Review: Brick Breaker Revolution

OVERVIEW

As the default game on Blackberry, Brick Breaker is well known amongst cubicle dwellers. But now Digital Chocolate has created their own version called Brick Breaker Revolution for the iPhone which takes advantage of the iPhone’s touch interface.

FEATURES

The Game At its core, Brick Breaker is a simple game. There’s a paddle at the bottom of the screen with a ball. The player can touch and hold the paddle to move it and then tap it to release the ball. The ball then goes whizzing about the screen and goes on to destroy bricks. Scoring is based on the number of bricks destroyed with more points being awarded when the game is played at harder difficulties and/or if the bricks are destroyed in combos. Various power ups (such as the Laser, Rocket, Grenade and more) can help a player destroy bricks strategically.

Two Game Play Modes Classic Mode: The classic mode is simple — the player plays through each level and needs to break all the blocks on a level to advance. Revolution Mode: Much more dynamic than classic mode, a player can move between levels using a key brick that will unlock a new level of play. The level of difficulty changes as the player continues to play.

BREAKDOWN

The Good

I love the game play. Since my first experience with Brick Breaker with either a roller ball or the wheel on an older Blackberry device, the touch and tap interface on the iPhone is a huge leap forward for me. The iPhone’s interface makes the game so much easier to play. The different game modes are also a plus. I found myself gravitating towards good old Classic mode. It is comforting and familiar and a great place for either a new Brick Breaker player. Revolution Mode was also fun, I found it quicker paced and overall more exciting than Classic.

Plus, I like the music. It has an old school, 80s kind of feel with a touch of electronica. It may not be for everyone but I LOVE it. I could play the game just for the music.

The Bad

I actually don’t have much bad to critique about the game. If I really had to choose something, it would be that the graphics are pretty simple, perhaps overly so. But, I find that this does not detract from the game much at all.

VERDICT

As a fan of Brick Breaker, I have to say that I like Brick Breaker Revolution a lot. The touch interface of the iPhone gives the player a greater amount of control over the paddle which helps a lot with game play. Whether you’re a Brick Breaker Revolution novice or a seasoned player, the two modes, Classic and Revolution, offer enough difference and difficulty for everyone. I’d recommend Brick Breaker Revolution to anyone looking for a fun, potentially addictive game.