Bananoid

About

Bananoid is a straightforward Arkanoid clone for DOS players who remember the late 1980s. You control a paddle to bounce a ball and shatter brick formations across seven levels. The game uses a tweaked VGA mode with 360x240 resolution, stretching the action across two screens for a pseudo-wide view. Controls are simple and responsive, with no frills beyond the basic brick-breaking formula. The short level count and minimal extras make it a quick playthrough, but the tight physics and pixel-perfect collisions keep things satisfying. The game’s standout feature is its custom display setup, which was unusual for DOS titles at the time. Developer William Rieder’s manual notes the 544x240 total resolution trick, giving it a slightly wider feel compared to standard games. While not particularly complex by modern standards, Bananoid offers a clean, no-nonsense version of the Arkanoid formula. As a 1989 release, it’s a brief but competent entry in a genre that thrived on straightforward mechanics.