turn around, or bounce off walls to change direction. All
the gold is also hidden from view - Gloopy must uncover they all within a time
limit by running over key locations on the maze (the gold bars usually form a recognizable
shape on the playfield, helping the player to figure out where they are). Each maze is
also riddled with traps and other hazards, such as black holes (this is where the
Uniras come from, but then can swallow up Gloopy as well) and rubber bands
(Gloopy bounces off them). Special items also appear from time to time on the
playfield, they include Timers (freezes time), fruits and sacks (bonus points)
and Flags (extra life). Finally, Gloopy can shoot electric shock waves to
stun the urchins - but they eventually recover unless she crushes them against the
outside walls. The mazes come in five different colors, and each color features four different
pattern shapes (for a total of twenty). A bonus round awaits the player every six levels,
in which Gloopy has to find and collect as many gold bars as possible within a time
limit. Finally, Clu Clu Land features a two simultaneous player mode.
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It is interesting to notice that the original Japanese kana name for the game is
'Kuru Kuru Land'. Althrough Nintendo spelt it Clu Clu Land on the title screen,
Kuru Kuru is actually an onomatopoeia that means 'going around', and
it is most likely based on Kuru (繰る) which means 'rotating' or 'spinning'. Clu Clu Land
is one of those early Nintendo franchise that was forgotten somewhere along the way.
A Famicom Disk sequel was released in Japan in 1992 though - this version is extremely
rare and features two difficulty levels (beginner and Expert), more levels and a
large Unira boss (picture on the right). It is technically a port of the Vs. Clu Clu Land arcade game originally
released in 1984 for Nintendo's coin-operated VS System. This version of the game was later
included as a bonus collectible in Animal Crossing (Game Cube, 2001), along with the
original Clu Clu Land. Characters from Clu Clu Land still make cameo appearances
every once in a while - Gloopy appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros Melee (Game Cube, 2001),
the Unira urchin appears as an item in Super Smash Bros Brawl (Wii, 2008) and there are
Clu Clu Land microgames in Wario Ware Twisted! (Game Boy Advance, 2004)
and in Wario Ware Smooth Moves (Wii, 2006). The game's concept also most probably
inspired DK King of Swing released for the Game Boy Advance in 2005 (where
Gloopy can be unlocked as a special character!) and
DK Jungle Climber (DS, 2007).
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The trained eyes can notice something peculiar about Clu Clu Land - or more precisely
about the gold-bar sprites. They are the same as the ones used for the rupees in
Zelda no Densetsu ! (picture on the left)
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Teaser text copied from the American version:
Are you clever enough
to unravel the mystery
of Clu Clu Land ?
The evil Sea Urchin has hidden all the
gold in Clu Clu Land in an underground
mystery maze. It's up to you to find the
gold before time runs out! But beware,
the Sea Urchin will do everything in his power to stop you. He'll set up traps
to trick you, like inviting you into his house, where you'll be swallowed alive!
Or bounce you against the Rubber Trap, and land you flat on your back. But if
you, or you and a friend, can control the Sea Urchin by stunning him with
electric shock waves, you just might find out where he's hidden the gold and
move on to an exciting bonus round.
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Click on picture to enlarge |
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LK
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Add your Pov here !
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P
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Clu Clu Land is an odd and unique mix between Pac Man and
Qix. Although I agree the comparison between these games is far fetched,
the Nintendo classic does somewhat feature a maze roaming style and
patterns/shapes to uncover. Anyway, I had a lot of fun playing this game
and the first challenge is not to find the gold bars, but to master the
unique controls - they do certainly twist your brain in ways you thought
impossible. But once you get the hang of it, then the game reveals itself
and becomes an enjoyable and addicting experience. Graphics and sounds are
unquestionably simple (it's an early game after all), but they do the job fine.
The two-player mode is also fun and adds a whole other layer to the game.
However, once you've visited the five color-coded stage types, then the game
becomes a bit repetitive - well, it's not a deal breaker though. All in all,
Clu Clu Land has aged a bit, but it is still as innovative and
as fun as it was back in the days.
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