ARKANOID 2 - The revenge of DOH

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After the success of the first Arkanoid for MSX1 in 1986, Taito has started a big sequel in 1987 : Arkanoid 2 for MSX2 with a master using of the higher graphical resources that define the 2nd generation of the MSX standard. Besides, you can play alone or with a second player, the megarom includes also a level editor and 2 battle modes for an alternative game.

You thought that DOH was dead at the end of Arkanoid ? Error, you didn't have killed the mini-brain who is the source of his energy: DOH is back, stronger than ever with his spaceship Xorg and you decide to attack him with Vaus 2, your new mini-ship.

There are so many variants for this game as for most of the stages, you can choose the left exit or the right exit, what leads to very different stages and generally more complex stages if you select the right exit. Of course, if your bat is too close to an exit, you won't make a real choice, but will be transferred to the corresponding higher level.

Tip (only for stages 0 to 16) : press on TAB to go to next stage of the left, on ESC to go to the next stage of the right.

The difficulty level is visibly higher than in Arkanoid 1. Beside enemy items, unbreakable gold bricks and resistant silver bricks, there are new devilish innovations to make your work even harder : some items can't be broken because they are elastic and like glue, some bricks begin to move as soon as you hit them and the worse thing is the re-appearance of some silver bricks after a short time, what blocks often one of the rare passages.

The magical bonuses are still present, they come from some bricks when you hit them and give bigger powers. Here also, the coders have added a mountain of very original ideas. Most of these bonuses are no more available when you catch another bonus, lose a life or go to the higher level.

You can so get an extra life (light grey capsule P = Player), slow down the ball (orange capsule S = Slow) or open the passage to the higher stage (red capsule B = Break).

Normally, you play with only one ball, but if you catch a white capsule N (= New), it will be splitted into 3 balls that are regenerating themselves; the contact with a light green capsule C (= Catch) will magnetize the ball, so you can keep it a little glued to the bat and adjust your throwing.

You can also now convert your unique ball into 8 balls that don't regenerate themselves, by catching a light blue capsule D (= Divide) or get the famous purple super-ball by simple contact with a purple capsule M (= Mega) : this super-ball destroys everything on its passage, even the gold bricks !

			There is also the flashing mega-capsule ! If you catch it, you can get one of these advantages : 3 extra lives, 3 super-balls or another random power. A real lottery !
			By default, you have a little bat; if you catch a dark blue capsule E (= Extended), it will become a big bat; the contact with a red capsule L (= Laser) adds a laser shoot to your mini-ship (the spacebar is then also used for shooting).
			If you catch a dark green capsule I (= Illusion), the bat comes with an extension that follows it in its moves and extends the covering field of the bat.
			The contact with a dark grey capsule T (= Twin) gives a second bat, but it's not actually handful; avoid also to catch a dark grey capsule R (= Reduce), because you will have only a mini-bat to be reserved to the best gamers !
	The walkthrough		Here's a walkthrough that allows to discover the 35 (65 with the variants) stages of the game !
			Stage 0 A fast remembering of the last stage from Arkanoid 1 : the fight against DOH.
			Stage 1 A more difficult game's beginning than Arkanoid 1 !
			Stage 2 (left) A dome of bricks whose 2 mobile gold bricks.
			Stage 2 (right) A big amount of bricks consolidated by central gold bricks.
			Stage 3 (left) Two mobile gold bricks to make the central access difficult.
			Stage 3 (right) Four solid defence lines.
			Stage 4 (left) A fortress that is difficult to conquer.
			Stage 4 (right) An impressive fortresss that can't be taken from the top.
			Stage 5 (left) A giant insect.
			Stage 5 (right) Ten bricks that are difficult to reach.
			Stage 6 (left) A more classical fortress.
			Stage 6 (right) A solid aeroplane.
			Stage 7 (left) It looks like a clock !
			Stage 7 (right) Find the two weak points of this construction !
			Stage 8 (left) A kind of hourglass !
			Stage 8 (right) A little icecream.
			Stage 9 (left) Funny : a bat and a ball !
			Stage 9 (right) An airship !
			Stage 10 (left) Nine mini-fortresses.
			Stage 10 (right) A very solid fortress.
			Stage 11 (left) Fan-wise bricks.
			Stage 11 (right) A strongly protected construction.
			Stage 12 (left) A heart of bricks.
			Stage 12 (right) Three defence lines.
			Stage 13 (left) Five colums of bricks to demolish.
			Stage 13 (right) A plier all in bricks !
			Stage 14 (left) Four walls of bricks to demolish.
			Stage 14 (right) A central area under good protection.
			Stage 15 (left) A nice house.
			Stage 15 (right) A real headache to find the mobile gold bricks that will open a not handful way to the top.
			Stage 16 (left) A central block with good framing.
			Stage 16 (right) Three big blocks of bricks.
			Stage 17 The fight against the giant brain, a little practice before the final fight against DOH. The head is his weak spot.
			Stage 18 A fortress protected by three defence lines that are still rebuilding themselves. A real bolt for the access to the second part of the game.
			Stage 19 (left) A column of bricks that is reasonably easy to destroy.
			Stage 19 (right) A big V in bricks.
			Stage 20 (left) A butterfly emprisoned in a white high wall.
			Stage 20 (right) Three solid blocks.
			Stage 21 (left) A fortress that is very difficult to conquer.
			Stage 21 (right) An area under good protection.
			Stage 22 (left) Two towers to conquer.
			Stage 22 (right) A double space under good protection.
			Stage 23 (left) Trenches difficult to break.
			Stage 23 (right) A flower whose you need to find the entries.
			Stage 24 (left) An impressive candlestick.
			Stage 24 (right) An hyper-protected kernel.
			Stage 25 (left) Bricks under extreme protection.
			Stage 25 (right) Nine columns to demolish.
			Stage 26 (left) The big game !
			Stage 26 (right) The classical game !
			Stage 27 (left) A good beer.
			Stage 27 (right) Four water drinks.
			Stage 28 (left) Another fortress with an extremely difficult access.
			Stage 28 (right) A double space under extreme security.
			Stage 29 (left) Nice strawberry !
			Stage 29 (right) A giant clock !
			Stage 30 (left) A very hard labyrinth.
			Stage 30 (right) Nine mini-fortresses.
			Stage 31 (left) A jewel in a gold case.
			Stage 31 (right) A nice plane highly protected.
			Stage 32 (left) An army of mini-fortresses.
			Stage 32 (right) An armoured fortress.
			Stage 33 (left) The ultimate fortress.
			Stage 33 (right) The ultimate fortress.
			Stage 34 The final fight against DOH; after some hits, he becomes a very dangerous mini-brain.
	The end		If you are the winner of this hard fight, the universe will be finally freed from the terrible alien threat.