Eggerland

Overview.
The "Eggerland" series made its debut back in 1985 when "HAL Labs" (of Japan) released "Eggerland Mystery" for the "MSX Home Computer". The game starred an egg-like character named Lolo whose significant other, Lala, was captured by the evil King Egger of Eggerland and who had to traverse a complicated series of labyrinths in order to save her, being faced with a plethora of enemies along the way. As the series progressed, eventually making its way to the "Famicom Disk System" in 1987 and then the "Nintendo Entertainment System" in North America and Europe in 1989 new enemies and challenges were introduced. The series is often complicated to follow because there are many titles that appear only in Japan while others appear only "outside" of Japan. "The Adventures of Lolo 3" (1991, "NES") was the last title released in North America while "The Adventures of Lolo" (1995, "Gameboy" and "Super Gameboy") was the last title released in Europe, but in Japan "Eggerland Episode 0: The Quest of Lala" was released in 1996 for "Windows" as a demo for the 2000 release of "Revival! Eggerland", also for "Windows".
Eggerland Releases.
The following is a list of the titles released in the "Eggerland" series. This has been divided into Japanese and Western releases, mainly because of the differences in the nomenclature of the titles ("The Adventures of Lolo" was not released in Japan and therefore the Western release of "The Adventures of Lolo 2" was released as "The Adventures of Lolo" in Japan). Additionally, there were several more titles released only in Japan and which fans must import should they wish to play them.
Nomenclature.
While the series itself is called the "Eggerland" series, the games go by two different names depending upon which region they were generally released in. In Japan, the games are called "Eggerland", except for the few titles which received global release. However, in Western nations these games are called "The Adventures of Lolo," with the rare exception of the European release of the original "Eggerland Mystery." 
It should be noted that "The Adventures of Lolo" is essentially a compilation of levels from previously released "Eggerland" titles (not seen in Western nations) and was therefore not released in Japan, so the Western "The Adventures of Lolo 2" was renamed "The Adventures of Lolo" when it was released in Japan, and likewise, "The Adventures of Lolo 3" was called "The Adventures of Lolo 2" in Japan to compensate.
On another note, the Famicom Disk System game "Eggerland" is a port of the MSX game "Eggerland 2", and is considered the better deal.
Story.
Though each game has a unique story of its own, the series revolves around a world in which many different kingdoms exist, but which focuses mainly on the kingdoms of Eden Land and Eggerland. The original story goes that King Eden and his three daughters governed Eden Land and were blessed with peace and love, but one day a horde of monsters appeared and sought to make the beautiful country their own, attacking and kidnapping princess Lala in the process. Hope was not lost, however. The guardian of Eden Land, Edenah, confined the invaders to the dark depths of Eggerland and then, in order to deceive the monsters, changed her form into the "Diamond Framers", divided her body into four parts, and sought a young man who could rescue her, finding Lolo. Lolo conquered the labyrinth, defeated the monsters, reunited the god, and rescued the princess, and the two married and lived happily ever after...
Yet, the monsters of Eggerland were never satisfied, and they would torment the two and future generations to come. The evil King Egger made several attempts to kidnap Lala and imprison her within the depths of his citadel, forcing Lolo to solve complex puzzles with horrifying monsters waiting to devour him along the way. Yet, time and time again Lolo would prove victorious and defeat Egger over and over again. On one occasion Egger turned the people of Edden Land into stone with a magical powder and both Lala and Lolo worked together to defeat his minions and his puzzles, but in the end, they proved victorious and defeated him. So, try and try as he might, Egger and his lineage have yet to defeat the people of Eden Land!
Main Characters.
Lolo.
Lolo is occasionally refered to as the prince/king of Eden Land but is generally portrayed as Lala's love. King Egger, in his attempts to have Eden Land for himself, constantly tries to tear the two apart, and therefore it is up to Lolo to fight his way through Eggerland, solving complex and mindboggling puzzles, and in the end, facing off with King Egger himself, saving Lala from certain doom. Whenever injustice is in the air, Lolo is there to answer the call!
Lala.
Lala is portrayed as the princess/queen of Eden Land and Lolo's love interest. She is often kidnapped by the evil King Egger and it is often up to Lolo to rescue her from the evil "frog's" clutches. However, in later adventures, King Egger directly attacks the people of Eden Land and Lala sets out with Lolo and the two solve Egger's puzzles together and save their people from the clutches of evil.
King Egger.
