Arkanoid R.O.D. - different first level?

trickman

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I got my monitor fixed on my Arkanoid R.O.D. cocktail so it doesn't play blind. Since this was the first time I was actually "seeing" the game, I was just happy it worked and I didn't think anything of it until I noticed the first level was different than what I was accustomed to seeing in the past. This is what I remember the first stage looking like:

107_1.png


Mine doesn't look like that. The first level has the middle bricks of varying color going back and forth on the left and right of the screen. When I got to the next level(s) (left or right path), the levels look correct. So why is my first level different? Everything else looks and plays the same as what I remember, but that level 1 is goofy! Why just level 1?

It is the Taito/Romstar U.S. version. The board and chips look original. Did they make two different versions that had different first levels? Does anyone else have a board set that has this?
 
It is the Taito/Romstar U.S. version. The board and chips look original. Did they make two different versions that had different first levels? Does anyone else have a board set that has this?

This sounds like a perfect time to fire up MAME & see what happens...

MAWS says...

US (Romstar) Version :

* Round 1 features a completely different layout of blocks that does not appear in the World or Japanese versions that features an entire line of notched bricks and a series of moving bricks above the notched bricks.
 
This sounds like a perfect time to fire up MAME & see what happens...

MAWS says...

US (Romstar) Version :

* Round 1 features a completely different layout of blocks that does not appear in the World or Japanese versions that features an entire line of notched bricks and a series of moving bricks above the notched bricks.

Aha! Thanks!

I also just saw this on Wikipedia for Arkanoid R.O.D.:

The game also featured two new features for bricks. Notched silver bricks, like normal silver bricks, take several hits to destroy. However, after a short period of time after destruction, they regenerate at full strength. Fortunately, clearing a level does not require that any notched bricks be destroyed. Also, some bricks move from side to side as long as their left and/or right sides are not obstructed by other bricks.

The US version features an entirely different layout for Level 1 that feature an entire line of notched bricks, with all colored bricks above it moving from side to side.

So it looks like that's normal for the U.S. Taito/Romstar version which I have. Interesting. You learn something new every day. Great! Thanks for your help!
 
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