Arkanoid
A 1986 block breaker that revitalized the Breakout concept.
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Arkanoid is a block breaker arcade game from 1986, developed and published by Taito and released in North America by Romstar. It revived the core idea of Atari's successful *Breakout* from ten years earlier and set the template for many later games in the genre. The game was ported to numerous home systems, including the Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, and ZX Spectrum.
The player controls a paddle-shaped craft called the Vaus, moving it left and right to deflect a ball into a formation of colorful blocks. The goal is to clear all the blocks without letting the ball fall off the bottom of the screen. Some blocks release power-ups that can lengthen the Vaus, create extra balls, or give it cannons. Others are indestructible or need multiple hits to break.
Arkanoid was designed by Taito employees Akira Fujita and Hiroshi Tsujino, who won an internal company contest to create a new block breaker game. The futuristic neon look was inspired by the 1982 film *Tron*. Early location tests performed better than Taito expected. The game became a major arcade hit, ranking as the highest-grossing table cabinet in Japan for 1987 and the top-grossing conversion kit in the United States that same year. Critics praised its gameplay, simplicity, addictiveness, and improvements over *Breakout*. Arkanoid led to a long series of sequels and updates over the following twenty years.
The game's plot involves the starship Arkanoid being attacked by an entity called DOH, with the Vaus ejected as an escape pod. The player advances through levels by destroying all bricks. Some bricks require multiple hits or are unbreakable. Floating enemies appear and can be hit for bonus points. On the final stage (stage 33 in most versions, stage 36 on the NES), the player faces the boss DOH. At this point, continues are no longer allowed. If the player defeats DOH, the ending shows time reversing, the Vaus returning to the Arkanoid, and the ship being restored. The game warns that the journey has only begun and that DOH will return.
Development took place at Taito's Yokohama Research Institute. The sales department requested a new block breaker game due to a resurgence in the genre's popularity. The internal competition was won by Fujita and Tsujino, who combined their ideas. Fujita handled planning, Tsujino handled level design and graphics, and two others programmed the arcade boa
- developer
- Taito
- publisher
- Taito (Japan), Romstar (North America)
- release_year
- 1986
- genre
- Block breaker
- platforms
- Arcade, Commodore 64, NES, ZX Spectrum, and others
- designers
- Akira Fujita, Hiroshi Tsujino
Lore & Background
Arkanoid was created by Taito designers Akira Fujita and Hiroshi Tsujino as part of an internal contest where two teams competed to implement a block breaker game. The winning concepts were combined into a single project. The game's futuristic neon aesthetic was inspired by the 1982 film Tron. Development had a short, demanding schedule, with location testing beginning only a month after development started. The game was officially released in Japan in July 1986 and in North America later that year by Romstar.
The player controls a paddle-like craft called the Vaus, moving it to deflect a ball into a formation of blocks. Some blocks contain power-ups, such as lengthening the Vaus or adding cannons. The final stage features a boss named DOH. If the player defeats DOH, the ending shows time flowing backward and the Vaus returning to the Arkanoid, with a warning that the journey has only started.
Arkanoid became one of Taito's most profitable coin-operated games. It was the highest-grossing table arcade cabinet of 1987 in Japan and the highest-grossing conversion kit in the United States that year. Critics commended its gameplay, simplicity, and addictive nature.
Reader's Guide
Arkanoid's significance lies in its revitalization of the block breaker genre, building on Atari's Breakout and establishing a template for countless subsequent games. Its commercial success was substantial: it was Japan's highest-grossing table arcade game of 1987 and the highest-grossing arcade conversion kit in the United States that year. The game received critical acclaim for its addictive, simple gameplay and improvements over Breakout. It won multiple awards, including the Gamest Silver Award, Compute! Games of the Year, and Best Arcade Translation from Computer Gaming World. Arkanoid spawned a long series of sequels and updates over two decades, including Tournament Arkanoid, Revenge of Doh, Arkanoid Returns, and Arkanoid DS. Its legacy endures through re-releases such as the Arcade Archives series on modern consoles. The game's influence is seen in its combination of classic paddle-and-ball mechanics with power-ups and a boss fight, elements that became standard in the genre.
Did You Know?
- Arkanoid was part of a contest within Taito where two teams of designers competed to implement a block breaker game.
- The game's futuristic neon aesthetic was inspired by the 1982 film Tron.
- The final stage features a boss named DOH; if the player defeats it, the ending shows time flowing backward.
- Arkanoid was the first game to enter the Popular Computing Weekly Hall of Fame in 1987.
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