[aesthetics1]

Did anyone play this game when it was out (not the recent reworked versions)? GameFAQs did not exist, nor did reddit, forums, or other places to discuss strategy and tactics for these sorts of games. There was however a hotline on the back of the instruction manual that you could call for hints - for a low low fee of course.

I remember thinking that the game designers were probably asked to make some of the puzzles frustratingly difficult so that a post-sale revenue stream could be realized.

I also remember playing through these games without the help of the tip hotline. Sharing ideas and discussing strategies with my family. It made for a very fun experience and a very rewarding feeling when you finally figured something out.

It also made for a very frustrating experience when you did something wrong or missed something along the way and had to go back to a very early save point to fix your mistake. I guess you could say that this was poor design but I still have very fond memories of the series.