Played as part of Atari 50.
Still no ball ricochet but having 3 boards is kind of cool. Cavity breakout is the obvious best one, though, even if they're all just kind of okay.
Still no ball ricochet but having 3 boards is kind of cool. Cavity breakout is the obvious best one, though, even if they're all just kind of okay.
Breakout: The Extended Cut
Super Breakout is a great small improvement on a formula for a game that is probably about as timeless as a game can be (other than being almost impossible to play in the modern day without setting up an emulator). Breakout itself is fun and simple -- bounce this ball and hit these bricks and go as long as you can for a nice score. Try to beat yourself; try to beat your friends. Fun!
Super Breakout adds to the simple concept with some gentle improvements that are just the right amount of added complexity to freshen things up. You have three new game modes to choose from: Progressive, Double, and Cavity.
In Progressive mode, bricks are constantly rolling down the screen towards the paddle, and the higher you hit a brick on the screen the more points it's worth. Double mode has you using two attached paddles to hit two balls at once. Cavity has you playing a normal game of breakout, but within the bricks are two "cavities" that have balls bouncing in them, waiting to be released for a double or triple ball play.
The controls are snappy and the game is fun especially if you can get your hands on a paddle and play that way. If not, a mouse will do alright. If you're using a stick or dpad, good luck (or maybe just forget it). I really recommend the paddle experience though if you ever get a chance, it makes the game more fun in my opinion.
Here are some basic scores of mine to compete with!
571 - Progressive
367 - Double
310 - Cavity
Super Breakout adds to the simple concept with some gentle improvements that are just the right amount of added complexity to freshen things up. You have three new game modes to choose from: Progressive, Double, and Cavity.
In Progressive mode, bricks are constantly rolling down the screen towards the paddle, and the higher you hit a brick on the screen the more points it's worth. Double mode has you using two attached paddles to hit two balls at once. Cavity has you playing a normal game of breakout, but within the bricks are two "cavities" that have balls bouncing in them, waiting to be released for a double or triple ball play.
The controls are snappy and the game is fun especially if you can get your hands on a paddle and play that way. If not, a mouse will do alright. If you're using a stick or dpad, good luck (or maybe just forget it). I really recommend the paddle experience though if you ever get a chance, it makes the game more fun in my opinion.
Here are some basic scores of mine to compete with!
571 - Progressive
367 - Double
310 - Cavity
Threw in the towl after I got what I figured to be my personal best, but one of those frustrating games whose difficulty you nonetheless respect for the simplicity of its challenge which never seems unfair.
(Atari 50)
Out of the three variants (Cavity Breakout which has pockets where extra balls can be released, Double Breakout with two paddle rows and starting with two balls, and Progressive Breakout where over time the rows of blocks lower towards the paddle in an endless challenge) Progressive Breakout was probably my favorite - it is the only one that feels really dynamic. It's clear how the rows descending towards you was an inspiration for games like Space Invaders. Overall breakout is breakout, but there's much better versions out there.
Out of the three variants (Cavity Breakout which has pockets where extra balls can be released, Double Breakout with two paddle rows and starting with two balls, and Progressive Breakout where over time the rows of blocks lower towards the paddle in an endless challenge) Progressive Breakout was probably my favorite - it is the only one that feels really dynamic. It's clear how the rows descending towards you was an inspiration for games like Space Invaders. Overall breakout is breakout, but there's much better versions out there.
Nice game that is controlled with the spinner knob. I'm not very good at it but can't imagine playing it with a different controller. Played at Funspot in NH
Really disappointing to see the ball phase through lower blocks on its way back down.
2600 Version:
Bigger paddle, faster paced and more controllable, much better version than the arcade version. Had a great time with Super Breakout 2600! Even if the sound design is godawful.
Played on Atari 50
Bigger paddle, faster paced and more controllable, much better version than the arcade version. Had a great time with Super Breakout 2600! Even if the sound design is godawful.
Played on Atari 50
Might be the first sure, but I'm sorry but its so damn hard. I was playing with a Joystick, and know a Dial is much better. But with a Joystick, this game is hell just to finish one board.
It's more breakout. The new modes are alright.
(played as part of ATARI 50)
It's BREAKOUT with three new modes - one where the bricks slowly advance on you (and start out kind of low to begin with), one where you can break out (heh) extra balls from cavities within the wall, and one where you have a forward and back paddle, and get served two balls at once to juggle with them. Fine variations (the two paddle one can be hectic fun if you get the hang of it), but the tuning, while tweaked a bit with more lives per quarter and a slower acceleration of the ball (I think) still hasn't found the sweet spot. I'd say the paddle still needs to be about doubled in size. But that would mean fewer quarters munched!
As far as this general practice of taking popular arcade games and updating them a bit for a rerelease goes, this one has more meaningful changes than others of the time, and that's nice. It's one of the first ones on this compilation that I could see myself really getting addicted to in an arcade IRL.
It's BREAKOUT with three new modes - one where the bricks slowly advance on you (and start out kind of low to begin with), one where you can break out (heh) extra balls from cavities within the wall, and one where you have a forward and back paddle, and get served two balls at once to juggle with them. Fine variations (the two paddle one can be hectic fun if you get the hang of it), but the tuning, while tweaked a bit with more lives per quarter and a slower acceleration of the ball (I think) still hasn't found the sweet spot. I'd say the paddle still needs to be about doubled in size. But that would mean fewer quarters munched!
