Arkanoid DS Review
Arcade remakes are what seems to be the norm these days for companies who are finding themselves producing almost no titles. Recently, I had the honour of reviewing Space Invaders Extreme, a very enjoyable and interesting remake of the classic Space Invaders. Space Invaders Extreme featured a brilliant soundtrack that changed as you played the game and made the game feel really engaging, as well as upped the ante to make the gameplay faster and more accessible today. When I picked up Arkanoid DS, made by the same company in similar vein, I couldn’t help but feel extremely disappointed. It’s bland, unimaginative and does nothing to make itself more accessible today. It really makes you wonder HOW Taito could put so much effort into one of their arcade revivals and almost no effort into another.
Arkanoid DS takes place on the mystical planet of Arkanoid. In the orbit of this planet, there are several satellites which are all powered by the light of what the game refers to as “alien heroes”. However, one of the alien heroes goes rogue, and a strange rift is opened and several invaders are released into the world. As a result, many of the alien heroes are drawn into the rift, with only one left to save them – ANANKE, in his ship the VAUS, which is what players will control. Okay, so sure, the story really isn’t all that great, and it really serves no purpose outside of introducing cutesy Japanese looking characters into the game, possibly to appeal to a younger audience.
Those who go into Arkanoid DS expecting a make over similar to Space Invaders Extreme will be sorely disappointed, unfortunately. The graphics, although they look naturally smoother and much more colourful than the original Atari title and consequent remakes, are really nothing to write home about. The game uses many bright colours, with a major emphasis on whites in order to convey the much more simplistic and less dark nature of the game. It’s really disappointing too, especially coming off the recently released Space Invaders Extreme which was made by the same developer too. The game does use the dual screens of the DS well though, and puts the top of the screen with the blocks on the top screen of the DS, with the touchscreen being used to move the paddle. One thing that I noticed while playing was the “blind spot” between the screens can be disorientating but players will adapt within no time.
For those not in the know, Arkanoid is a Japanese clone of the Atari hit, Breakout. In addition, Nintendo fans may recall a game released as a launch title for the Game Boy, titled Alleyway, in which Mario was the playable character. The gameplay in Arkanoid is exceptionally simple – players control the paddle through either the stylus or the face buttons (players will have a choice) and use it to hit a ball in order to destroy coloured blocks at the top of the screen. Naturally, missing the ball results in a lost life (or the weakening of a “safety net”) and as such requires the player to start again. Some notable upgrades to the gameplay include acquirable power ups after smashing certain blocks, which extend the paddle so that players can put less effort into deflecting shots, or even making the paddle sticky so that players can choose where the ball goes next. It’s all very simple and it should appeal to almost any demographic.
Here’s the thing though – Arkanoid DS’s gameplay is incredibly repetitive and formulaic. There is hardly any variety in the core gameplay, and although the game does provide differing modes which include goals that are different from the standard “Destroy All Blocks” modes, they just don’t sustain enough interest to motivate players to complete the title. It’s a real shame too, because with some extra work and tweaking this could’ve been a brilliant revival of a classic title. One good thing which some may see as fun, is the inclusion of multiplayer battles with either single cards or multiple cards, as well as online battle over Nintendo WiFi Connection. In all multiplayer modes, the player can only see their screen with a basic outline of their opponents appearing to the left in the HUD, which is a very nice touch, I must admit.
The soundtrack for Arkanoid DS is definitely the best thing about it. Since we have moved into a technological age where beeps and boops won’t cut it for audio, Arkanoid DS provides a very large range of pieces for the levels in the game, ranging from what can only be described as “Happy Hardcore” electronica to some very relaxing and ambient pieces. It’s all very well done but unfortunately it doesn’t save the game from it’s tedious gameplay.
Arkanoid DS is a game that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone who has already played the original arcade version, as it doesn’t offer a whole lot besides the ability to pick it up and play it anywhere. But in all honesty, who would want to play this outdated title over some of the better things for the DS? People who are a fan of the genre would’ve already picked up Space Invaders Extreme (and I can now see why Taito and Square Enix have been pushing that title more) and wouldn’t see a need to pick up Arkanoid DS. Arkanoid DS is definitely a title that is only for the die hard fans of the series itself or those who are exceptionally competitive.
