Genre | Action |
---|---|
Release | October 8, 2008 |
Multi-player | Yes |
Brick-À-Brac is a multiplayer Action game released on October 8, 2008. A single-player game mode is also provided.
Single Player
The single player mode consists of 60 levels: 30 "Basic Bricks" levels and 30 "Brick Extension" levels. The player can start play at any unlocked level, and each level unlocks on completion of the previous level. The player starts with 3 lives, but can gain more by collecting extra life power-ups.
Gameplay
Brick-À-Brac is in the Breakout genre, and the basic gameplay consists of bouncing a ball which destroys bricks and ensuring it doesn't fall past a paddle at the bottom of the playing area. There are various special bricks, some of which are indestructible. A level is completed by destroying all bricks which can be destroyed.
In general, bricks with an icon on them count towards power-ups; the number of bricks of that icon which must be collected for the corresponding power-up varies. When a ball hits the last brick needed for the power-up, it falls to the bottom of the screen and must be collected with the paddle. It is not always possible to collect the power-up without losing the ball. If a player collects a positive powerup in a multiplayer game, and loses the ball, the powerup does not apply to the new ball. An example of this would be when a player collects a multiball powerup, then loses the ball - the multiball powerup would not affect the new ball by splitting it into eight balls.
After hitting a certain amount of bricks or the wall, or on collecting the Charge power-up, the ball becomes "charged": it radiates a white glow and is surrounded by a blue circle. When the ball is charged, pressing the space bar or up arrow will detonate it and destroy the bricks within the circle. Power-up bricks destroyed in this way do not count towards the power-up. For example, if you had already hit four 'strong' power-up bricks, and used a detonation on the last 'strong' brick, the power-up would not fall down, since you used a detonation on it.
Scoring
Players gain 10 points for the first brick hit after launching the ball, and any subsequent hit gives 10+(n-1) points, where n is the number of bricks that has been hit after leaving the paddle. Also, any bricks destroyed from a detonation give 2(n+5) points.
Players also gain 100 points for collecting a positive power-up, and 500 for collecting a negative power-up.
Levels
The bricks in Level 1 don't count toward any achievements or highscores if you have the tutorial on. Normally, it does. If you complete the tutorial, the tutorial will turn off and the bricks in level 1 will count toward achievements and highscores.
Before the update on the 16th of April, 2009, only levels 1-5 of the Basic Bricks were available to non-members. After the update, all the levels from Basic Bricks became available to all players.
The Brick Extension is members-only.
Basic Bricks
Brick Extension
Multiplayer Mode
In multiplayer mode, you must either complete all of the levels in the match, or "lap" the other player. In an infinite level game, the only way of winning is "lapping" all the other players.
To "lap" someone, destroy bricks quickly. The heads around your playing window represent players. If one player overtakes another one there for 10 seconds, the overtaken player is out the game. It is possible to be in second place in a 3+ player game and lose this way.
You do not have to win to earn rating in Brick-À-Brac. The rating you earn or lose depends on your original rating compared to the other players, and which position you end up in. In a 5 - player game, it is possible for the player who came second to lose rating, and the player who came third gain some, but this is due to their original rating. The player who came first doesn't always earn rating. [1]
Power-ups
In single-player mode, all power-ups always affect the player, though negative power-ups give 500 points while positive power-ups only give 100. In multi-player mode, positive power-ups affect the player who collected them and negative power-ups affect their opponent(s). As mentioned earlier, every power-up has its own required amount of breaks to get it to spawn. Using the plasma ball to break power-ups will NOT count towards the required amount of hits. Additionally, any breaks follow you to the next round, so if you got 3 "Strong" power-up breaks, those 3 breaks count in the next round where the strong power-up is present.
Losing your ball cancels active power-ups, but not the breaks.
