Games: August 2007 Archives

Breakdown is the second game I have created primarily for the iPhone.  For those of you familiar with the games Breakout or Arkanoid, you already have a good idea how it is played.  You can play here:


Description:

Breakdown places you at the top of a 3D tunnel.  The back wall of the tunnel is lined with colored tiles.  The goal is to "breakdown" the tiles.

Instructions:

1. To start the game, simply tap the screen anywhere.  This will launch a ball down the tunnel.  The ball will bounce of the 4 sides of the tunnel, the back wall of the tunnel, and any tiles it come in contact with.
2. As the ball bounced back towards the screen, you must tap/click the screen where the ball will make contact with the screen.  Once you have tapped/clicked the screen, a circular paddle will fade in and then back out.  If you have tapped/clicked in the right location, the ball will bounce off the paddle and travel back down the tunnel.  If not, you will lose one ball.
3. Over time, the tiles will slide forward and another set of tiles will appear behind them.  The game play continues as normal, but the ball can bounce of the front and back sides of the tiles.
4. If you let any tiles advance past the screen, the game will end regardless of if you have any remaining balls.
   

Tips:

1. When the paddle is not locked in position, a ghosted version of it will move around the screen mirroring the horizontal and vertical movement of the ball.  Use this movement to help judge where the ball will make contact with the screen.
2. There are green lines in the corners of the tunnel that track the balls position relative to it's distance from the screen.  Again, use these as guide to help judge where the ball will make contact with the screen.