Arkanoid

NES version of Arkanoid.

The classic Breakout gameplay centers around maneuvering a paddle at the bottom of the screen to bounce a ball and smash through the colorful bricks positioned above. After fading from popularity for over ten years, Taito revitalized the genre with Arkanoid, introducing innovative twists. In this captivating arcade adventure, the paddle is reimagined as the Vaus spaceship, the ball transforms into an energy bolt, and the bricks create a mysterious barrier preventing the ship from advancing to safety. By the mid-80s, power-ups became a staple in arcade games, and Arkanoid embraced this trend. Players can snag these enhancements by catching them with the paddle as they drop, adding a strategic risk because going for power-ups at the wrong moment can lead to missing the ball. Exciting power-ups include laser cannons that attach to the ship’s sides for block destruction, a catching device that allows players to launch the ball at dynamic angles, and a feature that slows down the energy bolt for better control.