Fruit’Y (2024)
a FREE puzzle game by ‘Retroguru’ for Atari Lynx, published by ‘DragonBox Shop’
Written for BrewOtaku #004 by Usman A. Khan
Name the fruit you really love and enjoy — and now imagine getting your paws on endless piles of it! In Fruit’Y, developed by Retroguru, Sheran the mischievous tiger cub can’t resist forbidden jungle fruit. What begins as simple matching quickly turns into a refreshingly addictive challenge.
“The Big Fruit Theory”
With gameplay mechanics directly influenced by Kaiko’s Gem’X, Fruit’Y places you in control of a grid of fruits. Sheran must perfectly recreate the fruit arrangement on the right-hand grid to progress. It sounds simple, but as you dive deeper into the game’s 120 original levels, it becomes clear that mastering this is anything but easy. This level of challenge adds depth that keeps you coming back. The game is packed with delicious charm, boasting hand-set pixels. Fans of chiptune music are in for a treat as well; The initial releases of Fruit’Y use Amiga ‘.mod’ music by ‘Vedder’ and ‘Triace’. Lynx sound magician ‘Miker’ brings these converted to the Lynx, perfectly complementing the overall atmosphere. Score tracking adds an extra layer for the competitive, making it ideal for those wanting to improve their high scores with each play through.
While playing, it’s easy to get swept away by the simplicity of the premise — replicating grids of fruit — but the execution and steadily ramping difficulty are where the headache lies.
A physical release for Atari Lynx already floats on the horizon via DragonBox Shop Germany, while the first free public release has seen daylight at Silly Venture 2024SE. If you loved Gem’X on the Amiga, you will like Fruit’Y as well. It’s a straightforward, solid puzzle title.
Conclusion
Whether you’re chasing high scores or simply indulging in some fruit-morphing fun, this gem coded by ‘nop90’ won’t disappoint. Can you handle the pear-pressure? Oh, on a side note: This game exists for a ton of systems. Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, etc…!
