Chack'n Pop gameplay footage arrives for the Console Archives release

Hamster Corporation has released a new gameplay trailer for the Console Archives edition of Taito's 1985 platformer, Chack'n Pop. The footage shows the classic Famicom port in action, demonstrating the maze navigation, bomb-throwing mechanics, and the central objective of rescuing caged hearts from purple enemies.

Chack'n Pop is an early piece of Taito history. The arcade original debuted in 1983, and the home console version followed on the Famicom in May 1985 [1]. It is a direct precursor to Bubble Bobble, introducing the Monsta and Mighta enemy types that would later torment Bub and Bob [1]. The yellow protagonist, Chack'n, also makes cameo appearances in several later Taito games.

A demolition blob in a maze

The gameplay loop is straightforward but unforgiving. You control Chack'n, a round creature with extendable legs that allow him to walk on ceilings. The goal of each single-screen maze is to free a trapped heart from a cage and reach the exit before time runs out.

The time limit itself is an active threat. Instead of a ticking clock, a ghost-like Mighta pushes a large green stone across the top of the screen. If the Mighta reaches the end of the path, it seals the exit, trapping Chack'n in the maze permanently.

To deal with the Monstas hatching from eggs scattered around the level, Chack'n relies on bombs. These act more like rolling grenades. They detonate after a short delay, producing a lethal cloud of smoke. The catch is that the smoke is just as deadly to Chack'n as it is to the enemies. You spend half the game trying to blow up a cage and the other half running away from your own blast radius.

The new trailer shows these mechanics, capturing Chack'n clearing out emerging Monstas and collecting bonus fruit before making a break for the exit platform. It is a slow, methodical platformer where poor bomb placement usually results in an immediate restart. I'm curious how many modern players will have the patience for the rigid movement rules, as Chack'n can't jump and must rely entirely on his ceiling-walking ability to traverse vertical gaps.

The Famicom version on Switch 2 and PS5

Hamster Corporation is best known for its Arcade Archives line, which focuses strictly on coin-op originals. The newer Console Archives series shifts the focus to home console releases [2]. This means the version of Chack'n Pop shown in the trailer is the 8-bit Famicom port, rather than the arcade original.

The Console Archives lineup targets the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 [2]. Like other releases in the series, it wraps the original ROM in a modern emulation shell. The package includes several modern conveniences:

• Customizable button layouts and rapid-fire settings
• Screen filters designed to mimic older CRT televisions
• Multiple save slots to preserve progress
• A rewind function to undo mistakes

The emulator's rewind function takes some of the sting out of accidentally walking into your own bomb smoke. Taito's early platformer is a tough game that requires a lot of precision, and the addition of save states makes it much more approachable than it was in 1985. It's a solid option for anyone who wants to see where Bubble Bobble's enemies came from without dealing with Famicom-era frustration.