Good breakout clones ?

xStouf

Hi !
I'm looking for good breakout clones that could run on the pi3...
I enjoyed playing the Ricochet serie back in the days (2 players using 2 mouses on the same pc was incredible) but they were Windows games.
I also used to play some good ones on my MSX2+ computer when I was a child, but I don't remember the names (I admit I could plug the MSX and search the 100+ disks...)
Edit : I now remember a nice one on the MSX : Break In

Do you know some nice ones ?
Thanks !

mediamogul

@xstouf

The 'Arkanoid' series is usually hailed as the pinnacle of the genre, due to its addition of powerups that alter the traditional paddle/ball behavior in interesting ways. The key to a really good 'Breakout' experience is having granular analog control. Fortunately, most every version of MAME supports this with some configuration. Also, lr-fceumm and OpenMSX both have support for emulating the analog Vaus controller in 'Arkanoid' and I believe lr-snes9x supports analog play by emulating the SNES mouse.

xStouf

@mediamogul what you say about analog controls is very interesting, especially the Mame/MSX/SNES part. It could be very nice also in shoot em ups, if possible...
Do you have some tutorials about how to configure that ? (I suppose it is not just choosing 'analog' in retroarch...)

mediamogul

@xstouf said in Good breakout clones ?:

Do you have some tutorials about how to configure that ?

It varies a bit with the emulator you're using, but overall it's dependent on using an analog-capable device of some kind, such as a trackball, spinner or even a traditional mouse. Alternatively, you can even map mouse movement to a gamepad's analog stick, which is what I do. The result there is a control scheme like you would find on a professional port to a modern game console. Still, out of all the options, a spinner or paddle device would produce the most authentic feel for this particular type of game.

thelostsoul

I just want do some game recommendations here. Are you open to some very different variants on this genre? Are you open to other systems than MSX? Because I don't have MSX running here. Note here, I only play these games with gamepad and arcade stick, no mouse or paddle used here. That said, I prefer Arkanoid on the SNESover Arcade version, as the Arcade version is best played with paddle and the SNES version is optimized for gamepad. I want to say, I did not play these games really much other than testing them. It is just my first impression.

My top 5 Arkanoid / Breakout clones:

Block Block
block.zip, mame2003
Probably the best clone in tradditional sense. Level layouts get pretty unusual and it have a lot of power ups. Holding the button makes control faster.
Blocken
blocken.zip, mame2003
A combination of traditional Arkanoid with competitive puzzle games like Puzzle Bobble. There is a lot of going and the presentation is modern with a lot anime style. You don't lose immediately, as the bottom is secured.
Arkanoid: Doh it Again
Snes
The definitive version to play in my opinion. It got three times more levels than the original, got a level editor and competitive and co-op 2 player modes! It is very good playable with gamepad and got mouse support aswell.
Devilish: The Next Possession / Bad Omen
Mega Drive
The original first part of this game came out for the Game Gear. Presentation is excellent. Levels are scrolled upwards and the main twist is the player controls second pad as well, which can change its orientation. A welcome and fresh take on this traditional genre.
Zig Zag Cat
Snes
Another unusual variant. The whole presentation is done as a traditional Jrpg style, where you even control your character between stages in rooms for saving and buying items. The stages are scrolling upwards. Unfortunately it is in Japanese only. You also need to do a lot of clicks for the initial story telling.

thelostsoul

I just found another one. I just copy the description from my other topic.

Arcade / Mame2010

Puzzle Break
pzlbreak.zip
This is a modern Arkanoid like game, with 2 player simultanously option. It looks quite nice and plays well with regular joystick. The special thing about this game is, the player can bounce the paddle's right or lift side up, so the ball will fly in this direction. That allows for greater control.