King Egger is also known as The Great Devil in the Western games. It was Egger who was jealous of Eden Land's great beauty, and so he led his monsters there to take it over and seize it for himself, though he did not count on Lolo's interference and opposition. However, King Egger doesn't give up easily. He cooks up many different schemes, much like the typical arch-fiend, and so he returns over and over again to kidnap Lala and wreak constant havoc on the innocent civilians of the Kingdom of Eden Land.
Gameplay.
The basic gameplay of the series seems straightforward at first. Lolo/Lala is presented with a room that contains "Heart Framers" ("Diamond Framers" in early games) and a "Jewel Box" (or "Key Box" in early games), and when they collect all of the HF's the box will open and they can collect the item inside. While this sounds simple enough (and generally is for the first few rooms), it proves to be quite difficult due to the many different enemies present in the mazes as well as the various obstacles that they have to face (see the Monsters section).
Magic Shots.
Lolo/Lala have the ability to pick up HF's that will give them two "Magic Shots" (these framers are often called "Shot Framers," or SF's), and with these shots they can turn most enemies (and all, in the later games with help of the "Crystal Framer") into "eggs" with one shot. While enemies are in the egg form they can be pushed (not pulled) around the level to block other enemies or to be moved out of the way. Additionally, they can be pushed into water and rode across to land on the other side (but only if there is a current present, which is only visible in later games). Enemies do not stay in their egg form forever, however, but after a few seconds the egg will begin to crack, and will eventually hatch. If Lolo/Lala uses two "Magic Shots" against an enemy, they will be blown off of the screen, but they will return within a few seconds (the length of time that they would normally stay within an egg). A warning for their return is given by a glowing square appearing where they will reappear. For most enemies, if Lolo/Lala stands on them when they appear they can simply walk off of them, but for Skulls or Almas (and later Medusa or Don Medusa) they will die if they occupy the same space (for information on Warp Holes, see that section).
Terrain.
The "Eggerland" series features many different terrain, though the original games only had black floors and featured rocks, trees, and "Emerald Framers" as part of the movable terrain. However, this would change as the series progressed, and sand, grass, lava, and water would be introduced.
Rocks.
Nothing can get past a rock. Additionally, no enemy is capable of "shooting" (killing Lolo/Lala with its glare, in the case of the Medusa/Don Medusa, or fire in the Gol's case) through a rock.
Trees.
Trees keep all mobile enemies out, such as the Alma, Skull, Leeper, and Rocky. However, all enemies that are capable of killing Lolo/Lala with their gaze or by shooting them can do so through trees (such as the Medusa, Don Medusa, and Gol).
Emerald Framers.
Emerald Framers, often abbreviated EF's, are movable blocks found in levels that usually are helpful in blocking and trapping enemies. Mobile enemies cannot move past EF's and enemies with projectile attacks cannot shoot through EF's. However, these blocks can sometime be the object of puzzles, as pushing them incorrectly can mess up a certain room and cause Lolo/Lala to be stuck in a room and need it to be "Reset."
Crystal Framers.
These types of blocks were introduced in the "Windows" titles ("Eggerland Episode 0: Quest of Lala" and "Revival! Eggerland") and have two reflective sides and two non-reflective sides. If Lolo/Lala shoots one of the reflective sides with a "Magic Shot", it will be reflected at a 90-degree angle, and using this technique they are capable of "egging" enemies such as Medusa and Don Medusa.
Heart Framers.
Heart Framers, or HF's, should be listed as part of the terrain because they do provide protection from enemies. Like the EF's, enemies are incapable of moving past an HF and are also incapable of harming Lolo/Lala with their projectile attacks through them. However, Lolo/Lala is incapable of moving an HF, and once collected it is gone and provides no more protection, yet can provide "Magic Shots" or other powers (see Powers section).
Jewel/Key/Raft Box.
The Box is an interesting part of the terrain because while enemies are capable of attacking Lolo/Lala with their projectile attacks, it provides them with a safe-haven from mobile enemies. Moving enemies cannot pass through the Box while Lolo/Lala can, so if they are being chased, standing on the same space as the Box provides them with safety.
Water.
Water is present in the early "Eggerland" games and can be crossed in several ways. Sometimes bridges already cross water, but if not, Lolo/Lala may receive a "Bridge" power-up by collecting several HF's, and if this is the case, then they can create a bridge one-unit in length across the water. Also, by using a "Magic Shot", Lolo/Lala can turn enemies into eggs and push them into the water. If there is a current, they can ride these enemies across the water and onto the land on the other side.
