Chew Man Fu

Sometimes a simple idea taken to perfection is all it takes to turn a game into a little treasure. Chew Man Fu is exactly such a case — a wackily named puzzle-action game for the PC Engine where you zip around an arena with colored balls, trying to line them up so that three of the same color form a combination that clears the field. Beneath that adorable, slightly wacky shell hides a surprisingly addictive arcade puzzle.

The core mechanic is brilliantly simple: by kicking balls and bouncing them off the walls, you maneuver them around the screen and try to arrange fours of the same color. The ball picks up speed and ricochets, so you have to think ahead, calculate trajectories, and simultaneously watch the enemies who move around the arena complicating your plans. The game thus balances on the edge between tactical planning and quick reflexes — and it's exactly this mix that sets it apart from static puzzlers like Tetris.

Visually it's the typically colorful, clean presentation the PC Engine handled with ease. The screens are clear, the animations brisk, and the whole experience feels friendly, but as the difficulty rises it starts to push hard. A big asset is the cooperative and competitive two-player mode — the battle over who can clear the arena first, or solving the puzzles together, is among the most fun the title has to offer.

Chew Man Fu is a game that doesn't try to be epic or story-driven. It's pure arcade joy of play, ideal for short sessions as well as longer evenings with a friend on a single controller. It's this immediacy that ranks it among the small but honestly crafted pieces of the PC Engine library worth rediscovering.

Anyone who likes puzzle games with an action edge and is looking for something less well-worn than the big hits will find a pleasant surprise here. It's a title you'll learn quickly but struggle to put down.

Why play: An addictive blend of puzzle and arcade action that excels above all in fun for two players on one screen.