

Arkanoid is an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986. It expanded upon Atari's Breakout games of the 1970s by adding power-ups, different types of bricks, and a variety of level layouts. The title refers to a doomed "mothership" from which the player's ship, the Vaus, escapes. The player controls the "Vaus", a space vessel that acts as the game's "paddle" which prevents a ball from falling from the playing field, attempting to bounce it against a number of bricks. The ball striking a brick causes the brick to disappear. When all the bricks are gone, the player goes to the next level, where another pattern of bricks appears. There are a number of variations (bricks that have to be hit multiple times, flying enemy ships, etc.) and power-up capsules to enhance the Vaus (expand the Vaus, multiply the number of balls, equip a laser cannon, break directly to the next level, etc.), but the gameplay remains the same. At round 33, the final stage, the player will take on the game's boss, "DOH", a head resembling moai. Once a player reaches round 33, he must defeat DOH with his remaining extra lives because there are no continues on the final round.
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Character
Plot-driven, earnest, resolved and cool.
- character-ledplot-driven
- earnestironic
- resolvedopen-ended
- cooloverwhelming
- gravecomic
Who loves it, who doesn't
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Where do you stand?
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“Is this Taito's best work?”
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“Is the nostalgia doing the heavy lifting?”
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“Is it the best arcade game of its decade?”
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About the game
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Developer
- Taito
- Publisher
- Taito, Romstar
- Released
- April 26, 1986
- Modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Perspective
- Bird view / Isometric
IGDB rating 8.0/10 from 112 ratings.
Screenshots
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Curator Co. Other media included when they land close.
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Terror by Night 194666% alikeFilm · Both resolved, plot-driven, classical in form.
Prince: Sign 'o' the Times 198764% alikeFilm · Both earnest, grave, plot-driven.
Often played with
Similar games per IGDB. Opening one adds it to Curator Co.










