An Irem puzzle-action where you create ice paths to catch animals. Fresh and original concept, welcome accessibility. Fun and slightly addictive. A pleasant surprise in the NES catalogue.
Your verdict
Category
Puzzle1 player3+
Co-op
Description
Puzzle game in which Victor freezes enemies and pushes them to eliminate them. Published by Irem, released in Europe in 1990. Victor in top-down view creating ice blocks on enemies to stack and push them out of the zone. NES port of Irem's Kickle Cubicle puzzle game.
The European PAL NES edition of Irem's cute but punishing puzzle, never physically reissued and rarer than the US version. The PAL cart is one of the lesser-known Irem NES PAL titles actively pursued by puzzle aficionados, and CIB in the original cardboard box climbs steadily. The PAL cover and multilingual manual add specific heritage interest to the European edition.
An underrated gem
Freeze your enemies to turn them into blocks and carve out your path: this Irem puzzler hides a fine, progressively devious mechanic beneath its childlike colors. Quiet at launch, it never enjoyed the acclaim of the genre's big names. A charming, clever brain-teaser, perfect for fans of old-school puzzling.
Is Kickle Cubicle still worth playing in 2026?
Kickle Cubicle is an Irem puzzle-action where you play a hero creating ice paths to catch animals and solve spatial puzzles. An original, fresh concept, welcome accessibility and gentle progression make the title work both as a family game and a more demanding puzzler late on. Cute art direction and a pleasant soundtrack support the whole. Still a lovely surprise of the NES catalogue to discover today.
