Clu Clu Land

{{Infobox video game

| image = Clu Clu Land Cover.jpg

| caption = NES box art

| publisher = Nintendo

| composer = Akito Nakatsuka{{cite AV media notes |url=http://vgmdb.net/album/404 |title=Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 1 |year=2004|publisher=Scitron Digital Contents Inc.}}

| platforms = Arcade, NES, Famicom Disk System, Game Boy Advance, Zaurus

| released = {{Unbulleted list|{{vgrelease|JP|November 22, 1984https://www.famitsu.com/games/t/9030/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}|NA|October 18, 1985{{cite web |title=Clu Clu Land: instruction booklet. (Registration Number TX0002515316) |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov |website=United States Copyright Office |access-date= 5 June 2021}}|EU|February 15, 1987}}

|Famicom Disk System{{vgrelease|JP|April 28, 1992}}

|Zaurus{{vgrelease|JP|September 2001{{cite web|author1=IGN staff|title=CHIBI JAPAN WEEKLY 3|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/09/07/chibi-japan-weekly-3|website=IGN|accessdate=November 23, 2014|date=September 7, 2001}}}}

|GBA{{vgrelease|JP|May 21, 2004}}}}

| genre = Puzzle

| modes = Single-player, multiplayer

| arcade system = Nintendo VS. System

| title = Clu Clu Land

}}

{{nihongo foot|Clu Clu Land|クルクルランド|Kurukuru Rando|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} 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 launch title for the Nintendo Entertainment System, with Europe receiving the game in 1987. Nintendo has re-released the game on many different platforms via emulation, of which includes the Virtual Console digital distribution service on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and the Nintendo Classics service.{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/v4hLkujV-v81_kFCDYGoI6hrhm0A74mT|title=Clu Clu Land|publisher=Nintendo of America|accessdate=December 2, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_kkl/index.html|title=VC クルクルランド|publisher=Nintendo| language=Japanese|accessdate=December 2, 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/titles/50010000014753|title=クルクルランド - ニンテンドー3DS - 任天堂|newspaper=任天堂ホームページ |publisher=Nintendo |language=Japanese|accessdate=December 2, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/9quHN0fwsIYjcREOG0cweLqK2FqYsCP1|title=Clu Clu Land|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=December 2, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/NES/Clu-Clu-Land-817784.html|title=Clu Clu Land|publisher=Nintendo of Europe GmbH|accessdate=December 2, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/dGa8XfPqvfxmfYzDzRhzNiSbQIOYncwF|title=Clu Clu Land|publisher=Nintendo of America|accessdate=December 2, 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/titles/20010000002769|title=クルクルランド|newspaper=任天堂ホームページ |publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=December 2, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/05/nintendo_adds_three_more_games_to_the_switch_online_nes_library_next_week|author=Liam Doolan|title=Nintendo Adds Three More Games To The Switch Online NES Library Next Week|work=Nintendo Life|date=May 7, 2019|accessdate=May 28, 2019}}

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". This is derived from the main gameplay mechanic, in which the Bubbles (the protagonist) moves around mazes via grabbing onto poles, hence spinning "around and around". The same phrase is also the basis for the title of the Game Boy Advance game Kuru Kuru Kururin and its subsequent sequels.

Gameplay

File:Clu_Clu_Land_screenshot.gif

In Clu Clu Land, the player is a female balloonfish named Bubbles, known as {{nihongo foot|Gloopy|グルッピー|Guruppī|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} in Japan, who swims around in a maze trying to uncover all the golden Ingots.{{cite book|author=Brett Weiss|title=Classic Home Video Games, 1985-1988: A Complete Reference Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F01wiUr9LKQC&pg=PT180|date=12 November 2012|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-0141-0|page=180}}

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 {{nihongo foot|VS. Clu Clu Land|VSクルクルランド|VS Kurukuru Rando|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} 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.

Reception

In a June 1986 survey of the NES catalogue, the Chicago Tribune{{'}}s Steven Kosek and Dennis Lynch singled out Clu Clu Land and Ice Climber for "[keeping their] interest after repeated plays".{{cite news |last1=Kosek |first1=Steven |last2=Lynch |first2=Dennis |title=Audio/video: Video machines increase power to hold market |url=https://newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-video-machines-increase/110187348/ |access-date=2024-05-29 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=1986-06-27 |page=82 (Section 7) |url-access=registration |via=Newspapers.com}}

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 from Brawl onwards. A medley of various tracks from the original game can be selected as background music for a number of stages in several games in the series, and Bubbles and Unira are featured as Spirits in Ultimate.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

Bubbles appears as an unlockable playable character in DK: King of Swing, which features gameplay inspired by Clu Clu Land.{{cite web | last=Fletcher | first=JC | title=Virtually Overlooked: Clu Clu Land | website=Engadget | date=August 22, 2008 | url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-08-21-virtually-overlooked-clu-clu-land.html | access-date=February 11, 2025}}

WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Twisted! both include microgames based on Clu Clu Land.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

Both the NES and FDS versions are unlockable in the first Animal Crossing, with the latter retitled Clu Clu Land D outside Japan. It was playable through its Nintendo Space World 2000 demo{{cite web|url=https://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/article/20000825/nintendo.htm|title=NINTENDO SPACEWORLD 2000開幕|publisher=PC Watch|date=2000-08-25|accessdate=2024-08-03}} as well as the final game. Clu Clu Land is included in the NES Remix series. It was released for the Nintendo Switch in the eShop in June 2018, by Hamster Corporation as part of the Arcade Archives series.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/03/guide_every_arcade_archives_game_on_nintendo_switch_plus_our_top_picks|title=Guide: Every Arcade Archives Game On Nintendo Switch, Plus Our Top Picks|last=Lane|first=Gavin|date=2020-03-13|website=Nintendo Life|language=en-GB|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328183806/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/03/guide_every_arcade_archives_game_on_nintendo_switch_plus_our_top_picks |archive-date=2020-03-28 |access-date=2020-03-28}}

Bubbles is playable in Super Mario Maker, appearing as one of the Costume Mario characters.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

Notes

References

External links

{{moby game|id=/clu-clu-land|name=Clu Clu Land}}
[https://www.nindb.net/nes/clu-clu-land/index.html Clu Clu Land at NinDB]
[https://www.nintendo.com/jp/famicom/software/hvc-cl/index.html Clu Clu Land] on the Famicom 40th Anniversary page {{in lang|ja}}

Category:1984 video games

Category:Arcade Archives games

Category:Arcade video games

Category:Nintendo e-Reader games

Category:Famicom Disk System games

Category:Game Boy Advance games

Category:Hamster Corporation games

Category:Maze games

Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games

Category:Nintendo arcade games

Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games

Category:Nintendo games