Arkanoid Returns

Released by Taito in 1997, Arkanoid Returns is the mainline arcade successor to the Arkanoid series, arriving more than a decade after the original. Players steer the Vaus ship to bounce an energy ball upward and shatter formations of bricks, collecting dozens of power-ups — laser cannons, paddle wideners, multi-ball splits, and a sticky paddle among them. The game adds new special brick types, branching stage-selection paths, and returning boss battles. Running on the Taito F3 board, it delivers sharp high-resolution 2D sprites, while the soundtrack — composed by house band Zuntata — keeps the pace brisk and energetic. It remains one of the better-regarded late entries in the Arkanoid series.