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Remember the classic old video game BREAKOUT? You move a Pong-like paddle
left and right, bouncing a ball off a wall of bricks, destroying one brick
at a time as the bounces and returns in your direction. The company
Telegames has released an updated 3D version called BREAKOUT 2000 for the
64-bit Atari Jaguar console. Copies can still be purchased from
Telegames.com for $60 US plus shipping. I like the idea of an updated
version of the classic BREAKOUT game, but until recently I'd never seen the
Jaguar version, and it's mighty hard to justify spending that much money for
a game that is sight-unseen.
However, occasionally Telegames will put on a discount special. During such
a sale, I spotted BREAKOUT 2000 marked down to $50 US, so I decided to
splurge and treat myself. At $50, the price was about the same as a new game
for GameCube, XBox, or PS2.
After about 10 days a package from Telegames showed up at my local post
office. The first night I received my copy of BREAKOUT 2000 from Telegames
I spent four hours straight playing B2K - and I found B2K to be a great
little game!
Out of the sixty or so released games for the Jaguar, most are good to
great - but some just don't have that extra pizzazz that I like to see in an
Atari Jaguar game. Take a look at games like NBA Jam, Flashback, or Cannon
Fodder: a substantial number of Jaguar games are conversions from the 16-bit
Genesis or Super Nintendo, with little done to spruce up the music or make
use of the 64-bit Jaguar's graphics horsepower.
But BREAKOUT 2000 is a lot more like what I expect from the Jaguar. Although
the gameplay is straightforward BREAKOUT, the graphics are nicely upgraded
for a futuristic 3D look. The various sound effects are decent, and I rather
like the background music (although it is repetitive). And although B2K is
great as a 1-player game, the 2-player really shines; it's a heck of a lot
of fun to fire your ball over to your enemy's paddle and watch him miss it -
heh heh!
Although by today's standards the graphics are quaintly "old school",
BREAKOUT 2000 really rocks. In comparison I've rented some games for my
"current generation" system that didn't give me anywhere near B2K's level of
gameplay, and these games certainly aren't worth as much as B2K.
I definitely think B2K is one of the better Jaguar games, and I'd place it
in my "top 5" along with games like Tempest 2000, DOOM, or Iron Soldier. As
far as I'm concerned my $50 was well spent; overall I'd rate BREAKOUT 2000 a
strong 8.5 out of 10. If you're curious to know more, I found a MOV file
that has a good 30 seconds of video of Breakout 2000 in action...
http://holyoak.com/atari/BREAK.MOV Every Jaguar owner should check this
game out!
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Review: BREAKOUT 2000 (8.5 /10) new