Sometimes there are bridges that Lolo/Lala can only cross a total of two times. If this is the case, then the bridge will crack the first time they touch it, and the second time the bridge will shatter. This produces an interesting challenge as they will have to carefully traverse a room so as not to be trapped in an area they cannot escape.
If Lolo/Lala is on an egg when it sinks into the water, they will drown.
Lava.
In later games in the series, lava is introduced. While this is similar to water, it is a bit different. If Lolo/Lala places a bridge across lava, the bridge will only remain intact for a few seconds before burning and sinking into the lava, but they will receive a warning indicated by a "cracking" sound. Therefore, they will need to hurry up and do whatever they need to do on the otherside and run back across (or find some means of getting back if they need to).
As with the water, there will be bridges that can crack when they walk on it, so if this is the case, then they can only touch such bridges two times. Bridges that will not burn in the lava are made of "stone."
If Lolo/Lala is on an egg when it sinks into the lava, they will drown and eggs themselves will immediately burn when placed in lava, so Lolo/Lala can only use them to cross lava that is one-unit in width.
Sand.
Sand slows Lolo/Lala down but has no effect on mobile enemies, so this often makes some of the mazes complicated if they must cross it in order to reach a certain part of the room while running from enemies. Sand is also playing an important role in some of the time-limited bonus levels (which last for about 23 seconds).
Grass/Flower bed.
Enemies are incapable of crossing the grass whereas Lolo/Lala can, but projectile shooting enemies are certainly capable of attacking Lolo/Lala through it.
Powers.
Aside from the aforementioned "Magic Shots", Lolo/Lala will gain certain powers from the Heart Framers that they pick up in certain rooms once they have picked up a designated number of them (this number is unknown but is predetermined per room). These powers will help them conquer their current puzzle if they are used properly.
Bridge.
Once Lolo/Lala pick up a certain amount of HF's, they may get a "Bridge" power-up. This power-up will let them place a bridge one-unit long across the water or lava in their current room. The placement of such a bridge tends to be crucial to their solving of the puzzle, especially when moving blocks or escaping enemies is involved. Therefore, the placement should be thought out in advance before the bridge power-up is used.
Hammer.
Once enough HF's are received, Lolo/Lala may get a "Hammer" power-up. This tool will allow them to break one "rock" within their current room, and, like the "Bridge" power-up, deciding which rock to break is crucial to the solving of the current puzzle.
Arrow.
When Lolo/Lala gather enough HF's they may receive an "Arrow" power-up. This power-up will allow them to rotate an arrow 90-degrees "clockwise", allowing them to pass through it. This power-up is particularly useful in rooms that are called "Arrow-Mazes", and like the other power-ups, the arrow that they use it on is the key to solving their current puzzle.
Warp Holes.
"Warp Holes" are found in certain rooms in order to allow Lolo/Lala to use an enemy (by encasing it in an egg) to block an enemy which would otherwise be impossible to block. Warp Holes are as their name implies- a means of "warping" something, namely an enemy. When an enemy is shot off the screen, it is possible to force that enemy to reappear (or "warp") to a different location of the room. To force this event to occur, Lolo/Lala must use two "Magic Shots" to blow the enemy away and then either use an Emerald Framer or Crystal Framer to occupy their previous space with or encase a different enemy in an egg and push it to that space. If Lolo/Lala tries to occupy the space of that enemy, one of two things will occur: if the enemy is a Snakey or Gol, they can simply walk off of them, but if it is a strong enemy, such as an Alma, Skull, or in later games Medusa or Don Medusa, then Lolo/Lala will die.
Some rooms may possess more than one warp hole. If this is the case, then the first enemy to be "warped" will be warped to the first warp hole location. In other words, there is an order of magnitude to these holes that is predetermined in each room, so Lolo/Lala must figure this out in order to solve each puzzle.
There is no definite way to discover whether or not a room contains a warp hole (in other words it is not obvious or stated when Lolo/Lala enters the room), but chances are that if there is an enemy that is definitely impossible to block by any means, there is bound to be one within that room.
Monsters.
While the general set-up of a room (its blocks, terrain, arrows, etc.) may provide a challenge in and of itself, the "monsters" within each room provide a vast challenge in addition to all of that. Quite a few monsters made their debut in the original "Eggerland Mystery," though many more were added as the series progressed. Therefore, each monster will be discussed in detail in the following section.
Snakey.
