A long time ago, there was a game called Breakout. It was a game where you had to destroy blocks by moving a paddle back and forth to reflect a moving ball towards the blocks, and as with most games of the time, it spawned many rip-offs and imitations. While the original Breakout game has, let’s be honest, aged terribly, there is one imitator that brought enough new ideas to the table to ensure increased longevity. That game- Arkanoid- has now reached the DS.

So what innovations did Arkanoid bring to the table? For one, there were power-ups. Destroying certain coloured blocks would make power-ups fall from the sky and grant abilities such as multiple balls, a ball that would pass through blocks instead of reflecting off them, a power-up that made the ball stick to your paddle allowing you to release it wherever you wanted, and my personal favourite, a power-up that gave your paddle laser guns to shoot blocks with. Another distinguishing feature of Arkanoid is that, instead of simply providing a wall of blocks to be destroyed on every stage, Arkanoid’s blocks are arranged into shapes and pictures for extra fun! Admittedly, I don’t know for sure if these things were originally introduced in Arkanoid, but the point is that they’re there, and they make the game more fun than your average Breakout clone.

The VAUS shrinks in cold temperatures...

A third feature that the DS game introduces (dunno if it was in earlier versions) is ‘barriers’. You can have a limited number of barriers which are situated underneath your paddle (or VAUS as it’s called in the game… don’t ask me why) and prevent the ball from falling off the bottom of the screen. So if you have three barriers, the ball can hit the bottom of the screen three times without costing a life, after which the barrier disappears and you’re on your own. Extra barriers can also be obtained as power-ups.

‘But Mr_M!’ I hear you cry, ‘Why should I pay hard-earned cash for a port of a decades-old game with crappy D-Pad controls that I could probably get for free on the Internet?’ It’s a fair question, but one that is easily answered. Firstly, this game has Wi-Fi support, allowing you to play multiplayer games over the Internet or upload high scores. Secondly, this game has a rather massive trick up its sleeve- Paddle Controller support.

Now, you may have noticed other English language reviews panning this game for its poor controls and mentioning ‘lack of Paddle Controller support’. What are they referring to? Well, the Paddle Controller is a peripheral that shipped with the Japanese version of the game. It is essentially a rectangle with a wheel attached to it that plugs into the GBA cartridge slot on your DS, and it allows for full analogue control in games that require side-to-side movement, such as Arkanoid. Before you start whingeing about how we never get anything good in Australia, don’t despair- the Paddle Controller is universally compatible with all DS consoles and Arkanoid DS games, and can be bought separately. Basically, if you want to play this game the way it was meant to be played, you need to import one (I got mine from American eBay). And trust me, it’s worth it.

My eyes! The goggles do nothing!

Playing Arkanoid DS with the Paddle Controller is the most beautiful arcade gaming experience on any current-generation console in the world. While using the peripheral, I found the game impossible to play because the tears of joy I was shedding every second I played were obscuring my vision. It feels so natural, so pure, so precise, that you’ll wonder why nobody came up with the idea sooner. Yes, the game is very clunky and unsatisfying to play with the D-Pad, not to mention difficult when the speed increases, but after I plugged in the Paddle I set the starting number of barriers to zero, jacked the difficulty right up, and settled in for one of the most intense and flat-out entertaining block-breaking games I’ve ever played.

And that’s pretty much all I can say with Arkanoid. It’s a port of an old game with jazzed-up graphics and sound, Wi-Fi support, and a shop mode where you can buy decorations to decorate the gameplay screen to your liking. But in the end, it doesn’t make much difference because this is the kind of old-school arcade game that lives and dies on its gameplay. If you don’t have a Paddle Controller, Arkanoid DS sucks. But if you import one, Arkanoid DS is THE definitive block-breaking game, because its graphics, soundtrack, controls, and challenge put all others to absolute shame. And as a person who does own a Paddle Controller, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

By Mr_M

Graphics: A-

Bright, colourful 2D graphics that look good and do their job.

Sound: A-

The game is loaded with super-cool Lumines-inspired sound effects and songs! Q Entertainment has a lot to answer for…

Gameplay: A+

The Paddle Controller provides unmatched precision, the game is fun and challenging, and it includes Wi-Fi multiplayer.

Overall: A+

The best old-school arcade game available anywhere! Import a Paddle Controller and get set for many hours of classic gaming fun!