Play Keroppi to Keroriinu no Splash Bomb! (Japan) Online

Game Overview

Okay, so Keroppi to Keroriinu no Splash Bomb! is this weird little NES game where you play as Sanrio's frog mascot tossing water bombs at stuff. At first it feels like Bomberman—you're blowing up blocks and dodging enemies in maze-like stages—but then you realize half the challenge is managing the water physics. Some bombs create puddles that slow you down, others can push enemies off ledges if you angle them right.

The art's pure '80s Sanrio: bright colors, big-eyed characters, and these oddly satisfying splashing sounds when your bombs hit. I kept getting stuck on stage 3 because I kept forgetting you could use bombs to create platforms by flooding certain tiles. Also, the tadpoles you rescue make this ridiculous squeaking noise that somehow never gets old.

It’s definitely janky by modern standards (good luck with the jump timing), but there’s something weirdly addictive about figuring out how to flood a room just right to trap the enemies. Found my old cartridge last year and still play it when I want something cheerful and chaotic.