2005 Arkanoid Game of the Year

2005 Arkanoid Game of the Year

Arkanoid games are always a love/hate affair.  However, based on the number of sales that they drum up each year you'd have to say that it is more love than hate! 

Game Tunnel took extra interest in the arkanoid games this year as it was following up on one of the best years ever for arkanoid games!  So did this year win out?  Certainly there are some very original ideas this year that pushed arkanoid games a bit, but as to being better or worse than last year we'll let you be the judge.

5th Place - Sunny Ball

Sunny Ball is really an art-centric game. That is to say that the art and graphics are a large focus of the game. Many of the levels depict scenes that are drawn onto the bricks. Instead of having a lot of bricks arranged to make something that looks like a seahorse, the game actually has a seahorse drawing that is spread out over many bricks. The graphics are very well done in a cartoony style that creates very rewarding levels that any arkanoid player will enjoy playing through.

Sunny Ball also offers up a couple of fun new things to the typical arkanoid game play. Stars on some boards light up when passed over by the ball, and the player is ultimately rewarded with extra points if all the stars are lit before the board is completed. There is also a simple combo system that gives extra points for hitting a large number of bricks in a short period of time. This complements the diamond-catching that you do during the game. Different combinations of different colored diamonds will give you point bonuses as you play.

While the game may scare a few away as being 'just another arkanoid', the graphics in the game have taken a very different direction from what is normally seen in arkanoid games. It is clear that many hours have been spent drawing whimsical images for the game, and what has been created is a game that continues the fine tradition of arkanoid games by taking the genre through a face-lift. The end result is a great game that is visually interesting and definitely distinctive.

4th Place - The Magic Blackboard

Alpha72 Games has offered their addition to the Arkanoid ranks with an unusual looking game called The Magic Blackboard. Unlike the Chromate series from last year, Blackboard seems to be a really artistic endeavor with a visual approach that is completely unlike anything else out there.

The game offers a classic arcade mode and a puzzle game mode. The former is a blend of classic Arkanoid (use a paddle and a ball to destroy bricks) and other games such as the famous Pang, where you have to split bubbles in half. It also bears some resemblance to Space Invaders because in some levels the blocks slowly drift towards you and cause you to lose a life when they reach the bottom of the screen. There are over a hundred arcade levels bundled up into small episodes with bonus levels in between. Players can choose which levels to clear first, but they’ll have to finish them all eventually to advance to the next episode.

The puzzle mode is fairly innovative. It’s fun to solve a couple dozen levels, though younger players may find themselves stumped by the sheer complexity of The Magic Blackboard. You need to remember many different types of bricks and their individual behavior, and then properly predict what will happen before you make them move.

The way The Magic Blackboard presents itself on the screen is very uncommon – there is only one graphics mode, 640x480, and a “gooey” filter makes everything shine with a somewhat ethereal glow. The colorful graphics and child-friendly motifs almost seem to target the elementary school audience, but the game itself comes across as an artistic statement. Everything is friendly, colorful, and very blurry. It's certainly a love it/hate it game, but no-one can contest that it is one of the more singular game experiences you'll have this year.

3rd Place - Little Gods

Little Gods combines two giants of the gaming genre, Pong and Arkanoid and then throws in their own unique spice to the mix. The gameplay is simple enough on the surface. Using only the “W” and “S” keys to traverse vertically (Pong-style) players square off with either a computer opponent or a buddy. The points are awarded in the fashion of Pong, as well. Every ball that beats your paddle is a point for your opponent.

The level design is where Arkanoid enters the mix and where the game really shines. While the player is attempting to protect his portion of the screen from the ever-bouncing ball, the level is always introducing new obstacles to the path of the ball. The bricks and other odds and ends that get in the way can be smashed with enough solid hits from your ball, and they will frequently release items that can be grabbed to gain the upper hand.

In addition, during gameplay Manna can be used as it is accrued to unleash various powers, or attacks, in the course of the game. These powers also add a level of replay value to the game. The karma awarded at the end of each round goes into a pool for the player. That karma can then be spent to unlock powers, different opponents, new levels and new gameplay modes.

Gamers who are looking for something that stands apart from the all too common brick-busting PC game should come in search of Little Gods. The game has plenty of variety for replay value and personality to spare. This is one blending of styles that benefits from the heritage of both the progenitors, as well as the injection of youth given by Grim Inventions.

2nd Place - ZombieBall

In ZombieBall, Wildsnake has shaken up the Arkanoid genre a bit by introducing a would-be hero to the mix of things.

In the game you play Pat Poe, who has at his side a giant shield!  The shield is used to bounce the balls up and serves as your paddle for the game.  The prince turned wannabe hero isn't the only cool piece of the game.  There is a lot of voice-work throughout the game and it is REALLY something to hear.  In addition to adding a lot of atmosphere to the game, it also is very helpful when collecting power-ups. 

ZombieBall has all of the typical power-ups, with guns and cannons that can be added to the shield, but the overall theme of the game makes all of these power-ups seem to have more purpose.  There is also a spin feature for ball control which is much appreciated and should be in more games!

At it's root, the game is something akin to a NES era adventure game such as Castlevania or Trojan (with graphics to match!), but instead of moving through the game as a platformer, you play your way through the dungeons and frightening levels (that are wonderfully creepy thanks to the tremendous voice acting!) from your position at the bottom of the screen.  There is also a puzzle mode that provides a good contrast and makes this game one that you will take HOURS to get through...and you'll enjoy every minute of it!

 

2005 Arkanoid Game of the Year - Paperball

At first glance one might look at Paperball and think it is just a gimmick.  That is, of course, assuming that you get past the graphics at all. People are rather fickle about games looking a specific way.

Paperball definitely does look different.  The game was intended to look like a bunch of doodles on a pad and boy does it ever deliver. 

Still, while the graphics may look simplistic in screenshots, it is amazing what the scaled down look is capable of in the game (with the help of some great particle effects).  The effects, from the splash of the ball into the water when it passes to the paddle, to the swirling smoke on the missiles look fantastic!

However, where Paperball really focuses is on the game play and it delivers with sharp controls that respond to your every touch.  The reality is, the graphics alone would be just a gimmick if they weren't back up by great game play.  In Paperball, a number of different well-thought out pieces have been put together to make for interesting game play. 

For example, there are the one-way pieces.  Many levels have one-way pieces that push the ball in specific directions...as long as the arrow isn't pointing back at you.  The pieces are created to make elaborate puzzle boards that require you to hit the ball into specific spots in order for the "dominos" to fall.

The designers have also gone to great lengths to make sure that players feel totally in control of the game by taking care of some of the annoyances that many people find in arkanoid games.  If you get down to one last brick and can't seem to hit it, no problem, it will self-destruct.  In fact, you don't even have to get that far...if at any point you get tired of a board, you can choose to skip it entirely and move onto the next one.  There is also a handy feature that slows the game down when you return from having paused it so that you can get your groove back.

Paperball includes an easy to use board designer that lets the player create as many outrageous designs as they want, and a profile manager that keeps all of yours scores for you without prompting you for your name.

All in all, it is a very complete package with a very distinctive look that works very well.  For the arkanoid fan it is a game that you should definitely check out!