BreakQuest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BreakQuest is a breakout game created by Nurium Games. It was released on November 16, 2004, and is currently published by Stardock as part of TotalGaming.net.
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[edit] 2-D physics engine
The most unique aspect of the game is the use the DynaMo [1] physics engine. The engine enables all the objects in a level to interact with each other in a simulated physics environment. This allows for much more interesting gameplay, as the blocks and other objects respond realistically to collisions with the ball and each other. In many levels, some blocks or objects hang on strings that spin or move when hit, or are otherwise mobile. Sometimes, this can become chaotic as dozens of blocks, balls, and objects fly around and bump into each other. The use of the physics engine makes the levels in BreakQuest very dynamic, as opposed to the static brick formations seen in traditional breakout levels.
[edit] Storyline
A huge corporation rules the world by making thousands of TV channels and shows for people to watch. Everyone becomes addicted, starting the destruction of human intelligence. The player has to put up a transmitter to stop the satellite signals and end the corporation's rule.
[edit] Gameplay
There are two modes of play: Arcade and Quest. Quest is basically a "campaign mode", where the levels are played in order, while in Arcade, the goal is to beat random levels as fast as possible.
Unlike most Breakout clones, BreakQuest includes some innovative features:
[edit] Power-Ups
BreakQuest incorporates some unique power-ups that, for example, change the shape of the ball or bumper, or make your bumper "drunk". Most of these make the game harder by making it more difficult to predict the movements of the ball. Many of the bumper transforming effects can be combined, resulting in a large number of possible bumper shapes.
Other unique power-ups include "weapon" power-ups, such as mines, which are delivered using the ball. When a mine power-up is active, any ball touching the players' bumper attaches a mine. The mine is deposited when the ball next touches something, and explodes shortly after.
[edit] List of Power-Ups
[edit] Weapons
- Big-Missile - A slow but powerful rocket that gradually speeds up before violently exploding.
- GPS Missile - A type of missile that can be steered by moving the ship in the appropriate direction. However, it cannot be forced down.
- Seeker Missile - A missile that requires a lock-on before firing. Great against moving objects because of its heat-seeking feature.
- Double Gun - A gun that uses bullets exactly like the Power Gun but two shots are fired at once.
- Spread Gun - A weak automatic gun that fires along a broad range of fire.
- Dumb-Mine - These attach themselves one at a time to the ball once it is hit, and they are released and detonated once the ball hits something else.
- Smart-Mine - Same as above, but these only explode after the ball hits a brick. If the ball doesn't hit a brick for a while, it automatically detonates.
- Auto Gun - Another automatic gun that automatically fires in a wavy fashion.
- Power Gun - A gun with limited ammo, but with a lot of power.
[edit] Pills
- X-Bumper -
- Big Ball
- Small Ball
- S-Blocks
- Glue
- Un-Glue
- Slower Ball
- Faster Ball
- Star+
- Star++
- Star-
- Star--
- Star---
- Bumper Shape
- Ball Shape
- Low Octane
- High Octane
- In-Elong Up
- In-Elong Down
- Out-Elong Up
- Out-Elong Down
- Extra Life
- Kick
- Trumble
- Bigger Bumper
- Smaller Bumper
- Bumper Up
- Bumper Down
- MultiBall
- Sputnik
- Multi Sputnik
- FireBall
- Volt
- Drunk Engine
- Freezer
- Drunk Ball
[edit] Level Design
The 100 levels available in the game have been designed with care. Each one has its own theme, which is realised with distinct sound and visual effects, and by utilising some features of the physics engine. Depending on what mode of difficulty you pick, you will get a key to permanently make the level available. There is no way to get new level sets.
[edit] Gravitator
Another notable element in BreakQuest is the Gravitator, which can be used to attract any balls towards the bottom of the screen. With sufficient skill, it can be used to guide a ball towards a specific block. This alleviates the difficulty of hitting the last block in a level, a problem present in many breakout games.
[edit] Reserve ball
A reserve ball is an extra ball that the player starts with for every life. If the main ball is lost, the reserve ball is released. The player also has the choice of manually releasing the reserve ball. It is possible to gain additional reserve balls by collecting power-ups.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Nurium.com - Official Website
- Official TotalGaming.net page about BreakQuest
- Developer interview
- 'BreakQuest' Review at Reality From The Sidelines
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