Borrowing heavily from ‘Bejeweled’ and ‘Lumines,’ ‘Kurulin Fusion’ is a budget priced, color-matching puzzler for the PSP. 

Akin to most puzzlers, ‘Kurulin Fusion’ (‘Kurulin’) becomes fairly self-explanatory upon initial play. Simplistic in design and execution, Kurulin’s core mechanics require matching like-colored fusion blocks and energy orbs. If the two (of same color) touch other, all surrounding blocks and orbs of matching color disappear. Blocks and orbs pile too high…game over.

Scoring consists of the usual suspects of chain combos and/or linked blocks/orb clusters. The more the merrier, points-wise. Again, nothing you haven’t seen before.

The most highly touted aspect of ‘Kurulin Fusion’ is its soundtrack (never a good sign when reviewing a title), one orchestrated by ‘Final Fantasy’ legend Nobuo Uematsu. Perhaps Uematsu was asleep at the Korg, with Kurulin’s score limited to a slew of generic, re-mixed, Bach mood music. When meshed with the redundant and unbalanced gameplay, the score becomes monotonous.

By ‘unbalanced,’ Kurulin operates at a snail’s pace…except when levels become unexplainably lightning fast cheat for no rhyme of reason.  Survive these brief bursts, and the game returns to its far-too easy-norm. My first time in [via ‘arcade’ mode], I crossed Level 35, a marathon 30+ minute gaming session ripe with boredom. I wonder if I subconsciously committed gaming hari kari simply to make the snooze fest end.

Mission mode exacerbates the boredom, limited to far-too-many (30), monotonous scoring ‘challenges’.  Nothing better to say about ‘Time Attack’ mode in exception to the relief that the pain will only last for a timed session. Multiplayer? No thanks.

Bach 'n' Roll?!

‘Kurulin Fusion’ – despite its low $4.99 price point – is simply not worth the gaming and dollar investment. Its unimaginative take on the ‘stack and match’ genre is unbalanced both in gameplay and difficulty.

Final Score: 4.0