Kickle Cubicle

Kickle Cubicle

Overview & History

Released by Irem in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Kickle Cubicle is a charming, isometric puzzle-action game that originated as a coin-op arcade title before receiving this beloved console port. The whimsical storyline casts players as Kickle, a green-capped hero summoned by the King of the Fantasy Land to rescue the realm’s inhabitants after the wicked Wizard King freezes the dream-filled land and kidnaps the royal family. Across vibrant, grid-based stages filled with ice, lava, and mischievous enemies, Kickle must rely on his unique ability to inflate and freeze foes into slippery blocks to navigate increasingly complex labyrinths.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The core gameplay revolves around manipulating your environment and handling enemies on single-screen puzzles. Kickle’s primary defensive and offensive maneuver is inflating enemies—such as the bouncy Spuds and spiked Spinners—until they transform into throwable, rectangular ice blocks. Kickle can then kick these blocks across the screen to slide across open paths, smash through fragile barriers, or collect scattered Dream Bags that are required to unlock the exit door. If a path is blocked by water, kicking an ice block into the liquid creates a temporary, solid bridge. Puzzles also feature specialized items like red tomatoes that grant temporary invincibility, magical umbrellas that protect against hazards, and directional arrows that alter the slide path of kicked ice blocks. The game rewards strategic foresight, as misplacing a single ice block can easily trap Kickle or cut off access to vital collectibles, requiring a manual reset of the stage.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause