Kickoo’s Breakout

Remember Arkanoid, the classic ball-bouncer that used a spinning knob instead of a joystick?  The knob was supposed to make it easier to maneuver the rectangular platform left and right, enabling the player to hit the ball before it fell to its demise.

Fun and addictive but also frustrating, Arkanoid suffered from less-than-perfect controls.  The NES version used the non-analog D-pad, meaning you only got one degree of pressure.  Later versions used the analog sticks included with today's game console controller, but even then you didn't have enough sensitivity to move the platform fast enough.

At first I had the same complaint with the Zodiac version of Breakout.  (The game is actually called Kickoo's Breakout, but that makes it sound like a kiddie game so I'll just refer to it as Breakout.)  Zodiac's analog stick is good, but no analog stick is right for this kind of a game.

Just for the heck of it I decided to test out the touch screen.  To my surprise it worked!  You can hold the stylus on the screen and quickly move the platform left or right.  The stylus can be moved much, much faster than any joystick or D-pad, making it possible to succeed even when the ball is moving at top speed.  (Ball speed increases when you hit a red orb – it decreases when you hit a blue one.)

The stages have an interesting design.  Many of them look simplistic, but most of them have hidden threats.  Bright-colored blocks (orange, green, etc.) can be taken out with just one hit from your ball.  White-colored blocks can only be removed after being hit twice.  Black-colored blocks are impervious to everything except the fireball.  And finally, the purple blocks re-spawn all of the blocks that surround it, creating a difficult barrier for the player to overcome.

The fireball is your best defense against black and purple blocks.  It takes 'em out with one hit without allowing the purple block to re-spawn.  Fireballs aren't readily available though – certain levels are prevalent in them, others are not.  This forces the player to use different strategies for different levels.

My favorite power-up turns the rectangular platform into a laser shooter.  All blocks (except black and purple) can be shot down.  You can also shoot the ball, which can be very helpful when you want to maneuver the ball into a tight spot.

Square-shaped bomb blocks can also be found in some of the levels.  As you might have guessed, once hit, the block explodes, taking out any other block that happens to be touching it.  This can be problematic if it's touching a purple block; you'll just get a constant flow of new blocks to destroy.  But the bomb blocks are the only way you can destroy black blocks without a fireball.

Extra lives seems plentiful at first – one extra life can be acquired at every level.  Once you start losing those extra lives will dwindle faster than you can scream the words, "Stop the insanity!"  Actually though, this game isn't as insane as you might think.  It takes a bit of practice.  Some people might not like using the stylus (my sister didn't), but it is definitely the easier way to go.  You probably won't be able to beat the game otherwise.

Breakout is cheap, it's super-fun and super-addictive.  It's not a "next-gen" game, nor does it utilize the power that the Zodiac has to offer.  That hasn't stopped me from playing it though.  The game is just too fun to put down.  More often than not, this is the game that drains the battery in my Zodiac.

To purchase Breakout, visit www.TapWave.com

Gameplay: 8.5
Fast-paced ball-bouncing fun.  Like Pong with depth and for one player only.

Graphics: 5
Two-dimensional graphics with some smooth, albeit short, animations.

Sound: 6

Difficulty: Medium
Play fast, play hard.  Breakout can be very difficult at times.  You'll get a lot of satisfaction out of beating it.

Concept: 7
Not an original concept, but Breakout does offer some original ideas.

Overall: 8.5
A must-buy for all Arkanoid fans.