Moai Kun

Thanks to a good word from The MadHacker I was able to discover one of the Famicom's lesser known games. So rather than cover a sprawling RPG or high management strategy game I've decided to focus on an often overlooked genre, the puzzle game. Moai Kun, from Konami, was released in 1990 for the Family Computer system. The game, despite its nature, quickly captivates its players through both its simplicity and its complexity. The puzzle action game never relents in presenting a fresh new challenges and offers something different from the usual tetris or bomberman fare.

The game stars Moai-kun, an ever lovable stone head, which appears to be ripped straight off of Easter Island. In the game you must guide Moai-kun through a series of obstacles, collecting all the wimpering jelly blobs and then high-tailing it to the exit. Sound easy, not so. Little Moai has a pathetic vertical and must his head (literally) to open each level's exit. In addition a host of enemies pop up to patrol the various stages Moai-kun must navigate. And all the while a rapidly depleting timer adds to the anxiety. While the game won't drench you in a feverish sweat, its engaging enough to warrant your time.

The gameplay, once you get used to Moai's full range of motion, is straight forward. With such a puny jump it quickly becomes obvious that Moai-kun will have to rely on his head-butting ability to get job done. Aside from that there are bombs available for pick up which can be used to blast through blocks. Maoi-kun can also use his smash to obliterate blocks and enemies. Boulders can be pushed or slid (with a bonk from your head) to create stepping stones. To further harry your progress levels are littered with fall-away platforms, springs, iced floors, and spikes among other things. Enemies, moving in predictable patterns, can be avoided with some quick hops or better yet a swift head butt. Okay, so there aren't any secret moves or power ups. Instead your success is dependent upon your own cognitive capabilities and to a lesser degree your reflexes.

Fortunately the game doesn't relent in its challenge. The puzzle each level presents will keep the cogs in your head turning and having to Dodge enemies and jump over game-ending falls will keep the pace up. The stages begin with some constructive beginner levels basically showing you the ins and outs of what little Moai can and can't do. Soon enough the difficulty picks up and you should find yourself immersed in some brain busting scenarios. And to top it all off there are a wealth of levels for Moai-kun to traverse.

For a Japanese game there are very few words used at all and the kicker? All those words are in english, even the password system. So for the most Japanese illiterate player Moai Kun is more than accessible. And fortunately the graphics are rich enough to keep the cheeriness of the game high.

Controls:
A = Jump
B = Head Butt
B + Down = Place Bomb
Start = Pause
Select = Forfeit a Life & Retry the Stage

Here are a few more pics of the game in action:

Media:
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