Mole Mania | Can He Dig It? (Yes He Can)

We all know how influential Nintendo's games can be, which is why I find their lesser-known projects so fascinating. With a legacy as long-running and celebrated as Nintendo's, it's fun to see what creative concepts might've slipped through the cracks. And among all these obscurities, from 8-bit text adventures to more modern experiments, I think I've found my favourite in Mole Mania.

The funny thing about Mole Mania is that, at least in theory, it had all the makings of a hit. Shigeru Miyamoto (the visionary behind Mario and Zelda) served as producer, the Game Boy had a massive install base, Nintendo had plenty of magazines to help spread the word, but none of that mattered when the Game Boy itself was irrelevant.

Pokémon had managed to revive the platform a few months prior in Japan, but its sheer popularity overshadowed everything else on the market. And in English-speaking regions, where the Nintendo 64 had just released and Pokémania hadn't reignited the Game Boy's popularity, all eyes were on the next generation and its groundbreaking 3D games.

As a result of the changing times and poor release window, Mole Mania sold poorly and has remained obscure since its release, never getting another chance or even much love outside a 3DS rerelease. It wouldn't be until June, when I was still deep in my Game Boy hyperfixation, that I decided to give it a try for myself. I went in with no expectations, expecting to get nowhere close to the end (since I'm terrible at puzzle games), but ended up having a lovely time!

Something about this game's really stuck with me since I played it back in June, and for the first original article on this site, I'd like to dig into why that is. Puzzle games aren't even my forte, but Mole Mania's been one of the best games I've played this year, and I want to talk about it!

Mole Mania's got a concept as simple as it is elegantly executed. The game stars Muddy Mole, a family man setting out to rescue his wife and kids from Jinbe, an evil (and very childish) cabbage farmer. After a few rooms of learning the controls, the game's structure becomes clear - each room serves as a standalone puzzle, where Muddy needs to guide a black ball to the stone gate blocking the exit. He'll have to navigate past enemies and burrow underground to reach otherwise inaccessible areas, although digging in the wrong place can trap the ball if you're not careful.

Muddy's moveset isn't as flexible or multi-purposed as I'd like, but it's perfect for the kind of game Mole Mania is. All his core actions feel great to perform, with details like taking longer to dig through untouched dirt adding some of that signature Nintendo polish. Throwing objects in particular feels amazing, as you hold the button and see Muddy charge up like Mega Man, before he delivers a mighty kick (or backdrop) to send it rolling.

Of course, a puzzle game's nothing without well-designed puzzles and varied gimmicks, but this is where Mole Mania shines! Each gimmick follows Nintendo's typical design philosophy, where an idea's introduced and iterated upon throughout the level, testing your skills with creative challenges and scenarios. Mole Mania might even do this a bit better than its peers, since plenty of gimmicks stick around past their debut levels, allowing the developers to mix them with other elements and realize all their potential.

A personal favourite of mine are the elbow pipes, introduced in Level 4. They'll redirect any objects that enter them, resulting in fun puzzles that require you to think about their positioning and construct a full sequence of chain reactions. Mole Mania's design really leans into that from time to time, and as someone who loves solving those sorts of puzzles, I think that's why the game remained so engaging! Seeing how all these established elements would be mixed together was a treat, and the puzzles themselves always walked a fine line between easy to understand and tough to solve, never getting too cryptic or frustrating.

But if a puzzle ever does frustrate you, the game's generous enough to let you turn it off and come back later. Mole Mania's autosaving is fantastic, letting you pick up from your most recently completed room without any hassle. It gives the game a shockingly modern feel, letting you play at your own pace and never wasting your time.

Being able to consistently save your game was still somewhat of a luxury in 1996, and while this had become the standard for Nintendo's Game Boy output, it helps Mole Mania feel particularly inviting. My initial playthrough actually coincided with my purchase of a Nintendo Switch 2, so while I was ringing in the next generation with Mario Kart World, I could quickly solve a puzzle or two before heading back to the races. And even when I took longer breaks, the self-contained rooms made it easy to hop back in!

