Hey all you former coin-op junkies, remember the fun you had pumping quarter after quarter into games like Arkanoid, Breakeroids and Asteroids? All right, enough cutesy poo, first of all welcome back. Oh, welcome me back? yeah, I have been quiet haven’t I? I’ve been here, reading Cary’s stuff but things tend to consume me and my time was taken by my struggle against writer’s block. I’m here to talk about Breakeroids because it is a real title, it does belong in the same breath as Asteroids, Arkanoid, Break-out, Gorf and more. It’s that good. Classic good.

The game is simple. There’s a planet at the bottom, there’s a paddle you can move left and right, there’s a 3-line shield and there are big rocks in the sky. You’ve got to smash rocks by sending the ball upwards and the pace gets more and more frantic. Also on hand are Asteroids flying saucers and Space Invaders’ relentless bass. The Asteroids, cleverly wire-framed and colored in primary colors, manage to evoke both coin-op Asteroids and the Atari version.

Let me interupt myself and disclose that Breakeroids was made by Simon Windmill and Windmill has been a behind the scenes asset all of that time. Tinkering with code, making graphics, keeping me sane …. I owe him the world. I would be telling you about Breakeroids, even if it sucked, I’d just stop short of recommending it.

But it doesn’t suck and I do receommend it. It’s $2 and now available (amazing, this game would have taken so many quarters out of my pocket – just last night) in the App store. It works just fine on the iPad – Keep an eye out arcade fans. There’s a new coin-op in town.

Tags: Game Reviews