![]() The player controls the "Vaus", a space vessel that acts as the game's "paddle" which prevents a ball from falling from the playing field, and attempts to bounce the ball against a number of bricks. A small paddle-shaped craft, the Vaus, is ejected from the Arkanoid. Its plot involves the starship Arkanoid being attacked by a mysterious entity from space named DOH. Arkanoid was ported to many home video game platforms, including the Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, ZX Spectrum, and (years later) mobile phones, and it spawned a long series of sequels and updates over the course of two decades.Īrkanoid is a block breaker video game. The game revitalized the genre and set the groundwork for many games to follow. The game was commended by critics for its gameplay, simplicity, addictive nature, and improvements over the original Breakout concept. ![]() It became a major commercial success in arcades, becoming the highest-grossing table arcade cabinet of 1987 in Japan and the year's highest-grossing conversion kit in the United States. The enemy and power-up designs were 3D models converted into sprite art.Įarly location tests for Arkanoid surpassed Taito's initial expectations. Level designs were sketched on paper before being programmed and tested to make sure they were fun to play. The film Tron served as inspiration for the game's futuristic, neon aesthetic. It was part of a contest within Taito, where two teams of designers had to complete a block breaker game and determine which one was superior to the other. ![]() Other blocks may be indestructible or require multiple hits to break.Ĭreated by Taito designers Akira Fujita and Hiroshi Tsujino, Arkanoid expanded on the concept established in Atari's Breakout, a successful game in its own right that was met with a large wave of similar clone games from other manufacturers. Some blocks contain power-ups that have various effects, such as increasing the length of the Vaus, creating several additional balls, or equipping the Vaus with cannons. Controlling a paddle-like craft known as the Vaus, the player is tasked with clearing a formation of colorful blocks by deflecting a ball towards it without letting the ball leave the bottom edge of the playfield. In North America, it was published by Romstar. ![]() The game and paddle are sold as a bundle for $50.Arkanoid is a 1986 block breaker arcade game developed and published by Taito. Fans of the game will recognize the classic Arkanoid "start" music thrown in here and there. The graphics are bright and colorful, and the music is above average Japanese techno. Visually and aurally Arakanoid DS is pretty slick. Then, when your three saves are up, it's game over. This sends the ball right back into play and keeps the game going. A gameplay change that we rather like is that instead of stopping the action each time you miss a ball you're given three safety bounces. On the bright side, the game does support multiplayer over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. The paddles are sold separately from the game, so this is quite a perplexing decision. Besides the lack of difficulty, another obnoxious aspect of Arkanoid DS is that, while it supports single-cart multiplayer, it doesn't allow the second player to use a second paddle. Whether or not that choice works for you is a matter of preference, but we tend to appreciate the design. The game board spans across both of the DS' screens and doesn't ignore the space in between, so your ball will disappear for a brief moment as it crosses the threshold. The playing space is noticeably tighter than the Arkanoid we're used to, which means it's easier to return volleys. This is partly because the playing field is quite narrow and there is a lot of wasted real estate on either side of the screen. While this is a flashy version that is initially fun to play, fans will likely discover the game is rather easy. Arkanoid has a long history and utilizes the proven gameplay formula of controlling a paddle to bounce a ball back and forth and clear rows of bricks. Arkanoid: While the Paddle Controller is quite impressive, its flagship software is rather disappointing. The Paddle Controller is currently available in white, black, pink, and silver, and is sold separately for $20. It's friendly to both righties and lefties by utilizing either the D-pad or the Y/X/A/B buttons for additional input. In Arkanoid you can spin the dial to maneuver through menus, but you have to remove your hand to press a button and make selections. It's comfortable to play either on a table or holding in your hands. The unit plugs into the Game Boy Advance slot on the bottom of the DS but it doesn't make the whole thing too bulky. It's sturdy, has a nice weight to it, and is entirely portable. The Paddle Controller: This is a very cool accessory and it would be a shame if it doesn't make it to shelves here in the U.S.
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