If you’re feeling a bit of deja vu, don’t worry.
That’s to be expected.
This game looks familiar, it sounds familiar, it plays familiar.
At first glance, the only thing that seems to separate this game from the previously
released Breakout Boost is a basic arithmetic symbol...not to mention a price that is slightly
higher than free.
But then you play it, and those concerns are smashed like a colored brick by a little silver
ball.
Breakout Boost+ is a fantastic update to a game that was already good to begin with,
and if you’re a Breakout fan, it’s well worth the 99 cents.
In fact, 99 cents is kind of steal for this thing.
Atari’s original Breakout Boost was a free game to download, but you only got five levels.
If you wanted more, it cost you 99 cents per level pack.
For the same price, Breakout Boost+ gives you 100 levels right from the start.
So this isn’t quite the shameless cash-in it might seem to be.
Breakout is a classic game that dates back to 1976, when it made its debut in arcades.
Since then, it’s been released to countless platforms in countless remakes and sequels,
but Breakout Boost+ actually holds its own in its massive family tree.
Playing this game with a touch screen works incredibly well, and in fact, I’d argue
there’s never been a more accurate or intuitive way to play Breakout.
The idea is derived from Pong.
The ball bounces around and breaks bricks, and you have to keep the ball in play.
If it gets by your paddle at the bottom of the screen, you lose that ball.
It’s a beautifully simple concept that has been updated with countless additions over
the years, the culmination of which is Breakout Boost+.
The first obvious upgrade is visual.
Breakout Boost+ has a very minimal style, a clean look that stays faithful to the old
arcade and Atari versions.
But it benefits from modern technology, as well, providing bright colors that contrast
really well against the game’s dark backgrounds.
There’s a retro look to the game that translates really well on the high-definition iPad screen.
Of course, that was also the case with the original Breakout Boost, and there are other
areas of overlap, as well.
Breakout Boost+ includes the same upgrades, such as its fire, acid, grenade and splitting
balls, and essentially the same variety of bricks.
The game also brings back the speed adjuster from the original Boost, which allows players
to manually adjust the speed of the ball.
I actually think this is one of the most interesting modern additions to Breakout.
The slower you play, the easier it is.
But the faster you play, the higher your multiplier.
So it’s a great way to appease and even reward veteran players while keeping the game
accessible for others.
But again, this is also true of the original Breakout Boost.
So if you’re looking for differences between the two, they’re mostly in terms of the
levels—you’re getting a hundred right up front—and the method of payment.
Would you rather pay for your levels individually or pay for them up front?
Breakout Boost+ doesn’t mess with the formula that made the first Boost one of the most
popular games in the App Store.
Instead, you get a better and more immediate value for your dollar, paying a third of the
price for about half the levels you’d have after buying all the level packs in the original.
Fractions are confusing, but what that means mathematically speaking is that Breakout Boost+
is pretty **** sweet.