Breakout (Atari 2600)/Gameplay

Controls

Console

• : Switch between color display and black & white display. (This feature made the game look better on black & white TVs that were still prominent at the time of the game's release.)
• : This switch controls the length of a player's paddle. When switch to the position, a player's paddle will only be 3/4 as long as when the switch is in the position, making that position more suitable for novices. When setting the left or right difficulty switch, the difficulty is set for both players who use the paddles which are connected to either side of the machine.
• : Select a game variation. Two numbers are shown at the top of the screen while selecting a game. The left number is the game variation, and the right number is a number of players. Pressing game select increases the number of players until four players are reached. Pressing select again will increase the game variation by one and reset the number of players to one. See the Game Variation section below.
• : Starts a new game in whatever game variation is currently selected. All players' scores are reset to 0, all bricks are restored, and the timer is reset to 0 if you are resetting a timed game.

Paddles

NOTE: One set of paddle controllers contains to paddles. The first two paddles connected to the left controller plug control players 1 and 2. The next two paddles connected to the right controller plug control players 3 and 4. Some testing is usually required to determine which on-screen paddle is controlled by which player.

• : Use the dial of the paddle controller to steer the horizontal position of the on-screen paddle. In one-man team games (one and two player games, and player two of a three player game), the dial can be used to direct the paddle across the entire width of the screen. In two-man team games (players one and three of a three player game, and all players of a four player game), the dial can only be used to navigate each player's specific half of the screen.
  • The dial has one other function which is only in operation during the "Steerable" variety of games. It can be used to influence the rate at which the ball moves through the screen. Steering causes the ball to veer more to the left of its current trajectory and steering causes the ball to veer to the right. Note that veering does not mean moving, the ball will continue to move along its original trajectory once the dial is left alone.
• : Ordinarily, the button's only purpose is to initiate play by serving the ball when ready.
  • The only other use that the button has is during the "Catch" variety of games. When playing a "Catch" game, the ball can be touched and held for as long as the button is pressed in. When the button is released, the ball will be let go and bounce back up to the top of the screen.

Players

The number of players determines how the paddles are utilized.

1. A single player uses one of the paddles connected to the left control port and can maneuver the on-screen paddle across the entire width of the screen.
2. Two players each use one of the paddles connected to the left control port. Both players take turns and can maneuver the on-screen paddle across the entire width of the screen.
3. The first two players make use of the paddles connected to the left control port, and the third player makes use of one of the paddles connected to the right control port. Players one and three make up one team, and can only maneuver across their half of the screen. They take turns with player two, who plays solo and can maneuver across the entire width of the screen.
4. The first two players make use of the paddles connected to the left control port, and the second two players make use of the paddles connected to the right control port. Players one and three make up one team, and players two and four make up the second team. Both teams take turns, and all players can only maneuver across their half of the screen.

Scoring

The maximum possible score for completing one wall is 432 points, and the maximum possible score for completing both walls in the game is 864 points. No more bricks are provided beyond the second wall. Each brick is worth a varying number of points as dictated by the following table:

	7 points
	7 points
	4 points
	4 points
	1 points
	1 points