Balldozer

Balldozer intro screen #1 Balldozer intro screen #2
Balldozer intro screens 1&2
Balldozer level 1 game screen Balldozer level 2 game screen
Balldozer level 1&2 game screens. There are 31 levels total.

Balldozer is a Dragon 32/64 version of the arcade smash Arkanoid (although not exactly the same; none of the aliens float out from the top). It some some of the same level layouts, multi-hit bricks, special bricks that drop bonuses (like slowing down the ball, catching the ball, laser, etc.), and has 30 regular levels, and then the special 31st level. Done in black and white graphics with full 256x192 resolution, it looks really good on a Coco 3 with an RGB monitor, and works with keyboard (no joystick required). One power up it has that I don't think was in the arcade is the 'P' bonus - for Powerball. For as long as it lasts, it will blast right through bricks, only stopping for walls. A very well done clone.

Some special history notes by Stewart himself: He doesn't recall the Control Options screen being in his original version and suspects that it was added by the software publisher, likely for Coco compatibility reasons (since the keyboard matrices are mapped differently between the Dragon and the Coco). He also mentions that the original cassette version featured a scrolling story to read while the game was loading in. And finally a direct quote about the final 31st level: "The final screen is truly evil as it is not obvious what you need to do."

Title: Balldozer

Author: Stewart Orchard

Publisher: Kouga Software

Released: 1988

Requires: Color Computer 1/2/3, 32K RAM, cassette or disk

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