Break Open Your Wallet To Play Atari's 'Breakout Boost'

Breakout Boost by Atari is a rendition of its classic game Breakout first released in 1976. It has had a big facelift with some new gameplay mechanics, yet feels incomplete. One of the first things I noticed is despite being a free app, in-app purchased are needed (the increasingly ubiquitous freemium model) to play levels beyond the first five. If you have never played breakout before, then let me fill you in. It was first introduced on arcade systems and first entered homes on the Atari 2600. At the time, it was almost as popular as Pong. The game has you sliding a puck on the bottom of the screen to bounce a ball and destroy the bricks on the top of the screen. If the ball drops below your puck, then you either use another ball or lose the game. So, breaking all the bricks and keeping your ball afloat is important.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlblhPbk_88&feature=player_detailpage Breakout Boost trailer Click here to watch on YouTube 

The graphics sport a neon look without being too metallic. The colors are bright and it doesn't look like an eyesore, so that is a nice touch. The music and effects sound dated and more like ringtones. The presentation is 50/50 on this part, but breakout has always been about gameplay. In this iteration, the game adds several features that have been in past ports. There is a chance that score multiplier blocks will fall from broken bricks, which you need to catch with your puck. Other drops include power ups that multiply the balls bouncing all over the map and a small gun for your puck that can shoot bricks from afar. While these are useful, they are rare as to not destroy the challenge. Another great feature is the option to increase the speed your ball flies mid game. It is on the left of the screen and can be changed anytime. The higher the speed, the higher the score can multiply. This game also supports Openfeint and Game Center, which is nice if you prefer one community over the other. Is this game worth downloading? Like I previously said, most of the levels require a real-life purchase. There are currently three packs available for $0.99 each. If you enjoy the first five free levels a lot, it is worth downloading. The first five levels are essentially the lite version of the game. Playing them is fun enough, and even though it is a small amount of levels it can be replayed multiple times. AppPicker Rating: 3 / 5 Stars App Store link: Breakout Boost