Hyperballoid Deluxe

The Good
Most of the Breakout games, even modern remakes, trying to make the gameplay as accurate as possible to the original. When it comes to innovation, then the perspective changes (i.e. 3D, isometric, etc), the game itself becomes 3D, but in the end, all levels are still structures of rectangle (or rectangular parallelepipeds). Well, this is good for the Breakout game, but for the player? Particularly when you seen this dozen of times, your are crying for something with more innovation.

And here it is. Offering a huge diversity on geometric figures, creating all sort of complex, yet good looking, structures. Some bricks changing the color on impact, other fading out some times, making it penetrable once, and impassible at another time.

Combining this with the motion was a very good choice. OK, this isn't the first Breakout with motion in it (see Ricochet for example), but since it isn't used to just let some bricks fly around, but to actually animate the structures in a level, it makes the levels much more real.

The graphics looking superb, for example the explosions when the fireball impacts.

The Bad
Well, the music. I don't like Techno music, and this game is practically Techno only (or some sort of).

A Death power-up, which kills you instantly. Who needs this anyway? And I really don't like to dodge dozen of them while my ball is busy in the playfield.

Well, while not a problem for me, as I only played the non-registered Shareware (time trial), I have to say that the usual problem is still the same. Breakout isn't a game you can play hours after hours, it's just something for a break. Nothing more.

The Bottom Line
If you are tired with the common Breakout clones, but you like Breakouts in general. Then this is surely something you should try.