Arkanoid (Mobile)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.4 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Damon Brown
• Reviewed on: 03/23/2004
• Updated on: 04/28/2004
• Originally published on GameSpot: Arkanoid (Mobile) Review

Arkanoid, a souped-up arcade remake of Atari's Breakout, was probably the best game to ever use Atari's paddle control. Although no such peripheral is yet available for the cell, Taito's absurdly simple wall-busting game is just as fresh today as it was in the 1980s.

You control a paddle at the bottom, bouncing a white ball toward three walls to destroy bricks. Knocking out all the bricks moves you to the next level, while missing a return bounce three times will end your game. The controls are about as simple as they come--the 4 and 6 keys move the paddle left and right, and 2 is the action key.

The first noticeably cool aspect of Arkanoid is the clear, detailed graphics. Everything from the level design to the color scheme is straight from the arcade game--and that's as it should be. Even better, Arkanoid maintains this level of graphical acuity while keeping up with the oft-frantic pace of gameplay. This is quite crucial when trying to follow a small ball on a portable game screen.

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