Arkanoid(アルカノイド,Arukanoido) is an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986. It expanded upon Atari's Breakout games of the 1970s by adding power-ups, different types of bricks, and a variety of level layouts. The title refers to a doomed "mothership" from which the player's ship, the Vaus, escapes.
Overview
The player controls the "Vaus", a space vessel that acts as the game's "paddle" which prevents a ball from falling from the playing field, attempting to bounce it against a number of bricks. The ball striking a brick causes the brick to disappear. When all the bricks are gone, the player goes to the next level, where another pattern of bricks appears. There are a number of variations (bricks that have to be hit multiple times, flying enemy ships, etc.) and power-up capsules to enhance the Vaus (expand the Vaus, multiply the number of balls, equip a laser cannon, break directly to the next level, etc.), but the gameplay remains the same.
At round 33 (36 for the NES version,) the final stage, the player will take on the game's boss, "DOH", a head resembling moai. Once a player reaches round 33, he must defeat DOH with his remaining extra lives because there are no continues on the final round. In the NES version the final boss is on stage 36, and there are no continues throughout the entire game, so the entire game must be beaten in one sitting.
Arkanoid Returns is an arcade game released by Taito Corporation in February 1997 as part of the Arkanoid series. It was the fourth overall, and third to be released in arcades. The game was quickly ported to the PlayStation, with an updated home release being released afterwards titled Arkanoid R 2000. Although the game is very hard to find outside Japan, a "worldwide" release of the arcade version does exist.
Description
The enemy known as 'DOH' still did not get the message and after many years of silence decides to attack once again. The 'Vaus' space vessel better be ready to face new, yet familiar challenges, in order to stop 'DOH' once again.
The gameplay remains similar to Arkanoid: Doh it Again, the previous game in the series released for the Super Nintendo, in that it features the same powerups (with the addition of the brown "G" Giga Ball), some re-used level designs, and the same board size. The initial arcade game contains only 50 levels, the environment changing every 9 levels. Unlike past Arkanoid titles, Returns has no bosses to confront. The Playstation (Returns and R2000) re-releases add 150 additional stages, bringing the total to 200, with bosses on several levels. This release also contained a level editor.
The mysterious enemy known as DOH has returned to seek vengeance on the Vaus space vessel. The player must once again take control of the Vaus (paddle) and overcome many challenges in order to destroy DOH once and for all. Revenge of Doh sees the player battle through 34 rounds, taken from a grand total of 64.
New features
Revenge of Doh differs from its predecessor with the introduction of "Warp Gates". Upon completion of a level or when the Break ("B") pill is caught, two gates appear at the bottom of the play area, on either side. The player can choose to go through either one of the gates - the choice will affect which version of the next level is provided. The fire-button is only used when the Laser Cannons ("L") or Catch ("C") pill is caught.
The game also features two new features for bricks. Notched silver bricks, like normal silver bricks, take several hits to destroy. However, after a short period of time after destruction, they regenerate at full strength. Fortunately, clearing a level does not require that any notched bricks be destroyed. Also, some bricks move from side to side as long as their left and/or right sides are not obstructed by other bricks.
This is Arkanoid Returns playing video using TAS.
Condition is:
Game level : Very Hard
published: 11 Apr 2020
[Arcade] Arkanoid Returns playthrough
MAME 0.238
published: 16 Dec 2021
PSX Longplay [116] Arkanoid 2000
http://www.longplays.org
Played By: ScHlAuChi
Normal and Extra Mode beaten!
Extra Mode starts at 1:19:35 -
Disclaimer: Most videos by World of Longplays use SaveStates!
Tool-assisted superplay (TAS) of Arkanoid Returns Arcade (100 Rounds) (Very hard)
This video is just a superplay. I finished the game relatively quickly but it could be done faster. Sometimes I chose to have fun rather than going fast.
If we had the choice between infinite angles, some rounds would be completed much faster, but we can only choose between about 6 different angles at which the ball bounces on the paddle.
To get a high score like in Twin Galaxies, you have to shoot many enemies while keeping the ball in play but without ending the round. This is why the score for this TAS is about half of what is posted there.
If you start a game normally, you will only play the first 50 rounds.
A code can be entered before starting the game to start a new one from round 51, ending with a c...
published: 31 May 2024
Arkanoid Returns (アルカノイドリターンズ). [PlayStation - Taito]. (1997). ARCADE. ALL.
