Mole Mania (1996). Play online

Summary

Mole Mania packs a surprisingly deep puzzle‑action experience into a tiny Game Boy cartridge. I control Muddy, a spry mole who must guide a single black ball to a gate on each screen, using push‑pull‑throw moves while digging strategic tunnels through soft ground. The dig mechanic is a double‑edged sword: a mis‑placed hole can strand the ball and force a restart, so each level feels like a miniature brain‑teaser. Along the way you dodge rotating enemies, barrels, weights and even face quirky bosses, with a versus mode that lets two players battle head‑to‑head. Critics at the time compared it to HAL Laboratory’s Eggerland series, praising its catchy music and Super Game Boy‑enhanced colours, though some warned that puzzle difficulty can swing wildly. The title sold just under 12 000 copies its first week in Japan and about 89 000 overall, and an 8/10 from IGN still stands out after its 2012 Virtual Console revival.

Storyline

In Mole Mania, you control Muddy Mole, a humble burrower whose wife and seven children are snatched by the greedy farmer Jinbe. The adventure spans the seven distinct worlds of Jinbe Land, each ending with a boss that Muddy must defeat. Along the way he dodges a roster of foes—from roaming dinosaurs to the two unnamed plumber sons sent by Jinbe. Puzzle solving and cabbage‑stealing are essential tools for progressing through each stage.

After rescuing his family members one by one, Muddy finally confronts Jinbe himself, the cabbage‑cultivating ruler who sports red overalls, a green shirt, a full beard, and a brimmed gardener’s hat. Defeating Jinbe restores Muddy’s loved ones and brings peace back to Jinbe Land.