Rodland for Game Boy

Rodland is an action game that was released in Europe and Japan. It was also on the NES and some other consoles. It is the same kind of platforming game as Mickey Mouse I just wrote about. You climb between platforms, avoiding enemies, and pick up the items that allow you to get to the next level. Some call it a Bubble Bobble clone.

You have a rod that you use to kill enemies. Another feature of this game is that you can press Up+A or Down+A to place a ladder at any time. Original and fun.

Each level has flowers you can take. After you have taken them all, the enemies will change form (like in Pac-Man). When the enemies have changed and you kill them, they will leave behind a flashing letter. The letter will flash between E-X-T-R-A. Take all letters and you will get an extra life.

The game boy version has 40 levels and isn't very hard. I made it to the last boss on level 40 on my second attempt, and I didn't quite know how to play. It couldn't have taken more than an hour. The Japanese version starts you with 9 lives, while the European starts you with 3 lives. When you die, you are game over with no continues or passwords. Picking extra lives is the key to going far.

Even though it isn't a hard game, it is easy to get killed by the enemies. The controls feel a bit clumsy sometimes. When you are throwing one enemy, the next one might appear and kill you. And sometimes you start right in between two enemies. But I think with habit you'll get the feeling for what not to do.

It would be fun to try out 2-player mode at some time to see what that is. On the NES, there is a 2-player coop mode. I wonder if the Game Boy has that too, or if it has one player at the time play.

Hardcore gamers might find the game too simple, but I think less experienced gamers and children will find the game fun and challenging. The music is interesting. It was made by a European company and sounds like the game boy game The Smurfs a bit, although they were made by different companies. In this game the music also doesn't have any distinct melodies (unlike the Smurfs), but interesting 8-bit musical effects none the less.
Here is a video by someone else:
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Well, considering the interesting music, the fun gameplay, that you move fast (good thing!), a certain charm, and nice and clear graphics I will give it 4/5. Even if the concept isn't original.