Pentavus 
I had a recent urge to play a puzzle game recently and looked at my Steam library, seeing Portal and Portal 2, both great games in their own merit but something about the flow of games since the 3D graphic era irks me. Disappointed in what was available at my selection and not really willing to drop money on a new game, I looked in the footstool next to my computer desk and perused through my older games.
Out from the bottom of the storage cube, Adventures of Lolo shone through.
I quickly hooked up my Retron 5 (easier to use on HD equipment than a classic NES) and booted the game. One thing this made me realize is I do not have the patience I used to have as a kid. Making it a bit further than half way, stopping at world 6. This hour of play made me feel at home, the simple mechanics making it easy to pick up and play right away.
This session made me realize I love retro games much more than newer titles* due to their simplicity and ,admittedly, a large dose of nostalgia as they were the titles I grew up with. I’m looking forward to hopefully bring more of these Retro Spotlights in the future, highlighting some of the titles that shaped me into the game I am today.
In the early days of HAL Laboratory, before even Kirby, they created one of my favourite puzzle game series ever, The Adventures of Lolo. Coming out in North America in April of 1989, doing well enough to call for 2 sequels on the NES and even a few other releases.
Story wise, this game just followed the classic staple in video games. King Egger kidnapped Lala and you must venture in his castle to rescue her, skillfully navigating through one puzzle after another, claiming the heart tiles to unlock the chest, allowing you to collect the gem inside which unlocks the door or stairs to the next room.
This game takes me back to a simpler time, when 3D movements and view points were not the common factor in video games, where colour palettes were limited and controls even more. If you didn’t have the manual, the game involved a bit of trial and error figuring out what the enemies did which I personally believe only adds to the experience and a bit to the frustration factor. Words can only explain so much so while video can just demonstrate how the simplicity worked marvels for Adventures of Lolo.
*Most newer AAA titles, a lot of indie and smaller studio titles are bringing back the simplicity of ye olden days.
