Clu Clu Land
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| Clu Clu Land | |
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| Developer(s) | Nintendo R&D1 |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Composer(s) | Akito Nakatsuka[1] |
| Platform(s) | NES, Famicom Disk System, e-Reader, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube (Animal Crossing game), Virtual Console |
| Release date(s) | Famicom/NES GBA
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| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Media/distribution | 192-kilobit cartridge |
Clu Clu Land (クルクルランド Kuru Kuru Rando) is an arcade and Nintendo Entertainment System game released in 1984 and was later released in North America on the Wii Virtual Console on September 1, 2008[2] and in Europe on March 6, 2009.
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Overview [edit]
In Clu Clu Land, the player is a bubble fish named Bubbles—Groopy (or Gloopy) (グルッピー Guruppī) in the original Japanese version—who swims around in a maze trying to uncover all the golden Ingots.
Description [edit]
Clu Clu Land's story starts with a type of Sea Urchin, the Unira, stealing all of the treasures in the underwater kingdom of Clu Clu Land. Bubbles, the hero, sets out to retrieve the treasure. The object of the game is to uncover all the gold bars called Ingots in each stage while avoiding the Unira and Black Holes. Ingots usually form an outline of something, such as a heart or a mushroom. There are Turning Posts throughout the stage, and that's the only way Bubbles can turn around to go to another side. Bubbles can stun the Unira by using a Sound Wave. When they're stunned, Bubbles can push them into the wall to get rid of them and receive points. If Bubbles is hurt by the Unira, she will lose a life. A life is also lost when Bubbles falls into a Black Hole, or when time runs out. This only happens if Bubbles hasn't moved. If Bubbles moves and time runs out, the game is over. The game also ends if Bubbles has lost all her lives.
In later levels, the player has to pass over the Ingots twice to uncover them, and passing over them in later levels will re-bury them.
Legacy [edit]
An expanded edition known as Vs. Clu Clu Land (VSクルクルランド VS Kuru Kuru Rando) was released for the coin-op Nintendo Vs. System. It contained twice as many puzzles, a new enemy (Boss Unira), different level themes, and some other adjusted game features. A port of this version was released for the Famicom Disk System, making it the last game to be released for the system. This release is called Clu Clu Land D (クルクルランドＤ Kuru Kuru Rando D); however, its title screen actually refers to it as Clu Clu Land: Welcome to New Cluclu Land. It contains a few minor enhancements such as difficulty selection. Both the NES and FDS versions are unlockable in the Nintendo GameCube title Animal Crossing.
In 2001 the game was ported to the Sharp Zaurus series of PDA's.
Bubbles also appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Clu Clu Land NES music as well as the Unira enemy as an item is in its sequel, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. She also reappears again as the last secret character in the Game Boy Advance game DK: King of Swing (which was inspired by, if not somewhat of a remake of, Clu Clu Land).
There is also a Clu Clu Land "Remake" microgame in WarioWare: Smooth Moves for Wii, as well as a Clu Clu Land "Spintendo" microgame in WarioWare: Twisted!
The rupee from The Legend of Zelda series would be modeled after the Ingot sprite from Clu Clu Land. The recurring Digdogger enemy is also said to be a massive Unira.
Title [edit]
Although "Clu Clu Land" is the official English title for the game, "Clu Clu" is actually a romanization of "Kuru Kuru", a Japanese onomatopeia word that refers to something going "around and around". In order for Bubbles to move around the mazes, she must grab onto poles with her hands. When she holds on to a pole without letting go, she spins "around and around". Hence, this game could also be called "Kuru Kuru Land". (The same phrase is also the basis for the title of the Game Boy Advance game Kuru Kuru Kururin.)
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 1 (Album notes). Scitron Digital Contents Inc.. 2004. http://vgmdb.net/album/404.
- ^ "One WiiWare Game and Two Virtual Console Games Added to Wii Shop Channel". Nintendo of America. 2008-09-01. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
External links [edit]
- Clu Clu Land guide at StrategyWiki
- Clu Clu Land at MobyGames
- Clu Clu Land at NinDB
