Developer: Hal Laboratory Publisher: Hal America Released: 1989 Genre: Puzzle
I miss the HAL Labs of the 8 and 16-bit days. Don’t get me wrong they are still a great developer but the diversity in their output is what is lacking these days. They could do it all; RPGs like Arcana, action platformers such as Kabuki Quantum Fighter and even sports games. I love Kirby and it is incredible how often they manage to reinvent the series but a little more variety would not hurt. One series that I dearly miss is the Adventures of Lolo, a NES conversion of their Eggerland series. Adventures of Lolo is one of the most brilliant puzzle games for the system and deserves to make a comeback.
The premise of Adventures of Lolo is simple. In each level Lolo must collect all of the hearts to open the chest that unlocks the exit. It sounds easy but it is anything but. The game is divided into ten floors with five rooms each. The first floor serves as a nice introduction to most of the Lolo’s mechanics but soon enough it begins to ask more of you. And therein lays the genius in Lolo’s design. Even though it is pretty long it still manages to introduce new elements that keep it fresh up until its conclusion. Reaching that point is a task in itself however.
On his own Lolo can only push blocks. For the most part this is the primary skill that will carry you through the game. Additional abilities appear on a level by level basis and it is up to you to figure out how and where to use them. The most common is a magic shot that will temporarily turn enemies in to eggs. One shot changes them; a second shot will erase them from the board briefly. Eggs can be used as makeshift blocks, bridges, and even a raft. Power abilities grant special skills like creating ladders that make bridges, destroying rocks, and create arrows that change the direction you walk. It sounds like a lot but the way the game dishes them out on a need to know basis is great. And if you screw up there is a convenient suicide button to let you start over.
The Adventures of Lolo has a diverse set of enemies that factor in to gameplay in a number of ways. Some like Alma actively chase you if they see you. Others like Skulls do not become active until all the hearts are collected, making the mad dash to the exit harrowing. Snakey is the most common and is harmless. In fact using Snakey to advance is crucial to success. I love the way enemies are incorporated in to the solution of each level. Leeper does not kill you but instead permanently falls asleep when he touches you, blocking your progress. But if you position him correctly he can block enemies like Medusa who cause instant death if you cross their path.
The more advanced enemies are the ones that make many levels a nightmare. Medusa will petrify you in your tracks and can shoot through trees. Don Medusa is even worse; this one moves back and forth in one area. Gol looks like Bub from Bubble Bobble. Except Gol does not shoot bubbles. Until you collect every heart frame he is inactive. Grab the last one and they awaken to shoot anything crossing their path. On its own their fireball is easy to avoid. The problem is Gols are usually in groups, making them tricky to deal with.
By and large the more advanced stages come down to setup. It is not uncommon to walk in to a room full of Gols and Skulls and have to plan how and which heart you will collect last as the room comes to life at that point. Using Alma to box in troublesome enemies will make you feel like a genius. It is amazing how the game finds new ways to use enemies that appear at the start of the game even toward its end.
Despite the tendency for the puzzle genre to skew toward the high side in terms of difficulty Adventures of Lolo remains accessible right up until the end. Some of the most complex looking levels have the simplest solutions. That does not mean you won’t stare at the screen for upwards of five minutes before making the first move. The trial and error process is extremely fun because even though you fail you learn something with every step. That the game manages to keep this up from beginning to end is nothing short of amazing.
In Conclusion
The Adventures of Lolo is a great game and provides a fantastic workout for your brain. It isn’t the most glamorous but is easily in my NES top fifty. This series desperately needs a revival.
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