Block is a bootleg hack of Taito's Arkanoid released sometime after the original arcade game (circa 1986). It was developed by SunA under the alias, "Game Corporation".
Overview[]
The game plays almost identically to the original Arkanoid. You control the "Vaus" a space vessel that fell out of the mothership, "Block". You use the vessel as a paddle to break blocks and enemies that appear from the top of the screen using a ball that is reflected.
Some blocks contain powerups that can help you. These powerups are Laser, gives you the ability to shoot the bricks, Enlarge, makes the Vaus wider, Catch, allows you to catch the ball and have it stick to you, Slow, slows down the ball, Break, creates an exit that gives you 10,000 points, Disruption, gives you triple balls, and Player. which allows you to gain an extra life.
Other blocks in the game can't be easily destroyed as they need to be hit multiple times. Silver blocks have to be hit 2 times plus another time every 8 stages. Gold blocks simply can't be hit at all, causing levels with a large amount of them to become difficult. After getting to the final stage of the game, you face off against DOH, which you have to hit with the ball while avoiding his projectiles.
Versions[]
Multiple versions of this hack are known to exist. The only changes that they all have in common, is that level select is turned on by default allowing you to select any level 1-30, and that level 30 is changed.
Block (Set 1)[]
Writes out the letters "PHR" on level 30. What those letters mean is completely unknown. The high score board still says "Bravest Fighters of Arkanoid".
Block (Set 2)[]
The letters, SunA are scrawled onto level 30. Confirming that SunA was at least affiliated with this game. The high score board still says "Bravest Fighters of Arkanoid".
Block (Set 3)[]
Mostly identical to set 3. The level select menu is more simplistic, and the colored blocks are replaced with aliens resembling the ones seen in Taito's Space Invaders.
Block II[]
The level select menu now has the strings "With Your Paddle" and "Welcome to Block II Game!" A lot more stages feature different layouts than in the original game. Level 30 now spells out "YS" or possibly "Y5". The silver/gold hitting sound is changed. The high score board now says "Bravest Fighters of Block II".
Paddle 2[]
The bootleg isn't directly confirmed to be directly related to Block but shares similarities with it such as level select. A hack featuring a levels seen in Arkanoid - Revenge of DOH. The plot text is also changed to say "A long period of time passed.......... The Dimension-Control Force "DOH" has again come back to life. "Mixtec" is launched."
Trivia[]
- The idea of Space Invaders being in Arkanoid didn't officially come to life until the mobile game, Arkanoid vs Space Invaders in 2017.
- After releasing these bootlegs, SunA eventually made an original prehistoric-themed Arkanoid clone known as Goindol. Somewhat ironically, a bootleg of this game was made in similar design to Paddle 2, known as Homo and was released by ALSFTW.