.Arkanoid Returns - Taito.
.Played By PiE. - "March 18th, 2022".
.
.Wiki. - "The gameplay remains similar to Arkanoid: Doh it Again, the previous game in the series, in that it features the same powerups (with the addition of the brown "G" Giga Ball), some re-used level designs, and the same board size. The initial arcade game contains only 50 levels, the environment changing every 9 levels. A code can be entered before starting the game to begin a new set of 50 levels starting from Level 51, ending with a confrontation with Doh. Arkanoid R 2000 continues onto Round 51 immediately from Round 50, invalidating the need for a code entry, and includes an extra campaign with 100 new levels, several new block types, a rainbow power up (later known as "V" Vanish), and a new worm boss. This releas...
published: 19 Mar 2022
Arkanoid Returns ARCADE (Very Hard Difficulty) - Real-Time Playthrough
*no savestate
*no slowdown
*no cheats
Моё прохождение Arkanoid Returns на аркадных автоматах на уровне сложности Very Hard.
published: 16 May 2013
[#41] Arkanoid Returns (1997.02)
Since Arkanoid (1986) and Revenge of Doh (1987) aren't available to play with a proper paddle controller, we turn to 'Arkanoid Returns' on PS1 for a taste of the series' trademark gameplay. Though good fun 2-player, this entry is a little stale - not to mention overlong.
published: 17 Jan 2022
PSX Arkanoid Returns
Support Shiryu on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Shiryu
https://www.facebook.com/ShiryuVideoGames/
My old favourite brick and ball game was back in a big way! Sure, gameplay hasn't really changed much since the original "Arkanoid" I got to play on ZX spectrum way back in the day, but it is such an addictive, irresistible formula it really doesn't need to change to remain utterly playable. Enjoy!
published: 05 Feb 2017
Arkanoid R 2000 (Arkanoid Returns) - 1'58"16 - Level 1-100 Extra Mode Speedrun (Playstation)
Exact time is 1'58"16.00. I missed getting the 15 by literally 1 frame, LOL. 10 min and 58 second PB tho???? You bet we take those!!! This run was incredible. I had some huge mistakes but a run of this length will always have those. I can probably get down to about 1'50"00 but I do not wish to try. I am content with this as my goal was sub 2 hours. Played on Duckstation.
Round 80 went really badly. Lost about 3-4 mins there. I also lost about another 3 mins on Round 85 b/c I got softlocked with no lives left. Despite the losses on the boss on Round 99 (and 66), I still made up a lot of time and ended up nearly 11 mins ahead in the end. I wish the 2nd and 3rd boss went better, as well as rounds 80 and 85, but this is as good as it's gonna get from me I think.
http://www.longplays.org
Played By: ScHlAuChi
Normal and Extra Mode beaten!
Extra Mode starts at 1:19:35 -
Disclaimer: Most videos by World of Longplays use S...
http://www.longplays.org
Played By: ScHlAuChi
Normal and Extra Mode beaten!
Extra Mode starts at 1:19:35 -
Disclaimer: Most videos by World of Longplays use SaveStates!
http://www.longplays.org
Played By: ScHlAuChi
Normal and Extra Mode beaten!
Extra Mode starts at 1:19:35 -
Disclaimer: Most videos by World of Longplays use SaveStates!
Tool-assisted superplay (TAS) of Arkanoid Returns Arcade (100 Rounds) (Very hard)
This video is just a superplay. I finished the game relatively quickly but it...
Tool-assisted superplay (TAS) of Arkanoid Returns Arcade (100 Rounds) (Very hard)
This video is just a superplay. I finished the game relatively quickly but it could be done faster. Sometimes I chose to have fun rather than going fast.
If we had the choice between infinite angles, some rounds would be completed much faster, but we can only choose between about 6 different angles at which the ball bounces on the paddle.
To get a high score like in Twin Galaxies, you have to shoot many enemies while keeping the ball in play but without ending the round. This is why the score for this TAS is about half of what is posted there.
If you start a game normally, you will only play the first 50 rounds.
A code can be entered before starting the game to start a new one from round 51, ending with a confrontation with Doh (round 100).
To start on round 51:
-Insert coin(s)
-Press Player 1 button 1 three times
-Press Player 1 button 2 once
-Press Player 1 Start button
-You should see Round 51
This also works if you use the Player 2 buttons with Player 2 Start
Items: (Translated from japanese)
S = Slow - Slows down the speed of the energy ball.
