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Taito's Arkanoid has outlasted Atari's Breakout (1976) as the definitive example of the 'Block Breaking'
genre.
Playing Breakout today is about as much
fun as watching paint dry, while Arkanoid manages
to avoid the repetitive nature of its predecessor by
presenting a colorful set of 33 futuristic rounds and a perplexing sci-fi plot - in which a spaceship Vaus must take
on the evil forces of Doh (a "dimension controlling
fort") by bouncing balls against multicoloured walls.
Sounds serious.
And it is: erasing every brick in a level
is a tough task, made even tougher by the presence of Doh's minions
- little floating obstacles that can be destroyed but
whose erratic movements make the game ruthlessly unpredictable.
Various power-up pills (laser, multi-ball, etc.) crown
the overall experience nicely. The 'S' slow-down pill
is essential - if you don't find one the game quickly becomes an intense, fast-paced reflex-fest.
Only true masters can see their way safely through to
the final round of this game without it all going wrong.
So it's hats off to Arkanoid and its sequels
for flying the flag of the bat & ball genre... But it is important to note their true gameplay can only be experienced with a 'Volume Controller' - a small round dial that spins
left or right.
With it the Vaus can cover the screen at
lightning speeds, and be perfectly accurate if need
be. Some downright crazy gameplay tends to follow during
the later rounds.
On a pad or stick, it's just not the same... It's perfectly playable with a mouse, but the volume controller is probably the single most essential part of the gameplay. The Famicom and MSX home versions both include one.
Admittedly getting a controller just for one game might
sound a bit excessive, but in the case of Arkanoid it's well worth it.
Rating:  |
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DETAILS
| Format |
Famicom |
| Released |
26
Dec 1986 |
| Publisher |
Taito |
| Product
ID |
TFC-AN-5400 |
| Size
(cm) |
? |
| Weight
(kg) |
? |
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Arkanoid
comes home in superb style
on the Famicom, bundled together with its own volume controller.
A similar package was later released on the NES (US only).
This original japanese edition is now very, very hard to find complete with box in
good condition. |
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DETAILS
| Format |
MSX |
| Released |
1987 |
| Publisher |
Nidecom |
| Product
ID |
? |
| Size
(cm) |
? |
| Weight
(kg) |
? |
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The MSX Arkanoid is just as hard to find as the Famicom version, if not more so.
We've never had one of these in! |
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'Arkanoid'
and 'Taito' are registered trademarks of Taito Corporation
'Famicom' and 'Nintendo' are registered trademarks of Nintendo Co.,
Ltd.
Arkanoid TM & © 1986 Taito All Rights Reserved
Page content, design & layout © 2012 Arcade Gear |
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