Clu Clu Land

Last updated

Clu Clu Land
Clu Clu Land Cover.jpg
NES box art
Developer(s) Nintendo R&D1
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Composer(s) Akito Nakatsuka [1]
Platform(s) Arcade, NES, Famicom Disk System, Game Boy Advance, Zaurus
Release
    • JP: November 28, 1984 [2]
    • NA: October 18, 1985 [3]
    • EU: February 15, 1987
  • Famicom Disk System
    • JP: April 28, 1992
  • Zaurus
  • GBA
    • JP: May 21, 2004
Genre(s) Puzzle
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system Nintendo VS. System

Clu Clu Land [lower-alpha 1] is a puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo in 1984 in Japan for the Famicom. It was released in North America in 1985 as a Nintendo Entertainment System launch game and in Europe in 1987. Nintendo has rereleased it many times via emulation. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Contents

Title

Although "Clu Clu Land" is the official English title for the game, "Clu Clu" is actually an anglicization of "Kuru Kuru"; a Japanese onomatopoeia 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". The same phrase is also the basis for the title of the Game Boy Advance game Kuru Kuru Kururin .

Gameplay

NES version, showing Bubbles (red), Unira (blue), and treasures Clu Clu Land screenshot.gif
NES version, showing Bubbles (red), Unira (blue), and treasures

In Clu Clu Land, the player is a female balloonfish named Bubbles, known as Gloopy [lower-alpha 2] in Japan, who swims around in a maze trying to uncover all the golden Ingots. [13]

The 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 heroine, sets out to retrieve the treasure. The object of the game is to uncover all the gold ingots in each stage while avoiding the Unira and Black Holes. Ingots usually form a shape such as a heart or a mushroom. The only way Bubbles can turn around to change directions is by means of Turning Posts located throughout the stages. She can stun the Unira by using a Sound Wave. When they are stunned, she can push them into a 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 if she falls into a Black Hole, or if time runs out. The game ends when Bubbles has lost all her lives.

In later levels, the player must pass over the ingots an odd number of times to uncover them, as they will alternate between their uncovered side and a dull side.

Ports

An expanded edition known as VS. Clu Clu Land [lower-alpha 3] was released for the coin-op Nintendo VS. System. It contains twice as many puzzles, a new enemy named Boss Unira, different level themes, and other adjustments. A port of this version was released as the final game for the Family Computer Disk System (FDS), titled Clu Clu Land: Welcome to New Clu Clu Land. It contains a few minor enhancements such as difficulty selection.

In September 2001, a port was released for the Sharp Zaurus series of PDAs. [4]

Legacy

Various elements from Clu Clu Land appear throughout the Super Smash Bros. series. Bubbles appears as a trophy in Melee , and the Unira enemy appears as an item in the series beginning with Brawl . A medley of various tracks from the original game is selectable as background music for a number of stages in several games in the series, and Bubbles and Unira are featured as Spirits in Ultimate .

Bubbles appears as an unlockable playable character in DK: King of Swing , which features gameplay inspired by Clu Clu Land.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Twisted! include minigames based on Clu Clu Land.

Both the NES and FDS versions are unlockable in the GameCube game Animal Crossing , with the latter retitled Clu Clu Land D outside Japan. Clu Clu Land is included in the NES Remix series. It was released for the Nintendo Switch in the eShop on June 28, 2018, by Hamster Corporation as part of the Arcade Archives series. [14]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: クルクルランド, Hepburn: Kurukuru Rando
  2. ↑ Japanese: グルッピー, Hepburn: Guruppī
  3. ↑ Japanese: VSクルクルランド, Hepburn: VS Kurukuru Rando

Related Research Articles

<i>Bubble Bobble</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Bubble Bobble is a 1986 platform game developed and published by Taito for arcades. It was distributed in the United States by Romstar, and in Europe by Electrocoin. Players control Bub and Bob, two dragons that set out to save their girlfriends from a world known as the Cave of Monsters. In each level, Bub and Bob must defeat each enemy present by trapping them in bubbles and popping, who turn into bonus items when they hit the ground. There are 100 levels total, each becoming progressively more difficult.

