Arkanoid
Arkanoid is a Super Famicom action game released in 1997 developed by Taito. It centers on platform movement and landing judgment, puzzle, maze, or device solving, and movement and immediate actions, with controls, information, and pacing arranged around television output, a directional pad, shoulder buttons, and a six-button controller.
- AI score · out of 10
- 7.6 / 10
About this game
Arkanoid is a Super Famicom action release centered on platform movement and landing judgment, puzzle, maze, or device solving, and movement and immediate actions. Stages build pressure through routes, enemy patterns, and changing objectives, with progress divided into stages, tasks, matches, or growth milestones that make its immediate goals understandable. Its value depends on whether these rules continue to create judgment and room for mastery rather than on campaign length or series recognition. Short campaigns are judged by repeat-challenge value, while longer ones are judged by variety, pacing, and recovery after failure. Readable animation, hits, and hazards determine whether feedback remains dependable, while sprite animation, scrolling, color, and chip-based audio jointly carry readability and atmosphere. The main genre-specific friction is that period-specific collision rules, limited guidance, and repeated ground after failure can raise the entry barrier. In addition, password or battery saves, multiplayer accessories, manual dependence, regional language, and cartridge enhancement chips can affect original-hardware use. This description covers only this release and excludes emulator features, modern-port conveniences, and content from other platforms.
Collected in series
Arkanoid is Taito's arcade brick-breaking series, built around steering the paddle-like spacecraft Vaus and keeping an energy ball in play. Reading rebounds, catching power-ups and clearing the remaining blocks give each screen its own little battle of timing.
Recommended games
Related game recommendations on this platform
Super Famicom / SNES
AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
Good brick-breaking variety, with generous content and restrained presentation.
The 1997 console edition expands a straightforward objective into a varied challenge. Paddle extensions, lasers and stage-skipping capsules create choices between protecting the ball and collecting useful rewards, although some indestructible-brick layouts interrupt the flow. Ninety-nine stages, cooperative play and competitive races broaden replay value. A level editor adds experimentation, but creations cannot be saved. Bright, simple regular scenes give way to more expressive boss effects. Ordinary stages lack continuous background music, while the story scenes are not a major attraction. Adjustable speed, difficulty and lives, together with password resumption, make the long campaign easier to divide into sessions. It is most appealing as a focused reflex challenge rather than an adventure, with options that help different players find a comfortable pace.
Strengths
- Power-ups and changing layouts enrich the core
- Passwords and adjustable speed support shorter sessions
Weaknesses
- Some obstruction layouts impede pacing
- Custom stages cannot be saved
Who it is for: Players who enjoy brick-breaking and repeated challenges.
Play notes: The mouse is optional; third-party compatibility and every regional hardware profile are not guaranteed.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Content and multiplayer variety are good; impermanent custom levels limit lasting creative value. | Reviewed | 7.7 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Ball control and power-up choices form a good core, with friction from some obstruction layouts. | Reviewed | 7.7 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Presentation is adequate rather than outstanding: bosses add flair, but routine variety and story appeal are modest. | Reviewed | 6.7 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Native-console controls and resumption tools are excellent; regional hardware and third-party mice are not universally guaranteed. | Reviewed | 8.1 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- Taito
- Publisher
- Taito
- Release date
- 1997
- Platforms
- Super Famicom / SNES
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Action · Primary genre
- Tags
- PlatformingFast-pacedPuzzle SolvingReal-time CombatWarMain Story Under 10 HoursSide-scrollingReplayableSolo-friendly2D GraphicsDodgeLinear Levels
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Not provided
- Perspectives
- Not provided
Release editions
- Super Famicom / SNESWorldwide1997
Game gallery
Sources
Not provided