Adventures of Lolo 3
1990 puzzle game, ninth in the Eggerland series.
Adventures of Lolo 3, a puzzle game from HAL Laboratory, hit the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. It marks the ninth entry in Japan's Eggerland series, the third to arrive in North America, and one of only three Adventures of Lolo games to reach Europe. The North American version is actually a direct port and translation of the Japanese Adventures of Lolo 2—not a separate game that borrowed from it. That Japan-only release, the eighth Eggerland game for the Famicom, had its own difficulty curve and unique stages, and introduced new features that were carried directly into the American Adventures of Lolo 3 to deepen the core gameplay.
The story begins with Lolo and Lala enjoying time together when the Great King of Eggerland's son and heir douses all their friends with a potion, turning them to stone. Returning home to see the damage, the pair sets out to stop the prince and restore their friends.
Players can choose to control either Lolo or Lala on the overworld map by pressing the A or B button. Neither character has any advantage; the only difference is the dialogue in tutorial levels. Two new gameplay twists appear: crumbling bridges, which collapse after two crossings, and a monster called Moby. Mobies lurk only in underwater levels, using a line-of-sight attack that pulls Lolo toward them. This isn't instantly fatal, but it can trap Lolo, forcing a room restart. Pressing Select to give up no longer kills Lolo; instead, a short tune plays and the level resets. Pressing Start returns the player to the overworld, and pressing Start again reveals a 16-character password—longer than the previous game's four-character codes. There are no lives; players can restart any level as often as they like without returning to the title screen.
The game has 17 levels, totaling 100 rooms including boss and training rooms. Levels 3, 13, and 17 each contain ten rooms; the rest have five. Bosses appear at the end of levels 4–7, 9–12, and 17. Two large trees on the overworld map house the training rooms, with five rooms in each.
Critics praised it. Dylan Cornelius of Questicle called it "worth every penny," and Lee Evans of Downwards Compatible said, "If you like puzzlers, the Lolo series is a ton of fun, and Adventures of Lolo 3 is a standout."
- Developer
- HAL Laboratory
- Publisher
- HAL Laboratory
- Platform
- Nintendo Entertainment System
- Release Year
- 1990
- Series
- Eggerland (ninth installment; third North American release)
- Genre
- Puzzle video game
Lore & Background
The story follows Lolo and Lala as they enjoy time together until the Great King of Eggerland's son and heir throws a potion on all their friends, turning them to stone. Lolo and Lala return home to see the damage and embark on a quest to stop him and restore their friends. The player can select between Lolo or Lala on the overworld map by pressing A or B, with no gameplay advantage for either character, only differing dialogue in tutorial levels.
Gameplay additions include crumbling bridges that can be crossed only twice before collapsing, and a new monster called Moby that appears only in underwater levels. Mobies use a line-of-sight attack that sucks Lolo toward them; while not directly fatal, it can cause the player to get stuck and restart the room. Pressing Select to give up plays a short tune and restarts the level, while pressing Start returns to the overworld. The game contains 100 rooms total, including boss and training rooms, across 17 levels.
Reader's Guide
Adventures of Lolo 3 stands as a notable entry in the Eggerland series, particularly for its role in bridging Japanese and Western releases. The North American version incorporated new elements from the Japan-exclusive Adventures of Lolo 2, including gameplay mechanics, cutscenes, and graphics, making it distinct from its predecessors. The game's introduction of crumbling bridges and Moby enemies added strategic depth to the puzzle formula. Reception was positive: Dylan Cornelius of Questicle called it 'worth every penny,' and Lee Evans of Downwards Compatible described it as 'a standout.' Entertainment Weekly gave the game an A and later ranked it the #10 greatest game available in 1991. The game's 16-character password system and unlimited lives made it more accessible than earlier installments. Its legacy lies in refining the puzzle gameplay that defined the series, offering 100 rooms and nine boss encounters across 17 levels, and serving as a key example of how regional versions of games could diverge significantly in content.
Did You Know?
- Adventures of Lolo 3 is the ninth installment of the Japanese Eggerland series.
- The North American version reused gameplay elements, cutscenes, and graphics from the Japan-only Adventures of Lolo 2.
- The game features a new monster called Moby that appears only in underwater levels and uses a line-of-sight attack.
- Entertainment Weekly gave the game an A and later picked it as the #10 greatest game available in 1991.
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