Breakout
from Atari Interactive

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Breakout is now available for the PC and the Sony PlayStation.   The game was developed by Supersonic Software, which is the same company that developed Pong in 1999.  Breakout is marketed by Hasbro Interactive under the Atari brand name.

Like so many of the classic game "re-releases," this new twist on Breakout has a story behind it, and a long list of characters that you will encounter.  Like the original Breakout coin-op, this game borrows significantly from the original Pong games of the 1970's, and the Pong re-release from 1999.

This review will make a number of comparisons to the Pong re-release.

The story goes something like this......

A world, not so dissimilar to ours, has some very strange inhabitants - tall, fun, flexible and strong willed and quite unlike anything we are used to.

Bouncer lives happily with his girlfriend Daisy on a beautiful desert island.  He has many friends - some are other paddles like himself, and others are balls, a paddle's natural companion.

All was comfortable and quiet until the Powerful and Darkly Evil Batnix entered the scene. On seeing Daisy he was smitten and on that day he vowed, whether she wanted him or not, he would have her at any cost.

One day, while Bouncer was retrieving a volleyball that had rolled off the island into the ocean, Batnix & his evil henchmen kidnapped the beautiful Daisy.  When Bouncer returned to the island, Batnix trapped Bouncer, and sent him to a dark and dank prison.  Knowing of Bouncer’s strong and loyal friends he ensured they could not mount a rescue by scattering them across the world, trapped and unable to help.

In the dark, dripping cell Bouncer struggled against a ball and chain, a punishment since his latest failed escape attempt. His only consolation a torn and tattered picture of Daisy pinned to the wall.

The noise of the guards grew distant. Suddenly… Eyes! The Steel Ball gave a quick sideways glance, leaped into the air and smashed the chains.  Steel Ball bounced with excitement and waited for the whack that would signal the demolition of the cell wall, and the latest dash for freedom.

Will Bouncer succeed? Can he find and rescue all of his friends?

Ultimately, can he rescue Daisy and defeat Batnix once and for all?

Its up to you.

Breakout was originally released by Atari's coin-op division in the mid 1970's.  Breakout is, for the most part, a one player version of Pong.

The original Breakout coin-op was devised by Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak.  (Yes, those are the two guys who founded Apple Computer.)  Steve Jobs was an Atari employee in the 70's.  The idea behind Breakout is to knock out the bricks in a wall.  You have a bat, and you must bounce one (or more) balls against the brick wall.  Score is based on the type of brick that you eliminate.  You can earn 5 Points for orange bricks, 3 points for green bricks, and 1 point for yellow bricks.  Once you eliminate the bricks, you move on to a harder level with faster-moving balls.

What did the original game look like?   The screen capture on the left was taken from the Atari's Greatest Hits collection.   That collection features an emulated version of Super Breakout, which was a sequel to the original game.

When the announcement came down in early 1999 that a new version of Pong was on the way, I couldn't comprehend what could be done to bring the game up to modern standards.  When the game was released, I was very suprised, as Supersonic Software did a fantastic job developing Pong into a fun modern game.  When I heard that Supersonic Software would be developing the new Breakout game, I hoped it would be just as good as the Pong re-release.  Guess what?  Breakout is even better!

The game opens with some cool video that sets up the story.  It shows a DJ under some palm trees.  He is playing some island music, and his "Atari Speakers" are dancing in rhythm with the music.   On the right is Bouncer and Daisy sunbathing on a large Atari beach blanket.   On the left are four of Bouncer's friends playing a game of volleyball.  When the volleyball rolls into the ocean, Bouncer goes to retrieve it for his friends.   When he returns, all of his friends are gone.  All that remains on the island is the evil Batnix, who locks Bouncer in prison.

The first chapter of the game consist of some tutorial levels to get you aquatinted with the game.  During these levels, Bouncer must use his "Breakout" skills to escape from jail.  In doing so, he completes the first chapter of the game.

From here on the game is made up of five additional chapters. Bouncer must play through them towards their conclusion of him rescuing one of his imprisoned friends and gaining a reward.  Namco tried this approach with the "Adventure" mode of their Pac-Man World game last year.

The chapters themselves also have a very whimsical feel to them.  Here are some examples.....

Egypt -- Set against a backdrop of Egyptian desert sits a giant pyramid, its secret hidden from view. Only total destruction will unlock all its treasures. Revealed beneath the pyramid is a series of secret tombs through which Bouncer must battle in order to reach the Mummy's Lair where a final battle will rescue his friend.

Farm -- This chapter is set around a farm, and involves a number of barnyard animals.  Bouncer must use his Breakout skills to defeat sheep, chickens, and ducks.

