Block Breaker Deluxe

Arkanoid-style games were immensely popular back in the day, after hits like Breakout and various other arcade blockbusters. However, the genre has slowly slipped into obscurity after that, mainly because the market moved into a different direction. Nowadays, realistic and story-driven video games are preferred, which means that simple arcade games are not as popular anymore.

Block Breaker Deluxe is a blast from the past when it comes to gameplay mechanics and the atmosphere you experience playing it. Hence, the game is more or less the same as Breakout or Arkanoid, except for the fact that it features better visual quality and a few minor new ideas. In essence, you’ll be able to pick this up instantly if you are familiar with the genre, and you haven’t forgotten how to deal with frustration.

The game features a hefty collection of levels you have to complete one after the other, while trying to collect all the power-ups and the gifts that fall from some of the blocks. These levels are split into a few different zones, and you are guided by one character or another along the way. The gifts you find can be given to these characters as well, which is especially true for the ladies.

These power-ups are more or less classic, although there are some interesting experiments thrown into the mix as well. Hence, you have the usual triple balls and paddle enlargements, as well as the possibility to turn the ball into a yo-yo and pull it back whenever you want to do so. Bonus cash and lives can be picked up as well, although they are much rarer than the other stuff.

Speaking of which, the cash can be used at the shop in order to purchase new items and various other helpful things. In fact, you can use the money to buy additional lives, in case you feel like you’re not going to make it with the ones you already have. In this regard, it must be said that the game is a bit too easy, especially because the difficulty level does not seem to increase at all over the course of the stages.

When it’s all said and done, Block Breaker Deluxe is quite the fun remake of an old classic, with enough new features to make the experience feel different. However, the recipe is the same, and every fan of the original genre should feel right at home.