The Living Dead Genre: Brick Breaker Games
A quick Google search will yield a few definitions for the term “Dead Genre”:
– According to an AI overview: it’s a subgenre or trope that has died out due to oversaturation, where readers, editors, and agents grow tired of seeing the same books or tropes repeatedly.
– A Reddit user, u/Security_Man2k, describes it as “one that sees very few, if any, new publications.”
The notion of “Dead Genres” is debatable. When it comes to games, there’s one genre that constantly flirts with death but refuses to go quietly: Brick Breakers.
The brick breaker genre is a unique case. On one hand, it’s oversaturated (an understatement) with games. Right now, millions (a bit of sarcasm, bear with me) of first-time game developers are coding their first game—and chances are, it’s a brick breaker.
These games are joining the billions of brick breakers across websites, app stores, casinos, and even old BlackBerries scattered around the internet.
It’s also not known for innovation. I’ve been searching for a brick breaker that plays in all three dimensions, and as far as I know, my game Happy Corp. is the only one that does.
Yet, despite all this, brick breakers remain fun to play. The visuals could be as basic as a pile of Legos dumped on the floor, but I’m not having a bad experience. Sure, it might leave me wanting more, but to me, that just shows the genre is ripe for something new. But hey, that’s just a theory. A game… wait… my opinion.
So… Is anybody “Innovating”?
There are a few, brave, necromancer devs who have taken to laying hands on this dead genre and raising them to do their bidding.
The Trial of Kharzoid by Pascal Bélisle
Is an “ARKANOIDVANIA”… WTF! Ehhm.
The Trial of Kharzoid is an arkanoidvania. It combines classic brick-breaking games like Arkanoid with Castlevania’s classic elements like exploration, defeating huge bosses and eating chicken you find in walls! The goal is to navigate through the deadly levels and go back to Kharzoid’s tower to defeat this son of a witch. You will learn more about the lore by talking to NPCs.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pbelisle/the-trial-of-kharzoid/description
Cleaver Calibar by Cursed Bootleg Inc.
A Brick-Breaking, Rail-Shooting game trying to be a mixture of Silent Scope and Arkanoid. Get Powerups and use your best mental trigonometry to land Critical Shots!
https://hwilson.itch.io/cleaving-caliber
Happy Corp.
[Abort! Abort! Shameless plug!]
A brand new dystopian capitalist brick breaker that plays in 3 dimensions, where you destroy cities and battle kaiju.
Go wishlist that bad boy: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3184240/Happy_Corp_Demo/
At this point, you can probably stop reading. I’ve said everything I wanted to say. But there’s a part 2… sort of. It’s a list of links to brick breaker games—the good, the bad, and the ugly. I tried to catch them all.
For SEO purposes, here’s a brief history of brick breaker games.
The history of brick breaker games, also known as “breakout” games, dates back several decades and showcases the evolution of video gaming itself. Here’s a brief overview:
1. Origins in the 1970s:
- Pong (1972): While not a brick breaker game per se, Atari’s Pong was a foundational title in the gaming industry. It introduced simple paddle mechanics that would later influence brick breaker designs.
- Breakout (1976): The true predecessor to brick breaker games is Breakout, developed by Atari and designed by Nolan Bushnell and Steve Bristow. In this game, players control a paddle to bounce a ball and break a wall of bricks. The game was revolutionary in its use of a single ball mechanic and introduced the concept of level progression.
2. Popularity and Clones (1980s):
- Following the success of Breakout, many clones and variations emerged, including Blockade and Super Breakout (1978), which introduced new features like multiple balls and different brick types.
- Home consoles and early computers saw various adaptations, making the genre more accessible. Games like Alleyway for the Nintendo Game Boy (1989) brought brick-breaking gameplay to handheld devices.
3. Advancements in Gameplay (1990s):
- The 1990s saw further innovation with the introduction of power-ups, unique ball physics, and complex level designs. Titles like Ricochet (1996) began to incorporate additional gameplay elements, such as power-ups that altered ball speed or paddle size.
- The genre remained popular on PC platforms, with games like DX-Ball and Battle Brick.
4. Modern Era (2000s and Beyond):
- The advent of mobile gaming in the late 2000s revitalized the brick breaker genre. Games like Bounce and Brick Breaker (which came pre-installed on many BlackBerry devices) brought the classic mechanics to touch screens.
- Independent developers also started creating innovative takes on the genre, such as Shatter (2009), which combined traditional gameplay with modern graphics and physics, and introduced unique mechanics like “sucking” in broken blocks.
5. Current Trends:
- Today, brick breaker games continue to evolve, often incorporating elements from other genres, such as RPG mechanics or storytelling. Titles like Angry Birds borrow aspects of the gameplay, emphasizing the strategic destruction of obstacles.
- The genre remains popular in casual gaming, with numerous free and paid options available on mobile devices, web browsers, and console platforms.
6. Legacy:
- Brick breaker games have influenced various other gaming genres, establishing a fundamental mechanic that has been adapted in countless ways over the years. Their simple yet engaging gameplay makes them a staple in both retro and modern gaming contexts.
In summary, brick breaker games have a rich history, starting from the arcade era and evolving through technological advancements and player preferences, remaining a beloved genre for gamers of all ages.