Play Moai Kun Online

Moai Kun came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990, a time when platformers were everywhere. Konami published it, and it was one of those games that felt a bit different from the usual run and jump fare. It never got a huge release outside Japan, so discovering it always felt like finding a strange little secret.

You control a small, round Moai statue that can walk and, most importantly, throw its own head. Your goal is to clear each single screen level by destroying all the blocks, which requires careful aim and timing with your head toss. The head bounces off surfaces, so you often need to ricochet it into hard to reach spots or hit multiple blocks in one throw. You explore the stages screen by screen, and the challenge comes from figuring out the exact angles and order to break everything without getting hit by enemies or running out of time. It is a methodical, almost puzzle like game that demands patience. Finishing a tricky stage gives you a real sense of having solved something.