Arkanoid (DS) Review
Posted by Chris Vicari on 06.28.2008
22 years later, we get this DS remake of a classic game.
Genre – Action
System – Nintendo DS
Release Date – Q2 2008
Has it really been 22 years since the original Arkanoid hit the arcades? Good God time flies. Let’s see if Taito’s remake of its old classic holds up.
When I was in elementary school, the only thing I did to help pass the time during the long and boring lectures was to play Breakout on the computers. Although I never had the opportunity to play Arkanoid in the arcades or any of its other incarnations, the game was very familiar to me. I felt like I was back in elementary school again.
The plot follows the hero named Ananke, who is one of eight heroes who make their home in satellites orbiting the planet of Arkanoid. After a rift in space unleashes a horde of invaders from another dimension, Ananke is the only hero left as the others have been captured. Using his spaceship, the Vaus, Ananke must battle back the alien hordes and save his comrades.
Gameplay
Arkanoid’s gameplay hasn’t changed all that much over the past two decades, but thanks to a few refreshing changes, this particular Arkanoid is nearly as good as the original. There’s new power-ups, multiple modes of play, unlockable content and the ability to utilize the DS’ multiplayer capabilities to battle it out with three of your friends on one cartridge or face opponents elsewhere. While you are given the option to use either the stylus or the D-pad to play, I opted to use the D-pad since it felt more comfortable for me to use, but it’s completely up to you.
When you load up the game’s singleplayer you have the option of playing Clear mode or Quest mode. Clear mode is just like old school Arkanoid and the objective is to simply clear all the bricks in every level, make sure the ball doesn’t get behind your paddle and finish the game. There are 28 worlds consisting of five levels each all arranged in a triangle on the game map. When you finish one world you have a choice of two others and the game progresses in this fashion until you have completed 35 levels or seven worlds. With over 140 levels in this game ranging from the ridiculously easy to the outright excruciating, there are plenty of different paths to take, but they all end the same way. Once completed, you unlock a small piece of the aesthetic content, get some points to spend in the game’s store to unlock even more and then the credits roll. Simple as that. You can play again and take different path to play other levels if you’d like or you head on over to Quest mode and give it a shot.
In Quest mode the game ups the ante a little bit and instead of trying to destroy every brick, you’re tasked to accomplish specific objectives such as completing the level within a specific time limit, destroying a certain number of blocks with only a few paddle hits or clear all blocks of a certain color. Here there is no story mode progression and you can play any of the levels you want. Depending on the level, the objective can be pretty challenging requiring several runs through to get it done right. You also have more opportunities to earn store points here as well.
Two additional modes of play are available in Arkanoid’s multiplayer; Bust All and Bust Color. The game modes play exactly how they sound. In Bust All it’s a race to finish first and in Bust Color, the first person to destroy all bricks of a particular color wins. Levels are picked at random and to spice things up you can pick up power-ups which hamper your opponents playing ability. You can add more blocks to their board, reduce the size of their paddle or perform other devious tricks to make the game fall in your favor.
The only minor annoyances I managed to find was that sometimes the ball would get stuck when hit between two indestructible blocks and secondly the gap between the two screens takes some time to getting used since you have to gauge the path of ball but it’s nothing all that serious. As mentioned before, some levels are excruciatingly difficult.
Graphics Arkanoid is pretty simple graphic wise and there really aren’t any flashy bits like explosions and such when playing the game. The opening cinema is short, but it takes advantage of the DS’ capabilities. Textures are of good quality and are quite colorful making them pleasing on the eyes. Additional textures can be purchased from the store allowing you to tailor the visualizations to your particular tastes.
Sound
The sounds in Arkanoid are fairly basic featuring simple noises for breaking blocks, ball ricochets and hitting them with your paddle, they are clear and of noticeable quality. The music can be a hit or miss depending on what level you play as some have a really good beat and are enjoyable to listen to, but for others I had to mute the game. Thankfully, additional sounds can be purchased at the shop, but they’re nothing new though.
Lasting Appeal
The only thing that would keep me interested in playing Arkanoid for extended periods of time is if I was playing multiplayer or if I had a craving to unlock all the extra content. Other than that, it feels like a “get in get out” kind of game without any lasting appeal. I would have liked the ability to play randomized levels, but I guess that wouldn’t have been possible.
Fun Factor Arkanoid is a fun game to play however I would recommend playing it in small doses rather than all the way through. The game can end quite quickly and I managed to finish 35 levels in about an hour and a half. Play it in spurts. On the other hand, multiplayer is a good deal of fun and you can definitely generate many hours out of it. The online leaderboard helps spruce things up as well.
The 411
All in all, Arkanoid is a quality remake of an old classic and the bargain bin price of $20 helps solidify the deal. You won’t be playing it for very long, but you’ll enjoy the experience none the less. Anyone who is a fan of brick-busting games should definitely pick it up.
Graphics
8.5
Despite the fact it’s 2-d pixilation, the textures are of good quality using a wide assortment of colors. The unlockable textures are also pleasing on the eyes.
Gameplay
8.5
Arkanoid is fun to play and the multiplayer rocks. Some of the levels are tough but not impossible. It may get old after a while though
Sound
7.5
Most of the music is hit or miss and the sounds are nothing but simple beeps and such. Good quality though, but nothing fantastic
Lasting Appeal
7.0
The only thing that helps give the game some longevity is the multiplayer or if you’re a completist whose gunning for all the unlockables. Other than that, you’re going to play the 140 levels and be done with it.
Fun Factor
7.5
The game is fun to play but it has a tendency to get old after a while. Consider playing it in spurts rather than all at once.
Arkanoid’s gameplay hasn’t changed all that much over the past two decades, but thanks to a few refreshing changes, this particular Arkanoid is nearly as good as the original. There’s new power-ups, multiple modes of play, unlockable content and the ability to utilize the DS’ multiplayer capabilities to battle it out with three of your friends on one cartridge or face opponents elsewhere. While you are given the option to use either the stylus or the D-pad to play, I opted to use the D-pad since it felt more comfortable for me to use, but it’s completely up to you.
