Blodia Land is a colorful, active sliding puzzle with an emphasis on fun rather than abstract thinking. Each level has a winding path that disappears as the little lost dragon duck moves forward. If the player shuffles tiles incorrectly, the dragon spins and dies. Eight varied SMB-style labyrinth worlds, each with over ten levels and dead-end mini-games, make up one of the most colorful and comprehensive puzzle games the NES has to offer.
A colorful puzzle featuring Blodia Land
Each screen has an empty square and you can slide as many pieces onto it as you want depending on where the cursor is aligned. Pressing B speeds up the mini dragon, which is useful in levels where you just got it wrong last time, or in later levels with time limits. Enter pauses the game and you can select a power-up. You can move your cursor when the game is paused. Because the tiles shift quickly, you can move quite a few when the dragon is about to fall.
With the solution ahead
This means that even an inelegant solution can work if you have the persistence. Puzzle fans have the leeway for finding the optimal solutions. You'll notice over time which loops on the board hook up where, and how you'll move two squares away and reverse or quickly connect two paths. You may need to flip two adjacent roads into a straight line, or find the command to trigger off-board warps. Complete several half loops to come back for the rest. The board often gets messy and every move you make can be nullified.
A pause to move forward
Pausing to look for moves isn't the only cheat, though. Each level has power-ups for the dragon to walk over. They're a little off the path, but a quick spin generally cancels them out. If the dragon dies and tries again, the power-ups will reappear. This includes, for example, a paw print to skip a level. So you can sacrifice lives that you get by solving levels or winning a minigame. Puzzler fans will know which levels they didn't solve correctly, and between retrying and skipping levels, Blodia Land is worth several months of searching for new solutions.
The minigames in Blodia Land
The mini-games boost the confidence of those stuck at a level. High-low games or concentration games, a slot machine where short hints flash, or even a Mario flag jump game are all part of it. The dragon reacts to every failure and success.
The atmosphere of Blodia Land
In the actual puzzles, backgrounds provide atmosphere and undercover help. Touch a dust bowl in a desert or lakes or mirrors or align two planets in the space world and the dragon will slow down when it's near. The landscapes are varied. Starfish and seaweed are found in a sea world. In space the dragon wears a helmet in space.
Conclusion
Blodia Land is a NES game that brings a lot of fun with puzzles. Few puzzle games have the flexibility of Blodia Land. The landscape along the way is very beautiful. The game also tells a little story that doesn't need words. The retro game is highly recommended for puzzle lovers.