NES Game Reviews #10 – Adventures of Lolo 2
I’m a sucker for a good puzzler. After grinding through countless difficult platformers that require cat like reflexes, its nice to chill out with something that works the mind instead of the fingers. Once again the UK was short changed here receiving only one of the Lolo trilogy, namely the second entry, Adventures of Lolo 2. Presumably it wasn’t well received here, hence no part three?
Well it’s a crime that we didn’t get anymore of these games because this is a masterpiece. If you like an old school puzzler, I highly recommend this game. Ten levels, five stages to each (so fifty levels really), each demanding slightly more brainpower to finish. Whilst you’ll need to utilize techniques you’ve already learnt throughout your journey in more challenging environments, you’ll also need to constantly learn new ones as you go. Often new techniques are discovered by sheer chance usually after you’ve been scratching your head for an age trying to understand how nothing you try is getting you anywhere. Suddenly you’ll do something by chance and realize it’s the key to the puzzle, after that you’ll be amazed it took you so long to see it! Though it can certainly be a cruel master when you’ve been stuck on a puzzle for an unhealthy amount of time. Often the answer is so obvious it’s been staring you in the face the whole time. Moments like that it’s best to simply sleep on it, with a fresh head on your shoulders, the answer is often much clearer!
While the gameplay and tone are relaxing, there are moments that tickle the rage button. Not seeing the answer, can move from comical to annoying to infuriating as the time ticks on. The final levels really step up the demand for quick hand-eye co-ordination, as the sequence of events one must perform gets very tough.
A delight to play this puzzle game. A perfectly balanced game with passwords for each level.