As far as this general practice of taking popular arcade games and updating them a bit for a rerelease goes, this one has more meaningful changes than others of the time, and that's nice. It's one of the first ones on this compilation that I could see myself really getting addicted to in an arcade IRL.
Old school but fun. Probably one of the games (Along with Snake) that made it to many early versions of cellphones. Remember having fun with those games.
holy fuck this one's even better
The first attempt to play with the formula. Just as good as the original, with game modes that would later become akin to power-ups.
A natural evolution of the first game with better graphics and slightly more creative gameplay.
Breakout was good, but the three game modes added in its successor are all meaningful improvements. They may only be bells and whistles tied onto Steve Wozniak's technical miracle, but it's the bells and whistles that finally make it sing. Even the Atari home version is good, and EVERYTHING sucks on an Atari console!
(Atari 50)
This does feel better than the first breakout but it still feels outclassed by most post-Arkanoid breakout types
This does feel better than the first breakout but it still feels outclassed by most post-Arkanoid breakout types
It's just like the original Breakout, except this time, you have multiple game modes to try out, adding more paddles, balls, and gimmicks. That's cool and all, but I dunno, it isn't really capturing my interest as much as it should, so I'll just stick with the original game.
Game #152
Game #152
While this is essentially an upgraded version of the 2600 super breakout, it feels worse in terms of the controls with the paddle that feels like it's attempting to fight you while you're moving it. This version looks much nicer compared to it's 2600 counterpart, and especially sounds better as I can genuinely say that 2600 version makes me want to mute my TV whenever I play it cause of how awful the sound of the pixel ball destroying the brick in the 2600 version makes. However and either this might be due to bad emulation on the part of Atari, or it's just that the game itself had this issue altogether, it feels like it's harder to control because the paddle has this delay where it attempts to fight you when you move it, and it moves slower compared to every other Super Breakout. I think honestly If I had to make a list from best to worst break out games:
1. Breakout 2600
2. Breakout PS1
3. Super Breakout 2600
4. Breakout Arcade
5. Super Breakout 5200
6. Super Breakout Arcade
If its hard to control when they give you such a big paddle as a purposeful hindrance, then it's not fun, the challenge is the ball gets faster, and you have to move as fast, when you're paddle feels like it's fighting you to do that. It just isn't isn't.
Looks great in terms of its appearance, mediocre in terms of its internal/gameplay. But I don't think it's the worst, geninuely think super breakout Arcade is just not fun if unless you have a lot of replay coins within Atari 50.
Played on Atari 50
1. Breakout 2600
2. Breakout PS1
3. Super Breakout 2600
4. Breakout Arcade
5. Super Breakout 5200
6. Super Breakout Arcade
If its hard to control when they give you such a big paddle as a purposeful hindrance, then it's not fun, the challenge is the ball gets faster, and you have to move as fast, when you're paddle feels like it's fighting you to do that. It just isn't isn't.
Looks great in terms of its appearance, mediocre in terms of its internal/gameplay. But I don't think it's the worst, geninuely think super breakout Arcade is just not fun if unless you have a lot of replay coins within Atari 50.
Played on Atari 50
Arcade:
the arcade version of Super Breakout feels like an arcade version of Breakout attempting to take your quarters, and im playing this on Atari 50. This version was specifically made to be as tedious because it's an arcade game. Regardless for breakout and being faster paced, it's fine, wish the paddle was bigger but like I said this is an arcade version, it's suppose to feel like the game is working against you, and while you can have fun, it'll find a way to screw you since it's an arcade game. Still I enjoyed it, not as much as Breakout 2600 though.
Atari 50 Collection is where I played this.
the arcade version of Super Breakout feels like an arcade version of Breakout attempting to take your quarters, and im playing this on Atari 50. This version was specifically made to be as tedious because it's an arcade game. Regardless for breakout and being faster paced, it's fine, wish the paddle was bigger but like I said this is an arcade version, it's suppose to feel like the game is working against you, and while you can have fun, it'll find a way to screw you since it's an arcade game. Still I enjoyed it, not as much as Breakout 2600 though.
Atari 50 Collection is where I played this.
(played as part of ATARI 50)
Far superior to the arcade version in that, whether due to the 2600's limitations, deliberate tweaking, or both, the overall balance between paddle width, ball speed, playfield size, and average game length works much, much better here. It trades the frustrating quarter-munching of the original for a powerful 'just one more game' feel that is quite satisfying, and it has all the new modes from the arcade as well as an easy mode, so there's plenty to do for a game of this vintage. Stellar port job.
Far superior to the arcade version in that, whether due to the 2600's limitations, deliberate tweaking, or both, the overall balance between paddle width, ball speed, playfield size, and average game length works much, much better here. It trades the frustrating quarter-munching of the original for a powerful 'just one more game' feel that is quite satisfying, and it has all the new modes from the arcade as well as an easy mode, so there's plenty to do for a game of this vintage. Stellar port job.
Feels more like Breakout with different variants to the gameplay that feels like sidegrades more than a true evolution of the original title. The modes themselves are cool spins on the game but I found myself wanting to play the original tried and true more. The paddles are still pretty small here but I'm guessing that was just a hardware limitation at the time.
A nice improvement on regular Breakout. There are now a few game types which adds some spice. On the other hand the paddle is still way too small. Regardless, it's a good step up for this kind of game from the original.
3.5 - Good: Good but not of particular importance
3.5 - Good: Good but not of particular importance
We got ourselves a real video game in here my dudes.