Video: Mole Mania, Miyamoto’s Forgotten Game Boy Classic

shoutout to my boy monty!

Zion loves gb games plus Miyamoto is the godfather of unwanted games

I didn't forget it! Was playing this just a few weeks back.

Got to play this a few years back thanks to the Game Boy VC release on 3DS.

REALLY miss having a robust virtual console.

Not forgotten by me! I think back on this masterpiece all the time

Another Nintendo game I know next to nothing about. It seems that some of its developers worked on Donkey Kong for Game Boy, which is one of my favourite games for that console, though I haven't found much info about Pax Softonica online. It looks like fun, but as I've said before, I don't know much about it.

I played it for the first time this summer, and it's so fun!
Game Boy had a pile of action/puzzle titles to choose from, but Mole Mania felt like a complete idea, rather than throwing an idea at the wall to see if it stuck.
it's a very refreshing puzzler, and holds up great today!

I bought this at a flea market in 2019. I was hesitant at $5, but I knew Miyamoto was behind it and took the risk. I found out it’s really worth $30, and is definitely fun enough to buy for its full price. Glad I got to experience it cheap!

This game is absolutely delightful, possibly in the top 10 of the system! Very charming, well-designed, and endearing from top to bottom. The final boss is incredibly challenging though, so watch out.

1. I checked the 3DS Virtual Console version and the "Be a Peeping Tom" line is still there. It's on Level 2, left column, third row down.

2. Anyone notice that the fountain statues are Jinbe urinating Manneken Pis-style? Go to 5:48 on the video if you don't believe me.

3. I bought the VC version years ago after reading about it in Nintendo Power. It deserves all the praise it gets. I'd love to see a remake / sequel / amateur version in Game Builder Garage.

4. I like to imagine Muddy being voiced by Liam Neeson. "GIVE ME BACK MY MOLE WIFE!"

I finally played it on 3DS Virtual Console when it was released. I remembered it in Nintendo Power but never got to try it. Its a great game!

EDIT: Another game that suffered on 3DS Virtual Console without it’s Super Gameboy features.

Played this on 3DS VC. Such a fun game.

from looking the video. the gameplay does look interesting. i'll definitely put this on my 3DS wishlist. i could see myself playing this when i was a lot younger.

Edit: that was Monty Mole that appear in Paper Mario and not this one. (the glasses threw me off.)
@Just_2_milky i just looked up that, he indeed did appear in Ultimate. thanks for your help!

It took me quite some time to hunt down two modules of this game, earlier this year.
Reading so much positive things about Mole Mania online, I wanted to experience it with my five year old, after never playing it back in the day.
Now we play it as part of the “let me show you how we did multiplayer in my days” history lessons, linking a modded original and an GBA.
He enjoyed the video, as well (-;

@Aozz101x I think it’s a spirit in smash bros ultimate

Nintendo has a great reserve of design philosophy from its true handheld days that I think is becoming scarce now as they don’t have a strict pocket game device

@Zverik the video was running off of Super Game Boy. There were hidden color features in the cartridge that appeared on SGB and not Game Boy Color, etc.

Mole Mania 2 for Switch confirmed!

Love seeing this! I got this game on a whim from the 3DS eshop and had an absolute blast. Truly a hidden gem. The Switch definitely needs to bring the virtual console back. Or add gameboy games to the online service. More people need to play this.

If you still play your 3ds, do yourself a favor and check this one out. I think it’s $2.99, which is a steal. Anyway, here’s hoping for a Switch sequel lol.

I saw this one on GameCenter CX recently; episode 205, season 19. It was fun to watch.

I finished this one last year over about six months or so. It was brilliant and well crafted, but honestly just too grueling. The problem is that you never exactly feel like you’re getting better because the challenges just keep ramping up with little down time. Also, each of the successive 7 or 8 worlds have more and more rooms to the point that the last two worlds really start to drag and feel like a game in themselves. Put it this way, in 2d zeldas you have an hour of adventuring mixed with an hour of dungeon time with maybe 5 really tough rooms in each dungeon. Mole Mania is like Zelda minus the adventuring, three times the total dungeon rooms and almost all of them you have to think your way out of. Maybe appealing to hardcore puzzle abd retro Nintendo fans, but hard to recommend otherwise. Either way, glad I played it. Never felt unfair and I definitely felt a rush of achievement afterwards.

Looks really fun. That Miyamoto might have a future in games…

Looking forward to playing this on NSO in 2026

They really missed a trick not making a Mole Mania DS/3DS. It would have been so cool to dig down into the bottom screen and pop up on the top! Would have made a great eShop title.

I still can't understand how this gem never got a remaster or sequel on DS or 3DS. The dual screen setup seems perfect for this game, with the top screen always the ground, and the lower screen always the underground.

Nintendo made a super extreme version of Lolo and I didn't play it cries

This game is so fun and adorable, everyone please check it out!

There was a time in the 90's before Pokemon when Game Boy was supposedly "done" and the games where discounted heavily, including this one. I could have picked it up for nothing then, but there was no Nintendo Life to recommend it, and just looking at the back of the box didn't convince me that it was a great game.