<i>Wrecking Crew</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Wrecking Crew is an action game developed and published by Nintendo. Designed by Yoshio Sakamoto, it was first released as an arcade video game for the Nintendo VS. System in 1984, titled Vs. Wrecking Crew with a simultaneous two-player mode. It was released as a single-player game for the Family Computer (Famicom) console in 1985, and as a launch game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) later that year. A sequel, Wrecking Crew '98, was released in Japan in 1998 for the Super Famicom.

<i>Wario Land II</i> 1998 platform game

Wario Land II is a 1998 platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the original Game Boy. It was later re-released and optimised for the Game Boy Color. In the game, Wario has to recover his treasure from Captain Syrup. The Game Boy Color version was released for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2012.

<i>Wario Land 4</i> 2001 video game

Wario Land 4 is a 2001 platform game developed by Nintendo and released for the Game Boy Advance. Wario has to gather four treasures to unlock a pyramid and save Princess Shokora from the Golden Diva.

<i>Balloon Fight</i> 1984 video game

Balloon Fight is an action video game developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. The original arcade version was released for the Nintendo VS. System internationally as Vs. Balloon Fight, while its Nintendo Entertainment System counterpart was released in Japan in 1985 and internationally in 1986.

<i>Excitebike</i> 1984 video game

Excitebike is a motocross racing video game developed and published by Nintendo. In Japan, it was released for the Famicom in 1984 and then ported to arcades as VS. Excitebike for the Nintendo VS. System later that year. In North America, it was initially released for arcades in 1985 and then as a launch game for the Nintendo Entertainment System later that year, becoming one of the best-selling games on the console. It is the first game in the Excite series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masayuki Uemura</span> Japanese engineer, video game producer, and professor (1943–2021)

Masayuki Uemura was a Japanese engineer, video game producer, and professor. He was known for his work as an employee of Nintendo from 1971 to 2004, most notably for serving as a key factor in the development of the Nintendo Entertainment System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo VS. System</span> Arcade cabinet series

The Nintendo VS. System is an arcade system that was developed and produced by Nintendo. It is based on most of the same hardware as the Family Computer (Famicom), later released as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). As Nintendo was planning to release the NES in North America, they were aware of the video game crash of 1983 and its effects on the home console market. However by March 1984 the arcade industry recovered enough for a plan to introduce NES titles there, with the VS. System later being a presentation to players who did not yet own the console. It became the first version of the Famicom hardware to debut in North America.

<i>Battle Clash</i> 1992 video game

Battle Clash is a 1992 light gun shooter video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is one of several titles that requires the Super Scope light gun. The plot takes place in a futuristic post-apocalyptic Earth, where battles are fought with mechs called Standing Tanks (STs) and the winner takes control of the world. A young man named Mike Anderson participates in the Battle Game to face the ruthless champion Anubis and avenge his father's death. The player acts as the gunner of the ST Falcon piloted by Anderson, taking on Anubis and his subordinate chiefs in one-on-one fights.

<i>DK King of Swing</i> 2005 puzzle-platform video game

DK: King of Swing is a 2005 puzzle-platform game developed by Paon and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. King of Swing diverges from the gameplay of other games in the Donkey Kong series, instead featuring characters rotating around pegs to progress similar to the NES game Clu Clu Land. King of Swing has a single-player adventure mode, as well as a competitive multiplayer mode for up to four players. The game received mixed reception.

<i>Baseball</i> (1983 video game) 1983 video game

Baseball is a video game from Nintendo. It was released December 7, 1983, after the July 15 launch of the Famicom in Japan. In 1984, it was ported to the VS. System arcade as VS. Baseball with additional graphics and speech, becoming a number one hit in Japan and North America that year. It was localized as a Nintendo Entertainment System launch game in North America in 1985, and in Europe in 1986. IGN said the universal appeal of the American sport made Baseball a key to the NES's successful test market introduction, and an important piece of Nintendo history. The game was also competing with Sega's arcade hit Champion Baseball, released earlier in 1983.

<i>Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom</i> 1984 video game

Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom is a video game by Hudson Soft originally released in 1984 for the NEC PC-8801, NEC PC-6001, FM-7 and MSX Japanese home computers.

