NOA, if you're reading this, PLEASE bring Kuru to America. I played about ten levels of the game on Billy's metallic blue Pokemon GBA and was just blown away.

The game is utter simplicity. All you have to do is move your spinning stick from one end of the course to the other. Problem: the walls are just barely wide enough for your passage, and your rotational status makes corners kinda evil. Your only tool is good timing, and that's really what Kuru is all about. Using the stick's constant rate of spin, plus a "turbo" feature that lets you vary the stick's linear speed, you have to negotiate each course without hitting any walls. If you do, you'll lose a heart; lose three and you have to start from the beginning. Some tracks have heart refilling stations along the way, though I'm willing to bet that those become pretty rare in the later levels.

Even in the first few courses, Kuru becomes challenging and incredibly addictive. The simple nature and unlimited lives encourage you to play tough courses again and again until you figure out how to beat them, and that urge is a strong one.

The music is catchy and non-intrusive. Graphically, the game looks as simple as it plays, but there's nothing wrong with that. Between many levels are really zany cinema scenes filled with Japanese text...it looks very superfluous, but I can't really crack without knowing what the hell the little critters were talking about. Could have been Macbeth starring purple ducks for all I know.

One thing I do know is that I want to play some more Kuru, BAD. I didn't even get to try the multiplayer mode, and Billy says it's just awesome. Well, I've got my fingers crossed for a localization...