"Super? Absolutely this game is super!"

Less than one year after Atari launched Breakout for the Atari 2600, they released Super Breakout, a much improved version of the original. This game featured a total of four different types of game play, each one having one player or two player capabilities. I wasn't too impressed by the previously released Breakout, but this version is definitely far better than its predecessor.

Once again players are challenged to escape from the clutches of evil by almost painfully, slowly breaking down a multi-colored brick wall in front of them using only a paddle and a ball. This is the premise of the first variation of the game. This is the most original variation and the one that everyone is familiar with. You are given five balls and must try to get the highest score possible before you run out of balls. If you beat a level by destroying all of the blocks, you will start over on an identical level. The second variation of the game has the same goal, except there is a second ball and a second paddle thrown into the mix. The second paddle is about a paddle's length above the first paddle, and the second ball is initiated shortly after the first ball. Once both balls are down the tube, the game is over. Variation three also gives you two paddles. You only start with one ball, however there are two balls trapped within the brick wall that you are trying to conquer. Once these balls are released they will come into play and are quite destructive. The fourth variation of game play is very similar to the first, except that the blocks are arranged in a different way.

Like I said in my review for Breakout, I thought that the physics in this game were slightly off. Your ball could only hit one ball at a time, even if it would have clearly destroyed at least two or three. This will confuse many of the players who are more familiar with newer versions of the game like I am, but it is something that can be easily adjusted too.

Graphically the game is no different from the original Breakout. There is no added detail and everything is colored very similarly. Once again, this doesn't show the Atari 2600's graphical power, but in this game the game play really makes up for the lacking graphics.

The sounds are very unique in this game, and they did something that I'm not sure any other Atari 2600 can do. When Nick Turner made this game, he says that he couldn't decide which of the sixteen different sounds to use for the ball hitting a block, so he decided to include them all in the game. Whenever you hit a block, you will hear a random sound of the sixteen that he chose to put on the game. This may not seem like a big deal, but it really separates this simple game from others in terms of audio. It really helps to break up the monotony in easier parts of the game.

The reason that I like this game so much compared to the original Breakout is because of all of the different game variations. Unlike Breakout, which contained a mere two variations (the second of which was not very fun at all), this game contains four very fun variations that will keep classic gamers occupied for a while. One thing that I was very disappointed in when playing this game though, was the lack of a cooperative two-player mode like the original Breakout featured. This game does feature a two-player mode, but it is competitive, which is not quite as fun. This game definitely has a high replay value and I always find myself playing it from time to time. For some reason the game seems to be very relaxing.

Let's face it, some people just aren't going to like this game. Breakout isn't the most exciting game, and can get a little repetitive, but I think that if you give this game a chance, it will really start to grow on you as it did on me. This game is a great improvement from the original and has lots of new features that really make it stand out as a great Atari 2600 game. I would definitely recommend adding this game to your Atari 2600 collection.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/10/06