<i>Mr. Driller Drill Land</i> 2002 video game

Mr. Driller Drill Land is a 2002 puzzle video game developed and published in Japan by Namco for the GameCube. It is the fifth entry in the Mr. Driller video game series, and the second developed for a Nintendo platform following Mr. Driller A. Controlling one of seven characters, the player must make it to the bottom of each stage by destroying colored blocks, which can connect to each other and form chain reactions. The game is divided into five different modes themed as amusement park attractions, which feature new mechanics such as enemies, items and different block types.

indieszero Corporation, Ltd. is a small video game development company headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. It was founded on April 21, 1997, and has developed video games for other video game companies, including Nintendo, SEGA, and Square Enix.

<i>Star Soldier</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Star Soldier is a shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the MSX. The player pilots the starship "Caesar", travelling through space stations occupied by powerful supercomputers known as "Starbrains" who threaten the galactic empire. Star Soldier greatly resembles the earlier arcade game Star Force.

<i>Yakuman</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Yakuman (役満) is a 1989 mahjong video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for its handheld Game Boy as one of the Japanese launch titles. It is the first entry in a series of first-party Japanese mahjong games on Nintendo systems, with sequels on the Famicom, Game Boy Advance, DS, Wii, Wii U, and 3DS.

<i>NES Remix</i> Video game series

NES Remix is a compilation video game series for Wii U, developed by Nintendo. The first and eponymous game was simultaneously announced and released on December 18, 2013, on the Nintendo eShop following a Nintendo Direct presentation. A second game, NES Remix 2, was released on April 25, 2014. A retail edition consisting of both games, titled NES Remix Pack, was released on April 24, 2014, in Japan and December 5 in North America. Another title, Ultimate NES Remix for Nintendo 3DS, was released on November 7-8, 2014 in Europe and Australia, December 5 in North America and August 27, 2015, in Japan.

<i>Mario vs. Donkey Kong</i> Video game series

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a puzzle-platform game series published by Nintendo. A spin-off of both the Mario and Donkey Kong franchises, the series marks the return of both Pauline and the rivalry between Mario and Donkey Kong.

<i>Famicom Detective Club</i> Adventure game duology

Famicom Detective Club is an adventure game duology developed and published by Nintendo for the Family Computer Disk System. The first entry, The Missing Heir, was released in 1988, followed by a prequel released the next year titled The Girl Who Stands Behind. In both games, the player takes on the role of a young man solving murder mysteries in the Japanese countryside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Entertainment System models</span> Overview of NES model variants

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo, had numerous model variants produced throughout its lifetime. It was originally released in 1983 as the Family Computer in Japan, with design work led by Masayuki Uemura. Nintendo intentionally redesigned it as the NES in North America in an attempt to avoid the stigma of video game consoles lingering from the video game crash the same year; while it was initially conceptualized as a home computer, it was ultimately modeled after a videocassette recorder (VCR) for its debut there in 1985. Nintendo subsequently exported the NES to Europe and Oceania via local distributors.

References

  1. ↑ Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 1 (Media notes). Scitron Digital Contents Inc. 2004.
  2. 1 2 IGN staff (September 7, 2001). "CHIBI JAPAN WEEKLY 3". IGN. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Clu Clu Land". Nintendo of America . Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  4. ↑ "VC クルクルランド" (in Japanese). Nintendo. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  5. ↑ "クルクルランド - ニンテンドー3DS - 任天堂". 任天堂ホームページ (in Japanese). Nintendo. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Clu Clu Land". Nintendo. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Clu Clu Land". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Clu Clu Land". Nintendo of America . Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  9. ↑ "クルクルランド". 任天堂ホームページ. Nintendo. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  10. ↑ Liam Doolan (May 7, 2019). "Nintendo Adds Three More Games To The Switch Online NES Library Next Week". Nintendo Life . Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  11. ↑ Brett Weiss (November 12, 2012). Classic Home Video Games, 1985-1988: A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland. p. 180. ISBN   978-1-4766-0141-0.
  12. ↑ Lane, Gavin (March 13, 2020). "Guide: Every Arcade Archives Game On Nintendo Switch, Plus Our Top Picks". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.