Castle -- A majestic, towering medieval castle surrounded by a deep moat forms the setting for this chapter. The scene is set by a real-time cut-scene of a giant Dragon carrying a captive into the castle. Bouncer must first defeat the knight guards on the drawbridge before entering the castle.  Once Bouncer has completed several different challenges, he must climb the castle tower to the Dragon’s nest where he must do battle to save one of his friends.

Factory -- Batnix has devised an evil robot henchman to guard his captives in his diabolical factory.  A series of devious, puzzle like levels must be negotiated before Bouncer does battle with the deranged robot to complete his mission.

Space -- Bouncer launches a rocket into space.  He chases the evil Batnix, and rescues Daisy.  Bouncer must use his skills to deflect killer asteroids.

This game features some interesting "power-up" items that will enhance the gameplay.  Every once in a while, a colored box will appear in the playfield.  If a ball hits the box, it will drop down towards the bottom of the screen.  If Bouncer can catch the box, he earns a temporary power-up.  Power-ups include increasing the size of Bouncer, adding additional lives, and increasing Bouncer' speed.

Each level has all kinds of small details.   For example, during the farm levels, the chickens will roll rotten eggs at Bouncer.   If Bouncer touches one, he will become stunned for a few seconds, and will be unable to move properly.

And speaking of details, each of the characters in the game is extremely detailed.  Batnix has a "Darth Vader" looking helmet with little horns sticking out.  Other characters you encounter (such as the dragon and the wolf) are finely detailed, and presented in a fun & "cartoonish" way.

There are a number of things in this game that will appeal to the classic gamers.  For example, during the farm chapter, one of the levels is called "Henvaders."  The level features several rows of chickens marching back and forth across the screen just like the classic "Space Invaders" coin-op game.  Instead of shooting at them, you use Bouncer to deflect the ball around.  When the ball touches a hen, it flies out an open window on the side of a barn.

One area that has seen some major changes over the Pong re-release is physics.  I was able to apply some "body english" to the ball, which was something that you could do in the original Pong & Breakout coin-op games.  If you used your bat the proper way, you would send the ball spinning off in a different direction, and confuse your opponent.  When Pong was re-released in 1999, that was one feature that I felt was underutilized.

Breakout also has a multi-player game that supports up to 4 players simultaneously.  This is accomplished via a "split-screen" mode.  This mode will involve the opponents simultaneously having to clear their arenas and also having to attack their opponents with weapons, and other power-ups.  If you can't find anyone to play with at home, log on to the Internet and play with someone over the web!

Once you have rescued all of your friends, it is time to defeat Batnix and rescue Daisy.  A word of warning:  There was a point during the last chapter where I thought I had finished the game.  When I had beaten the last level of the game, the credits started to roll.  I couldn't believe that the game ended by just showing who programmed the game, and I was initially let down.   I almost slapped the ESC key to end it all and go back to the main menu.   Thankfully, I didn't, and the game continued for one more level.  I don't want to ruin the end of the game, so I won't reveal it here.  Just make sure you stand by when those credits start to roll, and something very interesting will happen.  If you beat the lest level, you will have something fun to watch.

As I mentioned above, I was VERY pleased with this game.  However, I was disappointed that there was no historical information included in the game.  I still believe that the software publishers should include some historical information when they publish modern versions of classic games.

I was also a bit let down by the fact that the game is extremely short.  I managed to make it all the way through the game in about three hours spread over two nights.  My original understanding was that there were to be ten chapters in the game.  However, Breakout only has six chapters.   I was really suprised at how quickly I finished the game. 

Conclusion:

Breakout was a blast to play.  Supersonic Software & Atari/Hasbro Interactive should be commended for creating such a fun game.  They managed to successfully bring the game up to modern standards, without changing the gameplay from the original Breakout coin-op game.  In fact, gameplay can become fast & furious when multiple balls are flying around the playfield.

The gameplay in Pong could have been greatly improved with a paddle controller.  I am pleased to say that Breakout plays very nicely with a joystick or gamepad.  I did not have any of the controller problems that I had with Pong.

On the downside, I was disappointed in the manual.  All of the appropriate information was there, but the manual is nothing more than a jewel case insert.  I can't stand manuals like that.   It would have been nice to include some history, or background information on the original game.

I only noticed one bug.   During the "sheep" level, the ball would occasionally get stuck in a corner.  Since there was no way to work it loose, I had to hit the ESC key and start over.

I was also a bit let down by the fact that the game is so short.  As I mentioned above, I finished the game mush faster than I expected, and I came away wanting more.

If you have kids, you owe it to yourself to get this game.  All of the visuals and sound effects are perfect for kids.  All in all, I felt that this is an outstanding game for classic gamers, or anyone who has kids. 

PC Hardware Requirements:

Modem:
28.8k baud for modem play

For more information, visit the Atari Interactive
homepage at Hasbro Interactive

For another look at Breakout,
visit my friends at ClassicGaming.com