Description
The original
Breakout concept involves controlling a bat at the bottom of the screen and using it to catch and direct a ball so as to hit all the bricks which are arranged at the top of the screen. It was unpopular for over a decade, before Taito revived it with some new ideas in this arcade game.
The game's plot redefines the bat as a Vaus spaceship, the ball as an energy bolt, and the bricks form a mysterious wall stopping the ship from progressing to safety.
By the mid-80s, power-ups were popular in most types of arcade games, and
Arkanoid features them. They are caught by positioning the bat below them as they fall (meaning that you risk missing the ball if you go for them at the wrong time). The power-ups include lazers (which are mounted to each side of the ship and allow you to shoot out the blocks), a catching device (so as to be able to fire the ball off at a different angle every time you hit it) and one that slows the ball.... sorry, bolt.... down. Needless to say, the game inspired tonnes of clones, few of which added anything else.
Part of the Following Groups
User Reviews
There are no reviews for the MSX release of this game. You can use the links below to write your own review or read reviews for the other platforms of this game.
The Press Says
There are no rankings for this game.
Forums
There are currently no topics for this game.
Trivia
The NES version of Arkanoid included its own controller in the package (a smaller version of the spinner used in the arcade version). The game could also be played with the regular Nintendo controllers, but the game was much harder this way since the paddle couldn't be moved as fast as with the spinner controller.
