Kuri Kuri Mix / Adventures of Cookie and Cream, The (PS2) (2000)
Developer: CS Development (PS2)
Kuri Kuri Mix / Cookie and Cream, The (DS) (2007)
Developer: Hi Corporation (DS)

Review by Faididi and Co.

Funny bunny game a no-go for solo

Story: Average

In this playful twist on Japanese folklore, cuddly bunnies gather annually to participate in the lunar festival. This year, however, the moon fails to appear, so a restless girl bunny and a mellow boy bunny set off on a quest to restore it. Everything is so cute and sweet that we wouldn't blame you if you want to giggle like a little schoolgirl.

Gameplay: Above Average

CS Development's Kuri Kuri Mix (The Adventures of Cookie and Cream) is an action platformer that's all about multiplayer challenges. In the 2-Player story mode, the heroes will hop, jump, and double-jump their way through 7 or so worlds, almost every one of which is divided into four vertically scrolling stages and a boss scene. Bumping into bad guys or falling into pits deducts several seconds from the timer, but the heroes can simply retry the stage if the clock hits zero. Their progress can be saved in between the stages.

Despite its cheery graphics, Kuri Kuri Mix takes its 2-Player action dead seriously, as the heroes must simultaneously coordinate their efforts throughout the entire game. Because the two bunnies travel along parallel but separate tracks, doing so can be extremely difficult for solo gamers. The puzzle-like obstacles go far beyond merely pulling levers to open gates or lower bridges; a more typical challenge is having the heroes carefully leaping across pillars scattered across a lake, where the pillars on one side will rise or sink depending upon which pillars are touched at the other side. This not only necessitates perfect timing on both heroes' parts, but it also emphasizes a degree of teamwork rarely seen in other 2-Player action platformers.

Those who don't find a problem with the focus on duo-play will be continuously engaged by the creative level design. Every world comes with its own set of obstacles and memorable scenes. For example, in the amusement park world, our heroes will play on a carousel, find their way out of a haunted house, and blow horns to move big fat elephants out of the way. Or, in the toy shop world, they can ride model trains, use simple tools to create bridges, and even pilot a robot mech. The obstacles' fantastic variety keeps the game fresh and interesting from beginning to end.

In addition to the main mode, there is a minigame-like 4-Player versus mode, where the characters compete for points by collecting items in simplified levels. This versus mode contains no puzzles, but it still features many different types of comical power-ups, such as stubby mortar weapons or size boosters that allow your character to squish others.

Controls: Excellent

The controls are responsive and friendly. In the versus mode, Kuri Kuri Mix can support up to 4 Players with only two DualShocks, by dividing each controller's left and right sides between a pair of Players. Thanks to the clean, simple layout of the controls, playing the game like this doesn't result in any loss of function, making this a handy option for those who don't have multitaps (which the game also supports).

Graphics: Excellent

Prepared to be dazzled by the vibrant, storybook-like visuals. The characters are smoothly animated, while the environments are brightly rendered.

Audio: Average

The sound effects are expectedly cheerful and happy, but the music is relatively quiet and not very memorable. The worst part is the girl bunny's overly loud yelling, which can grate harshly against the ears.

Overall: Above Average

Definitely not for solo gamers, Kuri Kuri Mix is a colorful action platformer meant for those who enjoy playing together with friends. Its main 2-Player mode features level and obstacle designs that are both varied and challenging. Its extra 4-Player versus mode can be enjoyed without the need for a multitap, too. Along with its adorable characters and sweet, pleasant graphics, this is a perfect choice for those seeking a great multiplayer action game.

Port: Sucks All Ass (DS)

Hi Corporation's DS version of Kuri Kuri Mix (Cookie and Cream) is clearly not a faithful port of the original game. In this handheld remake, the boy bunny still moves through vertically scrolling three-dimensional stages, but the girl bunny now deals with the new 2D-only touch screen minigames. The boy bunny has to jump onto buttons to activate these minigames, and then the girl bunny must pass them in order to remove the obstacles in her friend's path.

The DS-themed changes for the girl bunny's side of things would have been fine if not for the minigames' fucking horrible design. Their wildly inconsistent controls (some accepting a sloppy, one-time press while others demanding repeated taps with high precision) and their arbitrary time constraints make them needlessly difficult. Coordinating them with the moving objects on the boy bunny's path is already a pain in the ass, but the game constantly sends penalty monsters to harrass the boy bunny, who is forced to stop while waiting for the girl bunny to pass the minigames. Furthermore, the option to turn off the microphone function is useless, because doing so makes certain minigames impossible to finish.

Such awfully planned minigames inevitably sour the 2-Player action, nevermind the unbelievably frustrating experience that solo Players will face. In summary, stick with CS Development's original PS2 version of Kuri Kuri Mix (which also doesn't require your friend to obtain another copy of the game), and just forget that this garbage remake exists.