Before developer HAL went on to create Kirby's Dream Land and Super Smash Bros., one of the company's most beloved character mascots was a plucky little blue ball-like guy by the name of Lolo. When the dastardly ruler of Eggerland, King Egger, kidnaps Princess Lala of Eden Land, Lolo springs into action to save the day by completing a series of puzzle-based maze-like challenges loaded with obstacles, hazards, and enemies. Spanning nine titles, The Adventures of Lolo (known as Eggerland in Japan) is fondly remembered by some and mostly unheard of by others. Hardcore Gaming 101 aims to correct that issue by exploring the series and its quirky charms.
The Eggerland titles are those kinds of games where everything revolves around one very basic, constant concept. Each puzzle begins with Lolo inside of a small room that invariably fits neatly onto one single screen. Regardless of what exactly it was that got him there to begin with, Lolo needs to get out of whatever room he happens to be in at the time, and the only way to do that is to nab the contents of a treasure chest that's located in there with him. But to do that he has to open it first, and the only way that's gonna happen is if he grabs a bunch of tiles called Heart Framers (Diamond Framers in Eggerland Mystery) that are scattered throughout the room. But here's where it gets tricky: Lolo's not in there alone. Various monsters populate these rooms, too, and if he crosses paths with one then he's got to start the room over again - 'til he runs out of lives, at least. Luckily, sometimes grabbing a Heart Framer will grant Lolo a couple magic shots, with which he can temporarily encase said beasts in giant eggs. And the rooms themselves are veritable mazes, where a misstep can get you stuck and force you to restart.
Of course, Lolo and Lala went on to appear in several Kirby titles as bosses Lololo and Lalala. I remember reading about The Adventures of Lolo back in Nintendo Power back in the old days, particularly The Adventures of Lolo 3 in which Lala moves from being a damsel in distress to a playable character alongside Lolo. I've sampled the three Nintendo Entertainment System titles here and there over the years, but they've never stuck with me. It's been a while since I took a Lolo game for a spin. Maybe I should give it another try and attempt to see what the fuss is all about.
