Just what turned a quivering block of tofu into a stretching and leaping martial artist isn't clear, but he's got his work cut out for him. Across 100 tricky levels, he'll have to dodge rows of spikes, leap past spinning blades, learn the timing of deadly intermittent laser beams, and more. To-Fu bounces off metal plates, slides down glass, rides rotating wooden blocks, and warps between color-coded teleporters.

The controls couldn't be much simpler. Touch and drag on your serious-looking soy product, giggle a bit at the sounds he makes as he strains and stretches, then let go to fling him from surface to surface. A handful of levels seem more interested in testing your patience than in showing you a good time, and a few cry out for the precision pointing of a stylus rather than a lumpy human fingertip, but the majority make for engaging bite-sized entertainment. Because To-Fu mixes in fresh elements with regularity, you'll seldom have time to lose interest before something new comes along.

You could complete every level in under three hours, but only if you don't become obsessed with collecting three different emblems from every bright and crisply rendered board. Smashing the "Fortune Kitty" will always unlock the next level, but doing so in the minimum number of moves can be a time-consuming challenge, and collecting every last blue ball of Chi energy takes considerable perseverance.

We rather wish there were timed speed-run leaderboards or some similar element of community involvement beyond Game Center achievements. But even without a way to boast about your ever-improving skills to friends, this cutesy bit of health food silliness is easily worth a buck from your wallet and time from your day.

The bottom line. An endearing character, intuitive touch-and-drag controls, and varied level design make To-Fu worth more than a nibble.

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To-Fu: The Trials of Chi Screenshots (iPhone version)

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  To-Fu puts on his war face any time you send him flying through the air or bouncing off metal plates.

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  Collecting every ball of Chi energy on a level will earn you an optional emblem.

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  Some blocks crumble a few moments after they're touched. Keep moving, To-Fu!

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  Lasers will cut into To-Fu's tender white flesh. Some wink out periodically on their own, while others must be turned off by hitting switches.

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  To-Fu slides down glass surfaces, so time your leaps between circular saws carefully.

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  The further you get, the more elaborate each short maze of obstacles becomes.

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