| Kururin Paradise | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Eighting |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Directors | Shinji Hatano Tomonori Fujisawa |
| Producers | Hiroshi Sato Masato Toyoshima |
| Programmer | Yasunari Watanabe |
| Composer | Atsuhiro Motoyama |
| Series | Kururin |
| Platform | Game Boy Advance |
| Release | |
| Genres | Puzzle,action |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Kururin Paradise[a] is a 2002puzzle video game developed byEighting and published byNintendo for theGame Boy Advance. It is the second entry in theKururin series and the sequel toKuru Kuru Kururin (2001). The game was released exclusively in Japan on December 6, 2002. North American and European releases of the game were planned, but later canceled. The game received generally positive reviews, with praise for its introduction of new gameplay mechanics andminigames.Kururin Paradise was followed byKururin Squash! on theGameCube in 2004, and was later re-released onWii UVirtual Console on December 9, 2015, also exclusive to Japan.
Similar to the first game, the player pilots Kururin in the Helirin, a helicopter that continuously spins as the player attempts to navigate throughmazes to reach the goal at the end. If Kururin loses all three hearts in a level, it is restarted from the beginning.[2] The Adventure mode contains the game's story with 34 levels, some of which are accessed by unlocking alternate paths, and the Challenge mode contains 30 levels with the goal of reaching the goal as fast as possible.[3][4]
Kururin Paradise introduces several new gameplay mechanics, including alternate paths andminigames. Keys can be obtained in levels, which unlock secret alternate routes inside a previously completed level. When the alternate path is completed, additional levels are unlocked on the world map.[5] In the Adventure mode,boss battles take place at the end of each world, but appear in the form of minigames.[6] Sixteen minigames are included in the "Mini-Game Paradise" mode, all of which can be played in multiplayer with up to four players using theGame Boy Advance Game Link Cable. A majority of the minigames are based on achieving a high score or surviving a challenge given a certain time limit. One minigame features Kururin outside of the Helirin flying in a side-scrolling stage similar to the Balloon Trip mode inBalloon Fight,[5] where the player must control the bird to avoid obstacles.[7][8] The dedicated multiplayer modes similarly support up to four players. The racing mode from the original game returns, with players competing against each other to reach the end of a maze in the Challenge mode.[9] Players can give themselves a handicap by increasing the length of their vehicle or remove hearts from their character to accommodate the skills of different players.[6][10]: 23 A selection ofmagic tricks can be learned and performed with the Game Boy Advance system, which are obtained by defeating bosses. Each magic trick has an explanation on how to perform them for others, and after selecting the magic trick, the player must turn their system off and back on to activate it.[4][10]: 15 One of the magic tricks is a Love Tester, which references theNintendo product of the same name.[5]
Kappado, Tenko, Naporon, and Baron Magic of the Magic Group visit Kururin Village to put on a show. Kururin's family left to see the Magic Group since Kururin overslept and was concerned about his bedhead, but after waking up, he arrives late to an empty venue.[10]: 3 Assuming the Magic Group kidnapped his family and Teacher Hare with villainous intent, Kururin sets out on an adventure to rescue them.[11] When first encountering Kappado, he reveals that Kururin's family want to learn magic tricks from the Magic Group, and Kururin has to get them back by beating members of the Magic Group in a minigame.[12][6] After rescuing his father Totorin, it is revealed that Totorin was the leader of the Magic Group, as he wanted to teach Kururin some magic. In the end, everyone surprises Kururin by celebrating his birthday.[13]
Kururin Paradise was revealed to be in development in May 2002 prior to its appearance atE3 2002.[14] The previous directors, Hiroshi Sato and Masato Toyoshima, returned as the game's producers. Shinji Hatano, the producer ofKuru Kuru Kururin, became one of the directors alongside Tomonori Fujisawa. Additionally, character designerYōichi Kotabe worked with Yoshitaka Ikeda to create the members of the Magic Group.[15] The game was announced in Japanese, North American, and European markets.[16] An English-translated version of the game was showcased at E3 2002, the first time a game in theKururin series was announced in the North American market.[7][9][17] This version of the game, however, was not planned for release, and the European version was canceled at a later date.[18] A Chinese version of the game was developed for theiQueGame Boy Advance, but was unreleased.[19] On December 9, 2015,Kururin Paradise was re-released onWii UVirtual Console, in which the game remained exclusive to Japan.[20][21] One of the members in the Magic Group, Naporon, makes a cameo appearance in the Eighting-developedMaster of Illusion onNintendo DS.[22]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Famitsu | 29/40[23] |
| PlanetGameboy.de | 81%[6] |
| Nintendo Difference | 16/20[18] |
The game received generally positive reviews, with the game being considered an overall improvement from its predecessor.[6] Critics praised the graphics,[5][8] as well as the abundance of inventive minigames in both single-player and multiplayer modes.[8][18][6]
Many critics claimed the game is much more difficult thanKuru Kuru Kururin, sometimes requiring split-second precision to navigate the mazes.[6][18] Regarding the game's difficulty, Kurt Kalata ofHardcore Gaming 101 wrote "[i]t’s definitely meant for veterans of the first game, but it’s ultimately a much more satisfying experience", relating to the added depth in the level design.[5] Similarly,Nintendo Difference claimed that while initially difficult, the controls eventually become intuitive and don't harm the gameplay experience.[18]
Daniel Bloodworth ofNintendo World Report complimented the game's art style, citing it as "cleaner, more colorful and has a specifically hand-drawn look".[8] He also highlighted certain minigames such as "Mowrin" for being a particularly clever use of the series' gameplay formula in minigame format. The MexicanClub Nintendo magazine claimed it to be "one of the simplest and most addictive games" they have played.[9] In a retrospective review, Adam Riley ofCubed3 described it as one of the best Japanese-exclusive Game Boy Advance games.[24]
The game sold 3,508 copies after three days.[25] During its initial launch week, it sold 7,801 copies, marking the only time it would appear among the top thirty Japanese game sales.[26]KururinParadise sold a total of 80,404 copies in Japan from release to December 22, 2003.[27] It would eventually become the twenty-sixth best-selling Game Boy Advance game in Japan released in 2002, and one of Nintendo's lower-performing titles on the system.[28]
Kappado: マジックのタネをのぞくからす~ / かえしてほしければ... このゲームで勝負だよ~
