Fruits Fields (yes, there are two plural s) is a puzzle game originally released by Compac for at least the following platforms:

• PC-8801/SR (February 1987)
• Fujitsu FM 7 (1987)
• Sharp X68000 (March 1989)

The screenshot (from the X68000 version) shows the first level. It is not designed to offer any challenge, just to make the player familiar with the controls and mechanics. The object is to collect all the fruit. The cyan squares with the arrows are blocks, obstacles. They can be triggered from any side except the one to which the arrow is pointing. They will then slide in the direction of the arrow till they reach something that stops them: a wall, a fruit, another block.

They can be crushed against anything that would stop them to make room or for extra points, but only from behind. There’s one exception: A block cannot be crushed against a block pointing in the opposite direction. Such a pair of blocks is immovable and indestructible. But, yes, a block can be crushed against a fruit.

In 1992 Leslie Tsang, a resident of Hongkong, wrote a Windows version in Turbo Pascal. In 1995 he rewrote it in Delphi with some enhancements, for example optional 256 color tiles. The sprites are very faithful to 8-bit original, the tiles however are completely different. There are ten tiles each for walls and walking space, which are chosen randomly, and independently of each other, when the level loads. This system has some drawbacks, since the two tiles then sometimes lack contrast.

In spite of this minor drawback Fruits Fields for Windows is a very nice game, and a way to play Fruits Fields without messing with an emulator. It is so far the only evidence I have found for any reception of this game outside Japan. Unfortunately I have not been able to dig up the original 1992 version yet.

• Download Fruits Fields for Windows
• Some Fruits Fields for Windows screenshots

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