Arkanoid: Doh It Again

"Just another Super Breakout clone? Read and find out."

Arkanoid: Doh It Again is one of the funniest titles I have ever seen in a video game. I mean, look at it! The game itself is quite dull though, and the levels get boring and frustrating after a while.

Graphics 7/10
The graphics aren't really that bad. They have some nice colors and backgrounds as well as good text font. Some backgrounds though are hard on the eyes and the enemies are really just cones, cubes, 8s, spheres and Saturn-shaped moving objects. The ball itself is just a blue circle. Simple design, but it's not hard to follow it around the screen.

Control 9/10
Okay, I'll give it to them here. The control is excellent (and you can even adjust your paddle speed in the options :D ). Really the only control you need is left and right to move your paddle around. I did take a point off however because when you face every third boss, after he flips the screen around the paddle is slightly hard to control.

Gameplay 3/10
With good control comes bad gameplay. Surprised? Don't be. The game has almost the exact same concept as Super Breakout (but with a storyline and powerups). If you disliked the original Super Breakout , then this game is probably like a useless time machine. If you've never played the original though, you'll get tired of it quickly. There is a 16 character password (aaaargh!!!) to deal with if you want to continue. This game repeats itself often in the levels (block here, gold brick there, enemy there, block there). Kinda boring.

Sound 3/10
The sound isn't too hot either. The ''ping'' made by a lot of the game will get annoying fast, and the music is quite annoying.

Story 4/10
After travelling for some years, the crew of this spaceship is trying to find a new home. They have reached many planets, but they all turn out to be hoaxes made by the evil Doh. Continuing their search, they send their scout ship (your paddle) to examine the planets more closely. However, your search is interrupted by Doh and his blocks. Bash through all 100 levels and you'll find a real planet.

Not bad, but not good either.

Overall, this game is really an improved version of Super Breakout . If you want to see the experience of the original, go right ahead and buy it! If not, avoid it. Period.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 03/30/02, Updated 03/30/02