Snakey is a creature that is as the name implies- a "snake" with two antennae that simply smiles at Lolo/Lala and looks at them as they move around the room. They are completely stationary and pose no real threat to them except that they may get in their way from time to time. However, Snakeys can be turned into eggs via "Magic Shots" and used to block other monsters or to be pushed into the water/lava and ridden across.
Skull.
These monsters are just as their name implies- "skulls." These enemies remain dormant until all of the "Heart Framers" within a room are collected, at which time they become active and prowl throughout the area. If Lolo/Lala is touched in any way by a Skull, this will prove fatal. As such, in many rooms it is necessary to find a way to confine the Skulls before all of the HF's are collected.
Gol.
Gols resemble pink/red dinosaurs and are stationary and face one direction. When Lolo/Lala collect all of the "Heart Famers" in a room, they wake up and shoot a fireball if they walk into their line of sight. They shoot a single fireball and cannot shoot another one until the first hits something and disappears.
Alma.
Almas are grey or red armadillo monsters. They can move freely around the levels and try to chase Lolo/Lala and if they catch them their touch is fatal. If an Alma is aligned with Lolo/Lala horizontally, it will roll into a ball and keep moving in that direction, so if Lolo/Lala steps to the side, the ball will keep rolling until it hits something, at which time it will resume chasing them. This gives Lolo/Lala an opportunity to side-step out of the way and trap the monster with something or to get a good lead and run away from it.
Medusa.
Medusa resembles a head with snakes for hair and is one of the most formidable monsters in the series. It can shoot Lolo/Lala with its "petrifying" stare in all four directions (even through trees!), but is incapable of doing so through rocks, "Heart Framers", "Emerald Framers", eggs, stationary monsters, and even mobile monsters. Lolo/Lala also can only be killed if directly in front of the Medusa, so being a half-step in front of it is "not" fatal. Medusas cannot be put into an egg form or shot away normally, but in the "Windows" versions of the game, through the use of "Crystal Framers," "Magic Shots" can be reflected onto them and this is possible. The "MSX" game "Eggerland Mystery" allowed Lolo to be unaffected by Medusa in bonus rounds.
When Lolo/Lala begins to walk in front of the Medusa, it becomes "awake" and its eyes light up and its snakes begin to stand up (which is more apparent in the "Windows" versions). This happens even when the Medusa is blocked.
One key to certain puzzles is that the Medusa can be blocked by a block being pushed only half-way in front of it. For example, if two Medusas are next to each other, a block being pushed between them is all that is necessary to block them and will conserve blocks that may be necessary for solving the rest of the puzzle.
Don Medusa.
Don Medusa resembles a large, devil head and is generally considered to be the most dangerous monster in the game. Unlike other mobile monsters in the game, Don Medusas only move back and forth either vertically or horizontally. Like the Medusas, Don Medusas attack with a line of sight, and once Lolo/Lala is within their line of sight, they will throw a sword or attack with their "petrifying" gaze, which is instantly fatal. Thus, they need to be blocked in order to be avoided. Normally they cannot be put into egg-form with "Magic Shots," but in the "Windows" versions, with the help of the "Crystal Framers," this is possible. Additionally, a Don Medusa's touch is fatal.
Leeper.
Leepers resemble frogs, except they have pointy ears and a big smile on their faces. They can move freely throughout the room unless something is blocking their path. Once Lolo/Lala touches them, they will fall asleep and remain in that position permanently (this can either be a good thing or a bad thing, either blocking another enemy or perhaps traping Lolo/Lala). In some games Leepers can be encased in eggs and blown away with "Magic Shots", but this is not the case with every game in the series. Once a Leeper is asleep, however, they can no longer be put into an egg.
Rocky.
Rocky resembles, as its name implies, a grey stoney monster with ringed eyes and a big smile on its face. It can move freely in rooms unless blocked by something and walks at half of Lolo/Lala's speed. They don't chase Lolo/Lala but instead walk around in some sort of pattern. However, if they are alligned with Lolo/Lala vertically they will charge them at full speed in an attempt to either trap them or push them into another enemy or in front of another enemy (such as a Medusa/Don Medusa). When a Rocky is in close proximity to Lolo/Lala it will stop moving in an attempt to block their path.
Moby.
Mobies (Capos in Japanese) are blue whale-like monsters that are stationary and similar to Gols in that they face one direction. They use a straight-line attack that requires a full line of sight (not just half of one), and this attack consists of a suction that draws Lolo/Lala towards them. This attack is not itself fatal, but it can lead to an unescapable situation (such as drawing them towards a Medusa). However, it can be evaded by blocking the Moby, shooting it with a "Magic Shot", or simply stepping to the side.
