A&B Computing


Break Up

Categories: Review: Software
Publisher: Viking
Machine: BBC B/B+/Master 128

 
Published in A&B Computing 1.03

There's no prize for guessing the object of this game, it's the traditional Breakout although this version does have a couple of added features.

You begin the game with five balls and by bouncing one individual ball repeatedly at the wall you try and break through it. The points awarded increase by ten with each panel you penetrate. There's also a bonus of one ball for every screen cleared.

With a choice of two bat sizes, small or large and two ball release speeds, fast and slow, you can move slowly into the top bracket. By using the two cursor keys for left and right movement and the space-bar for ball-release, you can start your assault on the wall.

The small bat/fast ball combination made an interesting session, because the reaction of the bat to the fast ball could not keep up the pace and caused mild frustrations.

The reflections and spins on the ball when bounced off the wall were quite deceptive a bit like playing big-bad John and certainly added some spice to the game.

In the middle of another game an irritating yellow block shadowed the ball around the screen, giving the impresison that perhaps a bug was present.