C = Catch - Catch the energy ball and press the button to serve.
E = Expand - The length of the baus increases.
D = Disruption - The energy ball splits into eight pieces.
L = Laser - Press the button to fire a laser shot.
M = Mega Ball - Energy balls become piercing bullets. (Eliminate bricks without bouncing on them)
G = Gigantic - The energy ball becomes larger for a certain period of time. (Like Mega Ball but larger)
B = Break - You can escape through the exits on the left and right.
T = Thunder - The ball can be hit back only once with rays of light extending from the left and right sides of the baus.
P = Player - The player's stock increases by one.
Before starting level 51, I had to sacrifice a life. This is the only way I've found (short of a reset) to get the sound to play normally. If I didn't lose any lives, the sound of the ball bouncing wouldn't play at all. Maybe it's because Mame classifies this game as having imperfect sound.
As you can see at 1:07, 4:19, 29:44, if there are already 2 items going down, the third one will be lost.
Exploding enemies can help you by eliminating nearby bricks (25:34). When you touch a balloon it splits into 3 small balloons, the small balloons eliminate the bricks they touch (1:18, 3:09, 4:51), which can be very useful.
The power-ups: are they RNG, or are they always the same?
My theory is that some bricks are assigned an item, but the items are in a fixed order, so in round 1, 5 of the 7 yellow bricks will earn you an item, but the items will always be in the same order regardless of which yellow brick that you hit. The order for the 1st round is: D G L E D.
And keep in mind that you can't have 2 items on screen at the same time, the item you should have gotten will be skipped. This does not apply to transparent bricks that will gives you the shown item.
This is just my theory. This seems to work for the first few rounds but should be checked on later rounds to see if it holds up.
The map of all levels can be viewed here: https://vgmaps.com/Atlas/Arcade/index.htm#ArkanoidReturns
What is a TAS? https://www.youtube.com/c/Prog61/about
For a good introduction to TASing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ietk1-Wb7oY
For more information visit https://tasvideos.org.
0:00 Rounds 1 to 10
3:38 Rounds 11 to 20
7:29 Rounds 21 to 30
11:20 Rounds 31 to 40
15:24 Rounds 41 to 50
19:50 Rounds 51 to 60
24:04 Rounds 61 to 70
29:27 Rounds 71 to 80
33:10 Rounds 81 to 90
36:37 Rounds 91 to 100
Tool-assisted superplay (TAS) of Arkanoid Returns Arcade (100 Rounds) (Very hard)
This video is just a superplay. I finished the game relatively quickly but it could be done faster. Sometimes I chose to have fun rather than going fast.
If we had the choice between infinite angles, some rounds would be completed much faster, but we can only choose between about 6 different angles at which the ball bounces on the paddle.
To get a high score like in Twin Galaxies, you have to shoot many enemies while keeping the ball in play but without ending the round. This is why the score for this TAS is about half of what is posted there.
If you start a game normally, you will only play the first 50 rounds.
A code can be entered before starting the game to start a new one from round 51, ending with a confrontation with Doh (round 100).
To start on round 51:
-Insert coin(s)
-Press Player 1 button 1 three times
-Press Player 1 button 2 once
-Press Player 1 Start button
-You should see Round 51
This also works if you use the Player 2 buttons with Player 2 Start
Items: (Translated from japanese)
S = Slow - Slows down the speed of the energy ball.
C = Catch - Catch the energy ball and press the button to serve.
E = Expand - The length of the baus increases.
D = Disruption - The energy ball splits into eight pieces.
L = Laser - Press the button to fire a laser shot.
M = Mega Ball - Energy balls become piercing bullets. (Eliminate bricks without bouncing on them)
G = Gigantic - The energy ball becomes larger for a certain period of time. (Like Mega Ball but larger)
B = Break - You can escape through the exits on the left and right.
T = Thunder - The ball can be hit back only once with rays of light extending from the left and right sides of the baus.
P = Player - The player's stock increases by one.
Before starting level 51, I had to sacrifice a life. This is the only way I've found (short of a reset) to get the sound to play normally. If I didn't lose any lives, the sound of the ball bouncing wouldn't play at all. Maybe it's because Mame classifies this game as having imperfect sound.
As you can see at 1:07, 4:19, 29:44, if there are already 2 items going down, the third one will be lost.
