[singlepic id=3259 w=640 h=480 float=]
BreakQuest is far from its predecessor Breakout by Atari made in 1976. It goes way beyond just using a ball and paddle to destroy some bricks. There have been many forms of this basic game concept, but I have to say BreakQuest is the best and most addicting one I have played.
Most new versions of the classic game will just add bright colors and/or themes, but other wise keep the game the same. Beatshapers however has taken the game to a new level. In BreakQuest they have added moving blockers (blocks that can’t be destroyed) as well as weapons and other power ups. The blockers can be anything from bugs flying around the screen to spinning bars, or even blocks hanging from strings. Due to the fact these blockers are always moving you’re never really sure how they will affect your ball. You could hit one and get the pesky block or end up sending your ball straight into the darkness.
The weapons and power ups are a great addition to this game. You are able to get them by hitting the blocks and you never know which blocks will drop them. The power ups can do a variety of things like change the speed of the ball and bumper as well as change the shape of your bumper (or remove it all together). It would have been nice if there was guide to the power ups to tell you which ones did what. I say this because for the first couple levels you didn’t know which power ups did what. You assume that every thing is good or will at least help in some way but that isn’t the case. I had the pleasure of getting a power up called low-octane; my bumper then was moving at a snails pace and I ended up losing my ball.
I love that you get weapons such as “GPS Missiles”, “Double Guns,” and “Mines” in this game. They really help to get those hard to reach blocks. You also will be dropped a random weapon if you get stuck, which is very nice. There have been too many times I have had just one block left and just been unable to get it. This is a great solution, just blow it up!
There are 2 modes to this PSP Minis; Quest Mode and Arcade Mode. In both modes you get to choose from ten different ships to which your bumper or paddle attaches. In order to get the arcade mode you have to collect five keys from the quest mode; which drops when you complete a level. The two modes have all the same levels but in arcade mode they come up in a random order and you can change more settings. For example, there is a beginner setting which has the speed of the ball set to slow with all the power ups being dropped, or Armageddon which is the speed of the ball set to fast and there are no power ups. So if you are having a hard time getting the controls or just getting into the game; just get the five keys to unlock the arcade mode, and use a lower setting like beginner or minimal until you get the hang of it.
The layouts of the levels are very impressive. No two levels are the same and there are 100 levels. Some of the levels are just simple pixel images, while others are optical illusions. There is even a space invaders level! Each level has its own, what I would call, personality. I say this because the block and blockers have different ways of interacting with the ball on every level. I think the most interesting level was the one where the blocks are attached to strings which are attached to pivoting rods. It was a challenge and still fun.
[singlepic id=3260 w=640 h=480 float=]
As for the controls, it took some playing to get used to the sensitivity on the right stick. At first it seemed as though it was both too sensitive and not sensitive enough at the same time, but it just takes some getting used to. I tried using the directional buttons but they just were not responsive enough to move the bumper fast enough. One other thing I noticed was that the volume settings for the music and sounds didn’t seem to stay where I set them. After dieing the music volume would go way down and the sound would go up. Overall the music was just okay. Some of the music was a little to blah for me, but most of it was up beat and a little trance like, which was nice. Overall, this game is well worth getting. The additions to a classic game will give you hours of fun. With a cost of only $3.99 on the Playstation store, there is truly no reason not to get it.
