Arkanoid Returns (1997)

Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito, Square Enix
Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation 3, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable
Genres: Point-and-click, Strategy, Arcade
Rating: 3.7 of 5, 7 player ratings

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A crisp, satisfying ball-and-paddle arcade experience that demands quick reflexes and precise control as you smash through stages in classic Arkanoid fashion.

arcadefast-pacedcompetitiveretrosatisfyingcolorfulstraightforwardmechanical

About

Arkanoid Returns is an arcade game released by Taito in 1997 as part of the Arkanoid series. It was the fourth overall, and third to be released in arcades. The game was since ported to the PlayStation, with an updated home release being released afterwards titled Arkanoid R 2000. All versions were released exclusively in Japan, currently making it the only game in the series to never receive an international release. 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 , some re-used level designs, and the same board size. The initial arcade game contains only 50 levels, the environment changing every 9 levels.

Screenshots

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This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.