Exploding enemies can help you by eliminating nearby bricks (25:34). When you touch a balloon it splits into 3 small balloons, the small balloons eliminate the bricks they touch (1:18, 3:09, 4:51), which can be very useful.
The power-ups: are they RNG, or are they always the same?
My theory is that some bricks are assigned an item, but the items are in a fixed order, so in round 1, 5 of the 7 yellow bricks will earn you an item, but the items will always be in the same order regardless of which yellow brick that you hit. The order for the 1st round is: D G L E D.
And keep in mind that you can't have 2 items on screen at the same time, the item you should have gotten will be skipped. This does not apply to transparent bricks that will gives you the shown item.
This is just my theory. This seems to work for the first few rounds but should be checked on later rounds to see if it holds up.
The map of all levels can be viewed here: https://vgmaps.com/Atlas/Arcade/index.htm#ArkanoidReturns
What is a TAS? https://www.youtube.com/c/Prog61/about
For a good introduction to TASing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ietk1-Wb7oY
For more information visit https://tasvideos.org.
0:00 Rounds 1 to 10
3:38 Rounds 11 to 20
7:29 Rounds 21 to 30
11:20 Rounds 31 to 40
15:24 Rounds 41 to 50
19:50 Rounds 51 to 60
24:04 Rounds 61 to 70
29:27 Rounds 71 to 80
33:10 Rounds 81 to 90
36:37 Rounds 91 to 100
.Arkanoid Returns - Taito.
.Played By PiE. - "March 18th, 2022".
.
.Wiki. - "The gameplay remains similar to Arkanoid: Doh it Again, the previous game in the se...
.Arkanoid Returns - Taito.
.Played By PiE. - "March 18th, 2022".
.
.Wiki. - "The gameplay remains similar to Arkanoid: Doh it Again, the previous game in the series, in that it features the same powerups (with the addition of the brown "G" Giga Ball), some re-used level designs, and the same board size. The initial arcade game contains only 50 levels, the environment changing every 9 levels. A code can be entered before starting the game to begin a new set of 50 levels starting from Level 51, ending with a confrontation with Doh. Arkanoid R 2000 continues onto Round 51 immediately from Round 50, invalidating the need for a code entry, and includes an extra campaign with 100 new levels, several new block types, a rainbow power up (later known as "V" Vanish), and a new worm boss. This release also contained a level editor.".
.
#Arkanoid
#PlayStation
#Taito
.Arkanoid Returns - Taito.
.Played By PiE. - "March 18th, 2022".
.
.Wiki. - "The gameplay remains similar to Arkanoid: Doh it Again, the previous game in the series, in that it features the same powerups (with the addition of the brown "G" Giga Ball), some re-used level designs, and the same board size. The initial arcade game contains only 50 levels, the environment changing every 9 levels. A code can be entered before starting the game to begin a new set of 50 levels starting from Level 51, ending with a confrontation with Doh. Arkanoid R 2000 continues onto Round 51 immediately from Round 50, invalidating the need for a code entry, and includes an extra campaign with 100 new levels, several new block types, a rainbow power up (later known as "V" Vanish), and a new worm boss. This release also contained a level editor.".
.
#Arkanoid
#PlayStation
#Taito
Since Arkanoid (1986) and Revenge of Doh (1987) aren't available to play with a proper paddle controller, we turn to 'Arkanoid Returns' on PS1 for a taste of th...
Since Arkanoid (1986) and Revenge of Doh (1987) aren't available to play with a proper paddle controller, we turn to 'Arkanoid Returns' on PS1 for a taste of the series' trademark gameplay. Though good fun 2-player, this entry is a little stale - not to mention overlong.
Since Arkanoid (1986) and Revenge of Doh (1987) aren't available to play with a proper paddle controller, we turn to 'Arkanoid Returns' on PS1 for a taste of the series' trademark gameplay. Though good fun 2-player, this entry is a little stale - not to mention overlong.
Support Shiryu on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Shiryu
https://www.facebook.com/ShiryuVideoGames/
My old favourite brick and ball game was back in a big way...
Support Shiryu on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Shiryu
https://www.facebook.com/ShiryuVideoGames/
My old favourite brick and ball game was back in a big way! Sure, gameplay hasn't really changed much since the original "Arkanoid" I got to play on ZX spectrum way back in the day, but it is such an addictive, irresistible formula it really doesn't need to change to remain utterly playable. Enjoy!
