Arkanoid Glow Ball

Classical arkanoid game

Arkanoid is an update of the early ball and paddle video games — and specifically of Atari's 1978 classic, Super Breakout — in which the player takes control of a paddle at the bottom of the screen and must use it to deflect a ball into rows of bricks at the top of the screen, thus destroying them and, eventually, clearing the screen to progress to the next level.

As well as impressive and colourful graphics, Arkanoid introduced a number of new elements to the classic bat 'n' ball gameplay. Certain bricks, when destroyed, release a power-up — in the form of a falling capsule. The player has to "catch" the capsule by touching it with the paddle (in this case, termed "Vaus") to retrieve the power-up and acquire its effects. Among the many enhancements the power-ups provided were an increased paddle size, multiple balls, a "sticky" ball (which would stick to the paddle and could be released when the player chose) and even a laser attachment that allowed the player to shoot the bricks.