The original and best?
If you're a fan of modern ball-busting, brick and bat games like Arkanoid and Bananoid but you've never played Breakout then you owe it to yourself to check it out just for its historical importance. It might seem unflashy and tame compared to modern takes on the genre but it's an undeniably significant game that has earned its place in video gaming history. It is clearly somewhat limited when viewed today, lacking in the slick visuals or abundance of powerups that have now become the standard, while the levels themselves are clearly not as intricately designed, being simpler and less varied. Sound too is minimal, with nothing of the sci-fi music or hi-tech effects of later efforts and being restricted to merely blips and bleeps but there is still something strangely hypnotic about the whole affair. It's little more than a pure exercise in high score attainment, like most games from this early period in gaming such as arcade hits Pacman or Space Invaders, but despite Breakout's simplicity, you can't help but give it one more go and also like many early games, it's actually highly challenging. This is not through any fault of poorly designed controls but more to do with the skill with which it has been designed and if you are looking for a pure reaction tester, then Breakout is a tough one to beat. The lack of variety in level layouts is likely to be the main thing to put modern gamers off, with every level being the same but if you want a fascinating excursion into the past, then Breakout makes for a great destination.
