Breakout
The brick-breaking classic
Atari's influential 1976 arcade game that spawned an entire genre and was famously prototyped by Steve Wozniak.
Overview
Breakout was Atari’s 1976 arcade hit that challenged players to destroy rows of coloured bricks by bouncing a ball off a paddle. Designed by Nolan Bushnell and Steve Bristow, and famously prototyped by Steve Wozniak (with Steve Jobs taking credit), Breakout became one of the most cloned games in history.
The game spawned an entire genre of “brick breakers” that continues today.
Fast Facts
- Developer: Atari
- Designer: Nolan Bushnell, Steve Bristow
- Prototype: Steve Wozniak (4 days)
- Released: 1976 (arcade)
- Control: Paddle controller
- Legacy: Created brick-breaker genre
Gameplay
Simple concept, compelling execution:
- Ball bounces off paddle
- Breaks bricks on contact
- Missing the ball loses a life
- Clear all bricks to advance
- Speed increases over time
The paddle’s analogue control provided precision impossible with joysticks.
The Wozniak Story
The famous development tale:
- Jobs approached Wozniak with design
- Wozniak built it in 4 days
- Used remarkably few chips (efficient design)
- Jobs received bonus for chip reduction
- Jobs kept most of the bonus from Wozniak
The incident strained their friendship but didn’t prevent Apple’s founding months later.
Hardware Innovation
Breakout used no processor - entirely TTL logic:
- Custom circuits for ball physics
- Analogue paddle input
- Colour through overlay (like Pong)
- Efficient design = higher profit margin
This pre-microprocessor era required hardware thinking.
Influence
Breakout influenced generations:
| Game | Year | Innovation |
|---|---|---|
| Super Breakout | 1978 | Multiple balls |
| Arkanoid | 1986 | Power-ups, enemies |
| DX-Ball | 1996 | PC revival |
| Brick Breaker | 2000s | Mobile standard |
Every phone has had a Breakout clone.