This is one of the first video games I ever played, so there might be bias here, but Adventures of Lolo is an absolute gem of an NES game.

In a sea of punishing 8-bit platformers, this simple block-pushing puzzle game stands out as a masterclass of design. There's a surprisingly deep set of logical rules Adventures of Lolo follows, and the developers milk that for all its worth. It's a bit of a cliche to say this, but you really do feel so smart when you find the solution to a level.

It's not without flaws. Some levels require a bit more dexterity than one would expect from a puzzler, and while the developers make great use of the fact that blocks can be moved on an offset of the grid, it can be frustrating to push a block half a tile too far. Even so, with its forgiving continue system and timeless design, Adventures of Lolo is absolutely worth playing through 35 years after its release.

I first played this game with my dad when I was 8 on an emulator on our bright yellow cube-shaped playmobil-evoking windows XP. The lack of instructions but low stakes made the game approachable and engaging, and even, a little mysterious. This and bubble bobble quickly became my favorite NES games. The puzzle box quality has a tactile and systematic nature to it that felt satisfyingly clockwork. The music and animations made it welcoming. The quick striking nature of the medusa and... dagger-toting? cat? introduced just enough fear into the heart of an 8 year old girl that there was a satisfying flow of tension between the more contemplative and the twitchier level designs, lovingly seasoned through the dungeon floors. I would recommend this.