Support Shiryu on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Shiryu
https://www.facebook.com/ShiryuVideoGames/
My old favourite brick and ball game was back in a big way! Sure, gameplay hasn't really changed much since the original "Arkanoid" I got to play on ZX spectrum way back in the day, but it is such an addictive, irresistible formula it really doesn't need to change to remain utterly playable. Enjoy!
Exact time is 1'58"16.00. I missed getting the 15 by literally 1 frame, LOL. 10 min and 58 second PB tho???? You bet we take those!!! This run was incredible. I...
Exact time is 1'58"16.00. I missed getting the 15 by literally 1 frame, LOL. 10 min and 58 second PB tho???? You bet we take those!!! This run was incredible. I had some huge mistakes but a run of this length will always have those. I can probably get down to about 1'50"00 but I do not wish to try. I am content with this as my goal was sub 2 hours. Played on Duckstation.
Round 80 went really badly. Lost about 3-4 mins there. I also lost about another 3 mins on Round 85 b/c I got softlocked with no lives left. Despite the losses on the boss on Round 99 (and 66), I still made up a lot of time and ended up nearly 11 mins ahead in the end. I wish the 2nd and 3rd boss went better, as well as rounds 80 and 85, but this is as good as it's gonna get from me I think.
Exact time is 1'58"16.00. I missed getting the 15 by literally 1 frame, LOL. 10 min and 58 second PB tho???? You bet we take those!!! This run was incredible. I had some huge mistakes but a run of this length will always have those. I can probably get down to about 1'50"00 but I do not wish to try. I am content with this as my goal was sub 2 hours. Played on Duckstation.
Round 80 went really badly. Lost about 3-4 mins there. I also lost about another 3 mins on Round 85 b/c I got softlocked with no lives left. Despite the losses on the boss on Round 99 (and 66), I still made up a lot of time and ended up nearly 11 mins ahead in the end. I wish the 2nd and 3rd boss went better, as well as rounds 80 and 85, but this is as good as it's gonna get from me I think.
http://www.longplays.org
Played By: ScHlAuChi
Normal and Extra Mode beaten!
Extra Mode starts at 1:19:35 -
Disclaimer: Most videos by World of Longplays use SaveStates!
Tool-assisted superplay (TAS) of Arkanoid Returns Arcade (100 Rounds) (Very hard)
This video is just a superplay. I finished the game relatively quickly but it could be done faster. Sometimes I chose to have fun rather than going fast.
If we had the choice between infinite angles, some rounds would be completed much faster, but we can only choose between about 6 different angles at which the ball bounces on the paddle.
To get a high score like in Twin Galaxies, you have to shoot many enemies while keeping the ball in play but without ending the round. This is why the score for this TAS is about half of what is posted there.
If you start a game normally, you will only play the first 50 rounds.
A code can be entered before starting the game to start a new one from round 51, ending with a confrontation with Doh (round 100).
To start on round 51:
-Insert coin(s)
-Press Player 1 button 1 three times
-Press Player 1 button 2 once
-Press Player 1 Start button
-You should see Round 51
This also works if you use the Player 2 buttons with Player 2 Start
Items: (Translated from japanese)
S = Slow - Slows down the speed of the energy ball.
C = Catch - Catch the energy ball and press the button to serve.
E = Expand - The length of the baus increases.
D = Disruption - The energy ball splits into eight pieces.
L = Laser - Press the button to fire a laser shot.
M = Mega Ball - Energy balls become piercing bullets. (Eliminate bricks without bouncing on them)
G = Gigantic - The energy ball becomes larger for a certain period of time. (Like Mega Ball but larger)
B = Break - You can escape through the exits on the left and right.
T = Thunder - The ball can be hit back only once with rays of light extending from the left and right sides of the baus.
P = Player - The player's stock increases by one.
Before starting level 51, I had to sacrifice a life. This is the only way I've found (short of a reset) to get the sound to play normally. If I didn't lose any lives, the sound of the ball bouncing wouldn't play at all. Maybe it's because Mame classifies this game as having imperfect sound.
As you can see at 1:07, 4:19, 29:44, if there are already 2 items going down, the third one will be lost.
Exploding enemies can help you by eliminating nearby bricks (25:34). When you touch a balloon it splits into 3 small balloons, the small balloons eliminate the bricks they touch (1:18, 3:09, 4:51), which can be very useful.
The power-ups: are they RNG, or are they always the same?