Eggerland Video Games.
The following section is dedicated to discussing each individual game released in the "Eggerland" series of video games, both Western and Japanese-only titles. This will provide you with information about the games, even some of the more obscure titles (such as those released on the "Famicom Disk System"), and give you the most up-to-date information regarding the series.
Eggerland Mystery.
"Eggerland Mystery" is the first game in the series and, as such, is the introduction of the formula used in many of the series' games. It plays out in a linear fashion, meaning that when Lolo clears a room he proceeds directly to his next challenge without having a choice about where he will go next (which is not the case in some of the other games in the series where there are multiple doors in each room). The game has 105 "Rounds" that must be cleared in order to complete the game and the difficulty increases with each round that is completed. This game marks the introduction of "Snakey", "Gol", "Skull", "Alma", and "Medusa".
Eggerland 2.
"Eggerland 2" was the first game to feature "Rocky", "Don Medusa", and "Leeper." While the second game in the series did not feature a "Map Construction" mode to allow players to build their own custom maps, it was not a linear game. It was the first to be called a "grid" game, as indicated in the screenshot to the right, where instead of having simply one door to leave the room there are multiple doors for Lolo (the player) to choose from. To help with this conundrum, Lolo will eventually aquire a "map" to help him keep track of where he has been, but some doors may require a "key" to open.
Eggerland- Revival of the Labyrinth.
Much like "Eggerland 2" before it, this game is "non-linear" and allows Lolo (the player) to chose to go in any direction that he wishes to go in. However, some of the doors that Lolo will encounter along the way are "locked" and will require Lolo to find a "key" in order to open them. In this respect, parts of the game are somewhat linear. The game also has special items that Lolo can collect along the way, such as a "Magic Bell" that will ring when he enters certain rooms. If this happens, it lets him know that something special is hidden there. For instance, if Lolo arranges the blocks in a certain pattern after the room has been cleared, a cave will open that will take him to a special set of rooms in which a "god" is hidden. Additionally, the game has some special puzzles which are indicated by symbols that appear on the bottom right hand corner of the screen. If a question mark symbol with an "Emerald Framer" appears, this indicates that Lolo must arrange the blocks in the room in a special pattern for something special to happen. Also, there are puzzles related to enemies, such as one in which Lolo must be surrounded by Leepers and turn into a "green ghost" that can walk through walls. Thus, some have said this is the most challenging game next to "Revival! Eggerland" (if not the most challenging game in the series).
Eggerland- Departure to Creation.
This game returns to the linear approach that was used in the original "Eggerland Mystery" and is rather short in comparison with previous titles as it only features 50 maps as opposed to the 100 or more of its predecessors. However, it once again brings back the "Map Construction" mode which allows players to create their own custom levels to challenge their friends and fellow "Eggerland" fans (hence the title "Departure to Creation"), which is the game's other focus.
The Adventures of Lolo 2.
Difficulty: The Japanese version of the game, "The Adventures of Lolo", contains some different rooms and some different challenges than the Western version, "The Adventures of Lolo 2". As such, many fans consider the Japanese version to be quite a bit more difficult than the Western version. This is demonstrated by the two screenshots of the first room from the Western version and the Japanese version. The Western version is very straightforward whereas the Japanese version requires a bit more thought, especially for the opening room.
Eggerland Today.
Although the last "Eggerland" game produced was in June of 2000, there is still a great chance that there will be another game in the series sometime in the future. "Hal Labs", the company responsible for producing the series since its debut back in 1985, is still in business and producing many major titles for various platforms, such as "Super Smash Bros. Melee" (in conjunction with Nintendo), the "Kirby" series, several TV series, and they were responsible for the "Earthbound/Mother" series. They never did claim that "Revival! Eggerland" would be their final title, so it would be no surprise to anyone if they would produce another title in the series (fans all around the world love puzzle/adventure games).
While no official games have been produced since 2000, the fan community has produced many clones for the "Windows" and "MAC" platforms and even for the Mobile Phone and PALM platforms. 
Additionally, with the 1996/2000 releases of "Eggerland Episode 0" and "Revival! Eggerland" (respectively), fans have been able to create and share their own custom games with each other via the Internet, and many websites have been created that are dedicated to sharing such fan creations.
For those that are interested, here are a couple such databases: