The Cuckoo, alternatively known simply as the "Crazy Bird" for the Japanese dub (Ki Ga Kurutta Tori; written as き が くるった とり in the Hiragana script and キ ガ クルッタ トリ in the Katakana script) as it has a loopy personality, is a boss from the platformer game Balan Wonderworld by Square Enix. This avian Nega Boss is encountered within the depths of Chapter 5, which takes place in a forest similar to Chapter 3, but without school supplies and with more wildlife such as birds and lizards and less bugs.
Appearance[]
The Cuckoo is a massive bird-like Nega Boss. It has a black body with the characteristic red and golden swirls of the Negati and green, red, and black wings. It has a green head with a pink-ish beak and multicolour eyes. It wears trousers made from the remnants of a cracked eggshell. The Nega Boss is said to be "crazy," hence why he is called "Cuckoo."
Biography[]
The Cuckoo was born when a woman named Sana who loved birds witness the destruction of the forests that housed them, much to her horror and depression. As a result, she was sent to Wonderworld, where she bumped into Lance. The corrupt being would corrupt Sana with his power, and the horrid Nega Boss was born, holding her captive.
Emma Cole would later visit this forested realm during her trek through Wonderworld. There, she and the Cuckoo would fight. As Emma deflected the birdhouses and tornadoes he sent out, the Nega Boss was destroyed, and Sana was released, allowing her to recover. Sana would then return to the physical world, where she made a compromise with those who destroyed the forest, allowing her favourite animals to thrive within the city.
Battle[]
The Cuckoo has three attacks that he can perform. For his first attack, the avian monster drops some egg bombs whose detonation tears holes in space around his arena, causing negative energy to leak out. Emma will get hurt if she touches these puddles of negative energy, which will close in a few seconds. Before that happens, if she has the Lickshot Lizard suit, Emma can lasso the feathered fiend with the costume's tongue and slam him into the arena, where she has a chance to strike him. Another move for the Cuckoo to perform has him slam a birdhouse onto the stage with his tongue. This gives Emma the opportunity to counter the move if she has the Guardian Bird suit by summoning a tornado to smash the birdhouse into his face. The Cuckoo only performs his third move when Emma strikes his heart: here, he summons a line of tornadoes that she can repel with the Guardian Bird's power. If he gets hit, the Cuckoo will fall down and become vulnerable. The Cuckoo is destroyed when Emma smashes his heart three times.
Trivia[]
- Etymology: The Cuckoo derives his name from his generally loopy personality. ("Cuckoo" in English can mean "loopy.")
- There is a real-life bird named "Cuckoo."
[]
![]() | ||
Negati |