My theory is that some bricks are assigned an item, but the items are in a fixed order, so in round 1, 5 of the 7 yellow bricks will earn you an item, but the items will always be in the same order regardless of which yellow brick that you hit. The order for the 1st round is: D G L E D.
And keep in mind that you can't have 2 items on screen at the same time, the item you should have gotten will be skipped. This does not apply to transparent bricks that will gives you the shown item.
This is just my theory. This seems to work for the first few rounds but should be checked on later rounds to see if it holds up.
The map of all levels can be viewed here: https://vgmaps.com/Atlas/Arcade/index.htm#ArkanoidReturns
What is a TAS? https://www.youtube.com/c/Prog61/about
For a good introduction to TASing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ietk1-Wb7oY
For more information visit https://tasvideos.org.
0:00 Rounds 1 to 10
3:38 Rounds 11 to 20
7:29 Rounds 21 to 30
11:20 Rounds 31 to 40
15:24 Rounds 41 to 50
19:50 Rounds 51 to 60
24:04 Rounds 61 to 70
29:27 Rounds 71 to 80
33:10 Rounds 81 to 90
36:37 Rounds 91 to 100
.Arkanoid Returns - Taito.
.Played By PiE. - "March 18th, 2022".
.
.Wiki. - "The gameplay remains similar to Arkanoid: Doh it Again, the previous game in the series, in that it features the same powerups (with the addition of the brown "G" Giga Ball), some re-used level designs, and the same board size. The initial arcade game contains only 50 levels, the environment changing every 9 levels. A code can be entered before starting the game to begin a new set of 50 levels starting from Level 51, ending with a confrontation with Doh. Arkanoid R 2000 continues onto Round 51 immediately from Round 50, invalidating the need for a code entry, and includes an extra campaign with 100 new levels, several new block types, a rainbow power up (later known as "V" Vanish), and a new worm boss. This release also contained a level editor.".
.
#Arkanoid
#PlayStation
#Taito
Since Arkanoid (1986) and Revenge of Doh (1987) aren't available to play with a proper paddle controller, we turn to 'Arkanoid Returns' on PS1 for a taste of the series' trademark gameplay. Though good fun 2-player, this entry is a little stale - not to mention overlong.
Support Shiryu on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Shiryu
https://www.facebook.com/ShiryuVideoGames/
My old favourite brick and ball game was back in a big way! Sure, gameplay hasn't really changed much since the original "Arkanoid" I got to play on ZX spectrum way back in the day, but it is such an addictive, irresistible formula it really doesn't need to change to remain utterly playable. Enjoy!
Exact time is 1'58"16.00. I missed getting the 15 by literally 1 frame, LOL. 10 min and 58 second PB tho???? You bet we take those!!! This run was incredible. I had some huge mistakes but a run of this length will always have those. I can probably get down to about 1'50"00 but I do not wish to try. I am content with this as my goal was sub 2 hours. Played on Duckstation.
Round 80 went really badly. Lost about 3-4 mins there. I also lost about another 3 mins on Round 85 b/c I got softlocked with no lives left. Despite the losses on the boss on Round 99 (and 66), I still made up a lot of time and ended up nearly 11 mins ahead in the end. I wish the 2nd and 3rd boss went better, as well as rounds 80 and 85, but this is as good as it's gonna get from me I think.
Arkanoid(アルカノイド,Arukanoido) is an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986. It expanded upon Atari's Breakout games of the 1970s by adding power-ups, different types of bricks, and a variety of level layouts. The title refers to a doomed "mothership" from which the player's ship, the Vaus, escapes.
Overview
The player controls the "Vaus", a space vessel that acts as the game's "paddle" which prevents a ball from falling from the playing field, attempting to bounce it against a number of bricks. The ball striking a brick causes the brick to disappear. When all the bricks are gone, the player goes to the next level, where another pattern of bricks appears. There are a number of variations (bricks that have to be hit multiple times, flying enemy ships, etc.) and power-up capsules to enhance the Vaus (expand the Vaus, multiply the number of balls, equip a laser cannon, break directly to the next level, etc.), but the gameplay remains the same.
At round 33 (36 for the NES version,) the final stage, the player will take on the game's boss, "DOH", a head resembling moai. Once a player reaches round 33, he must defeat DOH with his remaining extra lives because there are no continues on the final round. In the NES version the final boss is on stage 36, and there are no continues throughout the entire game, so the entire game must be beaten in one sitting.