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Lala the Magical

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Lala the Magical is a 2D side-scrolling platformer based on the 2010 title Lala: Prologue by the same developer. It was originally created for the 2016 NESdev Competition. While the very early parts still have some resemblance to the original game, the majority of the content and the gameplay mec...

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Developer
The Mojon Twins

Released on
2016

Size
1 Player

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Platform

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Lala the Magical is a 2D side-scrolling platformer based on the 2010 title Lala: Prologue by the same developer. It was originally created for the 2016 NESdev Competition. While the very early parts still have some resemblance to the original game, the majority of the content and the gameplay mechanics, as well as the story with its multiple stages and cut-scenes, is entirely new and very different.

Lala is a magic apprentice in the province of Badajoz where she lives with her teacher. She is a little bored and when her teacher is away for a few days, she decides to try an enter the Sky Palace. It is a dangerous place her teacher has warned her about, but she wants to try to enter it and collect the three power gems that are hidden there. First Lala needs to locate her teacher’s magic wand. This is done in the first stage which is the closest to the original game. Lala can move around freely, but has no means to attack. She has to complete platforming sections and avoid enemies to collect eight potions to become stronger and locate a key that opens the teacher’s locked dungeon. Horizontally the screen scrolls but vertically the game uses the fixed-screen flip system of the original game to connect rooms. She starts with three lives and a single collision with an enemy or a hazard such as spikes removes one. Every now and then she can find a heart-shaped lollipop that restores a life.

Lala the Magical

Overview & History

Released exclusively in Japan in 1989 for the Famicom (and later adapted for pirate and unlicensed markets), Lala the Magical (often known as *Magical Lala*) is a charming, overlooked action-platformer developed by Sunsoft. The storyline follows Lala, a young, aspiring fairy apprentice who must rescue her forest kingdom from the grip of the Shadow Sorcerer, an entity who has petrified the Elder Tree and stolen the four crystals of elemental balance. Unlike many standard 8-bit platformers of its era, *Lala the Magical* combined vertical and horizontal scrolling stages with distinct puzzle-solving elements. Players journey through vibrant, whimsical environments—ranging from the Whispering Woods to the Clockwork Cloud—accompanied by a surprisingly lush chiptune soundtrack. While it never received an official North American release on the original NES, it remains a cult classic among retro enthusiasts for its vibrant color palette, challenging enemy AI, and unique spell-crafting progression system.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Gameplay revolves around navigating multidirectional stages while managing Lala's magical energy meter. Unlike typical platformers where characters stomp on enemies, Lala utilizes a wand that shoots varying projectiles depending on the collected elemental star shards scattered throughout each level. Players can switch between a rapid-fire spark, a heavy-hitting fireburst, and a freezing beam that temporarily turns enemies into solid, jumpable platforms. Lala's core moveset includes a standard walking/running toggle, a floating jump (performed by holding the jump button to flutter her fairy wings), and a localized magic shield that deflects incoming magical projectiles. Health is represented by a cluster of fairy dust stars; taking damage reduces her luminosity until she loses a life. Hidden rooms, accessible only by solving environmental weight-plate puzzles or unlocking doors with acquired elemental keys, add high replay value. Boss encounters at the end of every third stage require players to memorize complex attack patterns and exploit elemental weaknesses using the appropriate spell.