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Arkanoid

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Arkanoid was developed by Taito in 1986. 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 revive...

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Developer
Taito

Released on
1986

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Action

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Arkanoid was developed by Taito in 1986.

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 lasers (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 bolt down.

Arkanoid

Overview & History

Released by Taito in 1986, Arkanoid revolutionized the block-breaking genre established by Atari’s Breakout. Conceived by game designer Akira Fujita amidst a slump in traditional fixed-shooter cabinets, the game introduced a sci-fi narrative where the futuristic spacecraft Vaus escapes a doomed mothership only to be trapped in a distorted space-time warp by an entity known as "DOH." To break free, players must pilot the Vaus through 33 increasingly complex grid configurations. Unlike its predecessors, Arkanoid infused the arcade landscape with vibrant, metallic pixel-art, a pulsing chiptune soundtrack, and a sense of narrative progression that culminated in a surreal boss battle against the giant Easter-island-head projection of DOH itself.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

At its core, Arkanoid tasks players with clearing screens of multi-colored space bricks by bouncing an energy sphere, known as the Energy Ball, off the top of the Vaus paddle. The game distinguishes itself through dynamic pill-shaped capsules dropped by specific destroyed blocks. Catching these capsules activates a variety of game-altering power-ups: the 'L' capsule equips the Vaus with twin laser cannons to shoot blocks directly; the 'C' capsule allows you to catch and manually re-aim the ball; the 'E' capsule extends the paddle width; and the 'P' capsule awards an extra life. Players must also navigate floating enemy sprites like the mechanical ship 'Brain' that alter the ball's trajectory. Notably, round 33 features a branching path and an unforgiving countdown timer, making survival as much about high-speed reflex management as strategic board clearance.