Play Zakuro no Aji Online
You slide stained-glass pomegranate tiles into place with a soft click, the music lulling you into that sweet spot between relaxed and focused. Then suddenly you're three moves deep, rearranging patterns like solving a zen riddle.
"Zakuro no Aji" is one of those SNES games that makes you pause for a second when you first boot it up—there's something immediately warm and inviting about the soft colors and gentle music. It's a tile-matching puzzle game, but not in a frantic, edge-of-your-seat way. More like arranging little pieces of stained glass while someone plays a lullaby in the background.
The first few levels ease you in with simple patterns, but don't be fooled—by the time you hit the middle stages, you'll catch yourself leaning forward, squinting at the board like it's a sudoku puzzle that just insulted your grandmother. The tiles have this satisfying weight to them when they snap together, and the pomegranate theme gives everything a faintly dreamy, almost nostalgic feel.
It never made it outside Japan, which is a shame because it's the perfect game for when you want something engaging but not overwhelming. I keep coming back to it between more intense games, like a palate cleanser between spicy meals. If you can track down a copy (or, you know, other means), it's absolutely worth your time.
Download Zakuro no Aji ROM
You can download this ROM to play Zakuro no Aji offline using an Super Nintendo (SNES) emulator (Top Emulators).
*This ROM is provided for backup and educational purposes only.
