Breakout
PlayStation
Publisher: Hasbro Interactive
Developer: Supersonic Software
Genre: Ball-and-Paddle
2000
DESCRIPTION
An
updated remake of the 1976 
classic of the same name, 
for the 
dispenses with the simplistic lines and dots of the original game
and adds power-ups, 3D interactive worlds, unlockable levels, and, of course, a storyline. Only the basic objective remains the
same: maneuvering a paddle to keep a ball in play so it can ricochet off a wall
of bricks (or other items in this case), effectively eliminating the bricks
from the playfield.
The world of 2000 is an island filled with bizarre creatures in the form
of paddles and balls. Bouncer enjoys his life their with Daisy, his beautiful
girlfriend. All was fine in paradise until one day when Bouncer took a swim out
to sea to rescue a ball. While Bouncer was gone, the evil Batnix and his
henchmen kidnapped Daisy.
When
Bouncer returned, he was imprisoned in a dark and dank jail cell. To prevent
Bouncer's friends from busting him out of prison, Batnix put them in jails all
across the world. Bouncer attempted to escape on his own, but he was caught and
affixed to a ball and chain. Luckily, the ball was friendly and let Bouncer
smack him against the wall, shattering the bricks and mortar, freeing both ball
and paddle from prison. Now, Bouncer must rescue all his friends.
The
paddle you control in can be angled or curved so that you can aim the
ball more precisely and hit objects that aren't directly in front of you. As
you progress through the game, you can add paddle friends (each with a unique
skill) to your arsenal and call on them at any time to take Bouncer's place.
Also, there are many power-ups to collect, such as Extra Life, Big Paddle, and
Grab Ball, which lets you catch the ball and reposition it prior to shooting it
at an object.
Most
of the levels in Breakout require you to hit the ball in order to knock down
and demolish obstructions. However, some of the levels are less simplistic,
requiring you to perform such tasks as knock down targets in a specific order.
In a few of the levels, Bouncer must get up on two feet and do things most
paddles have never dreamed of (you'll have to play the game to find out what).
After
you complete a level, you will be ranked according to performance. The higher
your ranking, the harder the challenge. To improve your ranking, you can repeat
earlier levels.
If
you don't want to game alone, Breakout lets you compete with up to three
friends via split screen action. There are two ways to play in this manner: you
can attempt to clear your playfield as quickly as possible, or you can hit
colored targets in your arena in order to place additional bricks and other
objects in your opponent's arena. Four multi-player levels are available: Egypt,
Castle, Space, and Farm.
REVIEW
Arcade
and -style video games of the 1970s and early 1980s were, for the most
part, games of skill that were easy to learn, yet challenging to master. Most
games had just one to four different screens. To excel at a game, good hand-eye
coordination and finely honed concentration skills were a must. This was
certainly true with the original Breakout, a fun game with a user-friendly
rotary controller, few rules, and increasingly intense gameplay.
With
the advent of 
in 1985, the so-called "twitch" games
of old were suddenly outdated. Mainstream gamers began demanding storylines,
power-ups, puzzles, hidden items, expansive worlds, and multiple levels. As a
result, games became longer and more complex, but lost ground in areas of
intensity and focus. Working with so many screens, it was simply harder for
programmers to provide an engaging experience every step of the way. Video games
were still fun, just in a different way.
Retro
gaming was in full swing in 2000 thanks in part to the folks at 
Interactive, a company becoming increasingly known for combining the
skill-based sensibilities of old-school gaming with the multi-this,
super-expansive-that of newer games. Their classic remakes line of games had its line of successes (Q*Bert) and failures (Centipede), and each new
release was welcomed with excitement and curiosity, tempered by a healthy dose
of trepidation.
This
brings us to Breakout, yet another updated remake of an old-time favorite. So,
how did Hasbro fare this time around? Well...not bad. Not great, but not bad. "Breakout 2000" succeeds in some areas and fails in others. It keeps some of the
important concepts of the original game (such as rebounding a ball with a
paddle) while adding some strange new twists.
Yes,
strange is a good word for this enhanced version of the old ball-and-paddle,
bricks-smashing classic. Strangest of all are the levels in which your paddle
leaves its previously horizontal state and hoofs it on two feet. He runs from
angry dogs, knocks ducks off a raft, shoots at robots, throws bricks at a
dragon and more. These levels are original and mildly amusing, but they
interrupt the flow of gameplay and seem totally out of place.
Also
strange are some of the standard levels in which you rebound a ball off a wall
or objects. The simple bricks of the original game have been replaced with
soldiers, chickens, 3D bricks, and other items. Gameplay in these areas is
mostly fun, but the levels are short and never reach the intensity of the
original game.
Once
you get to a certain point in the original Breakout, which benefited from the precision of a rotary controller (something lacking in the version, of course), your eyes, hands, and mind
have to be perfectly and constantly in sync in order for you to maneuver your
paddle in front of the quickly moving ball. With this game, however, once you
beat a level, you can relax a bit and take a breather as you ease into the next
level.
The
puzzle elements of this version of Breakout are interesting, challenging, and sometimes
original. In some levels, instead of simply letting the ball hit your paddle,
you must aim the ball at certain targets. If you hit the wrong target, it can
spoil your progress. There is one especially clever section of the game in
which you must carefully lower explosive fuel barrels by alternating hitting
opposite sides of a conveyor belt. Another level has you on the outside of a
rocket ship batting away meteors.
The storyline that plays out during intermission scenes between each level adds to
the game by providing motivation for beating each area and by helping bring
your paddle character to life. The little guy actually has a personality, as do
the paddles you can unlock during the game.
After
you think you have beaten , the game is still not over. After the
credits roll, you'll be given a crack at playing a round of Breakout patterned
closely after the original. This is a nice touch, but it doesn't go far enough.
Beating all of the levels doesn't exactly unlock the original game as you only
get to break down one wall of bricks, and then the game will end. After completing
the game, you can break down this wall of bricks any time you want, but it is
still just one wall of bricks. Contrast this with the PS remake of 
, in which you can find a replica of the original game in
its entirety.
A quirky remake with a few things to recommend and a few shortcomings, for the PlayStation isn't perfect, but it is worth picking up, especially for retro enthusiasts.