I was unsure of how Mole Mania's bosses would be handled (since regular enemies aren't much more than simple obstacles), but they wound up being some major highlights! Each encounter tests Muddy on an innate skill or gimmick shown throughout the level, bringing everything full-circle in satisfying and creative ways.

A lot of the fun with these bosses is figuring them out for yourself, so outside Kangaroon (the first boss, seen above), I'm not showing any of them. They really are delightful, and if you play this game for yourself (which will be easier once it hits NSO), I hope you'll agree!

 

Mole Mania really could've stopped at just being a great puzzle game, but it's also well-written and genuinely funny in places! Much of that humour comes from Grandpa Hint, the elderly mole who assists Muddy with tutorial signs and safe spots to heal. He usually remains as the wise old helper, but his knowledge of the fourth-wall is often used for comedic effect. He'll make a sign just to admit he forgot what he was going to say, he'll poke fun at the player constantly talking to him, and in my personal favourite, he'll advertise the game's VS mode before slyly admitting he's just saying it to boost sales.

Muddy and Jinbe also get solid characterization throughout, even if it's slightly more subtle. Muddy's shown to be a very affectionate and goofy dad despite his cool 90s shades, seen with how he'll embrace each of his kids before accidentally tossing them and then catching them in a slapstick manner. Jinbe also gets characterized as a very egotistical and petty man; he might've kidnapped Muddy's family, but the ways he degrades his own minions and plasters statues of himself everywhere indicates that he's probably not a Bowser-level threat.

Again, they really didn't need to bother with any of this. Mole Mania still has plenty going for it on a gameplay front, but that commitment to establishing a genuine tone with likeable characters goes such a long way.

And as to be expected from a Nintendo-developed game, Mole Mania's got some great Super Game Boy support. There's the typical border (which looks lovely) and a myriad of palettes used throughout the levels, but the real highlight is with how it handles the multi-layered gameplay.

When Muddy goes underground, the on-screen colours will seamlessly change to accommodate his new surroundings. It's not an entirely smooth process (there's a pause and some slight screen-tearing when switching between layers), but it's still an incredibly cool trick! Most SGB-enhanced games only change their palette once you reach a new area or hit the pause menu, so tying it to such a major mechanic and having it work so well really is impressive.

The game also gets a pretty cool palette when played on a Game Boy Color, which is where I spent most of my first playthrough. Using a similar palette to Wario Land, the environment is cast in dull tones while object sprites (like the player and enemies) use a bright orange, which fits Muddy and most of his foes really well.

I think these colours look especially nice in snowy areas, where the pale whites and greens make the orange of Muddy and other sprites really stand out. It also keeps the gameplay readable on an unlit screen, as the clashing colours make it easy to spot Muddy and any enemies that may be nearby. It's not something I can claim with full confidence (my playthrough was done on the frontlit GBA SP), but I'd like to think it was intentional.

2025's been a very Game Boy-centric year for me, and alongside the Game & Watch Gallery series, Mole Mania's become one of my favourites on the system! It embodies so much of what I love about Nintendo's games; from the heaps of polish to the thoughtful and forward-thinking design, it's surprisingly got it all. I probably should've expected as much from a game with Miyamoto's involvement, but even the obvious can surprise you from time to time!

To be honest, I wasn't planning on discussing this game during my initial playthrough. Writing about games right after I finish them doesn't usually end well, but letting Mole Mania sit with me for a few months and returning to it on my own terms, rather than feeling like I "needed" to write about it right then and there, has made this article a very relaxing endeavour. Much like the game itself, I've gotten annoyed and occasionally struggled, but I made it out the other end and enjoyed myself.

And if you play this game, I hope you enjoy it too! Mole Mania's a fantastic little time that deserves to be loved, and I think it'll stick with me as one of the Game Boy's very best.