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Thread: Game of the Day 3/12/2016: Breakaway

  1. #1
    celerystalker is a poindexter celerystalker's Avatar
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    Default Game of the Day 3/12/2016: Breakaway

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    The Emerson Arcadia 2001 is loaded with me too knock-offs of many classic arcade and Atari 2600 games, and some of them actually offer up something different. Breakaway is on the surface a Break Out! clone, and, well, it is. However, upon exploring its game settings, there are some cool variations on the formula. On the surface, though, yeah... Break Out!...

    So, the first set of options allows you to play with a smaller paddle. Pretty standard and simple. Second set of options makes the bricks you break invisible, which adds another layer of challenge. It's an okay diversion, but nothing that'll pull you away from Arkanoid. There are game variations that allow you to catch the ball, control the ball, or make it so that the ball continues through bricks until it hits the ceiling. All pretty cool, but nothing you can't find elsewhere. Where it gets cool is variants 5-16.

    These variants are head to head, and each player has a paddle guarding a wall of bricks. The game has a 5 minute limit, and is played for who can score the most points in that limit. It can use all of the same alternate rules like catching and such, but have even more variations, such as your paddle itself slowly disintigrating with contact, two split paddles on each side, and even the computer controlling the opponent for single player practice. Playing 2 player is a blast, and easily the high point of the experience.

    There may be nothing utterly unique about Breakaway, but it is a strong Arkanoid-style experience, and one of the more enjoyable games I've played on the Arcadia. The control would be cooler with a dial/paddle controller, but at least holding a button on the keypad will let you speed up... but it just isn't as precise as a paddle. Still, if you do play the Arcadia, it's a great 2 player game, and there's always room for Break Out!, right?

    Played it?

  2. #2
    Great Puma (Level 12) Steve W's Avatar
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    Nope. I have an Arcadia but it's player 1 controller won't go left so it's pointless to play. And I only have two games for it - Jungler and Escape.

    I was given my Emerson Arcadia 2001 by Phosphor Dot Fossils at my next to last visit to the Oklahoma Video Game Expo some years ago. He kept it under the cover of his table all day, and gave it to me as I was leaving. When I was walking out of the room, I got stopped by two different people who wanted to marvel at the box and wondered where I got it from, who was selling it, why did they not see it first, that kind of thing. It was never a great console, it had a limited library and also a murky history (has anybody ever figured out the original company that licensed the console hardware to Emerson and loads of other companies in dozens of nations all over the globe?) but even then, it totally captured people's imaginations at a retro gaming convention. I noticed many envious eyes watching me take it out to my car. That really amused me.

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    celerystalker is a poindexter celerystalker's Avatar
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    Mine works just fine, but apparently at some point something went wrong with the AC adapter/port, as the previous owner hard-wired in an aftermarket AC adapter. It's odd, but at least it works I guess. Definitely not some secret amazing console, but it always gets attention when people see it, especially with some of the oddball cartridge sizes.

    Breakaway probably isn't a reason to buy one, but for someone who already has one, it's great to play.

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