Leger vs. Arkanoid Plus (Wii)

At the time it annoyed me to no end.

Having all this hardware to play around with, running in circles around what came before it. Especially when the games in question had a history of spending quality time in the arcades of the eighties.

I mean, I have played Taito's Arkanoid (an updated take on the Breakout original from Atari) in many shapes and forms just as clones and the few odd hybrids combining different genres with block breaking being one of them.

The better ones did exactly what they set out to do and they did it in style, even at times when the hardware stood in the way of delivering the original experience.

Arkanoid Plus, on the other hand, completely ignores the analogue nature of the wiimote and offers no more than the digital pad to move the spaceship (paddle) with the added press of a button to increase its speed.

Too add insult to the injury the game sometimes have some serious issues with running smoothly with some completely baffling slowdowns making the movement of the paddle all jerky and the precision go out the window.

Just look at the amazing ports of Arkanoid to the Commodore 64 (supporting analogue paddles) and the Amiga (supporting mouse control).

But it is not all doom and gloom, this updated version of Arkanoid where breaking all the blocks on the screen by bouncing a ball with the player contolled paddle is pretty much all that matters.

While obviously not designed for the resolution the game runs in on the Wii the graphics looks just fine, especially considering it being a budget online release on Wii Ware.

The music, while a tad too upbeat and repetetive to stay interesting all throughout the game, has a quite nice electronic soundscape.

What matters the most, though, is the actual gameplay and it delivers even without analogue controls.

Besides the regular stages familiar from the arcade version another set of stages can be played by chosing a different route through the game (after each stage beaten one can leave it either by its right or left side with one path delivering only new stages aswell as a new final boss).

Also, DLC brings another set of 60+ stages but these are really not all that well designed with some of them being frustratingly difficult to beat. Luckily a Game Over can always be countered with a Continue and the game even saves the progress if one so wishes.

Arkanoid Plus goes as far as adding some co-op, a battle mode (against a friend or the computer) and time trials; While not being the bulk of the experience it is certainly some welcome additions that helps expanding the longevity of the game.

Arkanoid as a concept is not really showing any age at all, and that is probably the main reason for Arkanoid Plus feeling somewhat relevant even though its presentation is lacking in certain areas.

Bouncing the ball, listening to the familiar plings and plongs, picking up upgrades making the ball split into many, growing the size of the paddle, making the ball unstoppable plowing through all the blocks and so on... it has this kind of hypnotizing effect on me.

While I do prefer some of the other versions (if not playing the arcade original), especially the ones on Commodore 64, Amiga and NES, this one plays well enough and keeps with the formula to be worth spending some time with.

Especially if the new modes of playing or the 90 new stages seem interesting.

A decent but not essential Arkanoid experience.

Yes.