Remember Arkanoid, the
classic ball-bouncer that used a spinning knob instead of a joystick? The knob
was supposed to make it easier to maneuver the rectangular platform left and
right, enabling the player to hit the ball before it fell to its demise.
Fun and addictive but
also frustrating, Arkanoid suffered from less-than-perfect controls. The NES
version used the non-analog D-pad, meaning you only got one degree of pressure.
Later versions used the analog sticks included with today’s game console
controller, but even then you didn’t have enough sensitivity to move the
platform fast enough.
At first I had the same
complaint with the Zodiac version of Breakout. (The game is actually called
Kickoo’s Breakout, but that makes it sound like a kiddie game so I’ll just refer
to it as Breakout.) Zodiac’s analog stick is good, but no analog stick is right
for this kind of a game.
Just for the heck of it I
decided to test out the touch screen. To my surprise it worked! You can hold
the stylus on the screen and quickly move the platform left or right. The
stylus can be moved much, much faster than any joystick or D-pad, making it
possible to succeed even when the ball is moving at top speed. (Ball speed
increases when you hit a red orb – it decreases when you hit a blue one.)
The stages have an
interesting design. Many of them look simplistic, but most of them have hidden
threats. Bright-colored blocks (orange, green, etc.) can be taken out with just
one hit from your ball. White-colored blocks can only be removed after being
hit twice. Black-colored blocks are impervious to everything except the
fireball. And finally, the purple blocks re-spawn all of the blocks that
surround it, creating a difficult barrier for the player to overcome.
The fireball is your best
defense against black and purple blocks. It takes ’em out with one hit without
allowing the purple block to re-spawn. Fireballs aren’t readily available
though – certain levels are prevalent in them, others are not. This forces the
player to use different strategies for different levels.
My favorite power-up
turns the rectangular platform into a laser shooter. All blocks (except black
and purple) can be shot down. You can also shoot the ball, which can be very
helpful when you want to maneuver the ball into a tight spot.
Square-shaped bomb blocks
can also be found in some of the levels. As you might have guessed, once hit,
the block explodes, taking out any other block that happens to be touching it.
This can be problematic if it’s touching a purple block; you’ll just get a
constant flow of new blocks to destroy. But the bomb blocks are the only way
you can destroy black blocks without a fireball.
Extra lives seems
plentiful at first – one extra life can be acquired at every level. Once you
start losing those extra lives will dwindle faster than you can scream the
words, "Stop the insanity!" Actually though, this game isn’t as insane as you
might think. It takes a bit of practice. Some people might not like using the
stylus (my sister didn’t), but it is definitely the easier way to go. You
probably won’t be able to beat the game otherwise.
Breakout is cheap, it’s
super-fun and super-addictive. It’s not a "next-gen" game, nor does it utilize
the power that the Zodiac has to offer. That hasn’t stopped me from playing it
though. The game is just too fun to put down. More often than not, this is the
game that drains the battery in my Zodiac.
To purchase
Breakout, visit
www.TapWave.com
Gameplay: 8.5
Fast-paced
ball-bouncing fun. Like Pong with depth and for one player only.
Graphics: 5
Two-dimensional
graphics with some smooth, albeit short, animations.
Sound: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Play fast, play
hard. Breakout can be very difficult at times. You’ll get a lot of
satisfaction out of beating it.
Concept: 7
Not an original
concept, but Breakout does offer some original ideas.
Overall: 8.5
A must-buy for
all Arkanoid fans.