Image | Name | Type | Breaks to Spawn | Description | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Confuse | Negative | 5 | Reverses the paddle's controls. | Getting two of this power-up will turn your controls back to normal. | |
Strong | Positive | 5 | Balls destroy bricks without bouncing. | Once your ball hits the paddle again, then the ball will become normal again. | |
1-UP | Positive | 10 | An extra life. | This power-up will never appear in multi-player mode. | |
Blind | Negative | 5 | Distorts your screen. | This power-up does not distort your screen too much. As long as you are concentrated on the ball, then it won't affect you as much. Wears off after about a minute or so. | |
Shrink | Negative | 2 | Makes your paddle shorter. | After being hit with this power-up a few times, your paddle will not shrink anymore. | |
Accelerate | Negative | 2 | Hitting the paddle increases the ball's velocity. | Can cause mayhem when combined with Speed Up. | |
Wipe Out | Negative | 2 | Cancels out any positive power-ups. | This power-up will also cause your plasma charge to drop entirely. | |
Multiball | Positive | 5 | Splits your ball into eight balls. | This power-up will not work if you have two or more balls in play. | |
Speed Up | Negative | 2 | Increases the speed of any ball in play. | This power-up increases the ball's velocity more than Accelerate. | |
Aftertouch | Positive | 10 | Flight control. | The ball will follow the movement of the paddle. | |
Speed Down | Both* | 2 | Decreases the speed of any ball in play. | *This power-up is positive in single-player, but negative in multiplayer. | |
Sticky | Positive | 5 | Any balls that hit the paddle stick to it. | After a certain amount of time, balls that hit the paddle do not stick to it. Can be seen as negative because it resets progress towards getting a charged ball. | |
Weak | Negative | 2 | Your ball will be unable to destroy any bricks. | This power-up can actually be helpful if used properly: if the ball becomes solid in the middle of a large block of bricks. However, the ball sometimes respawns back at the paddle if it cannot bounce. | |
Build | Negative | 5 | Adds a row of bricks to the top of the level. | Collect 10 of these power-ups in Rated Games to earn the Master Builder Achievement. | |
Grow | Positive | 2 | Makes your paddle longer. | This power-up can only be effective so many times in a row. After that you paddle will not grow any further. | |
Charge | Positive | 10 | Instantly charges the ball. | This power-up will not work if the ball is already charged. |
Achievements
Total Achievements: 42
Total Orb Coins: 156
Total Orb Points: 15600
[Secret Achievements] | [Hidden Achievements] [Halloween Achievements]
Image | Name | Requirement | Orb Points | Orb Coins | Members? | Sorter |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Somewhere Over the Rainbow |
Destroy one brick for each colour of a rainbow, in order, without using the plasma ball. |
500 | 5 | No | AVM | |
Brick Destroyer |
Destroy 100 bricks without losing a life. |
100 | 1 | No | AA | |
Brick Assassin |
Destroy 350 bricks without losing a life. |
200 | 2 | No | AB | |
Brick Slayer |
Destroy 750 bricks without losing a life. |
300 | 3 | No | AC | |
Chip Away at the Stone |
Complete 10 levels in one play-through. |
300 | 3 | No | AD | |
Stone Idol |
Complete 25 levels in one play-through. |
500 | 5 | No | AE | |
Stone Circle |
Reach level 15. |
100 | 1 | No | AF | |
Stone Mason |
Complete the game. |
300 | 3 | No | AG | |
Another Brick in the Wall |
Score 30,000 points. |
300 | 3 | No | AH | |
Follow the Yellow Brick Road |
Score 60000 points. |
500 | 5 | No | AI | |
Bounce Master Junior |
Bounce any ball 30 times without it touching the paddle. |
200 | 2 | No | AJ | |
Bounce Master Senior |
Bounce any ball 60 times without it touching the paddle. |
500 | 5 | No | AK | |
Master Builder |
Use the Build power-up 10 times in Rated games. |
500 | 5 | No | AL | |
Bricking It |
Gain Rating in 10 Rated games in a row. |
500 | 5 | No | AM | |
Chip Off the Old Brick |
Gain Rating in 25 Rated games in a row. |
1000 | 10 | No | AN | |
Brick Me (Baby) One More Time |
Place 1st 5 Rated games in a row. |
300 | 3 | No | AO | |
Gone with the Brick |
Place first 10 rated games in a row. |
1000 | 10 | No | AP | |
Rentabrick |
Complete any level after the first with the Halloween background. |
100 | 1 | No | AQ | |
Blow Our House Down |
Build up 3 victories against FunOrb Moderators. |
500 | 5 | No | AS | |
Stone Cold Crazy |
Complete 10 levels without losing a life. |
300 | 3 | No | AT | |
Dry Stone Wall |
Complete 20 levels without losing a life. |
500 | 5 | No | AU | |
Stone Destroyer |
Complete 30 levels without losing a life. |
1000 | 10 | No | AV | |
Master Brickster |
Get 3 levels ahead of the player chasing you, in a Rated Game. |
1000 | 10 | No | AY | |
Comeback Kid |
Recover from 'Panic!' (flashing red) during a rated game, then go on to win. |
300 | 3 | No | AZ | |
The House That Jack Built |
Defeat a FunOrb Moderator or someone who has this Achievement. |
300 | 3 | No | AR | |
Fierce Brickster |
Get 1 level ahead of the player chasing you, in a Rated Game. |
300 | 3 | No | AW | |
Expert Brickster |
Get 2 levels ahead of the player chasing you, in a Rated Game. |
500 | 5 | No | AX | |
Ghost in the Brick |
Use the Weak power-up 5 times in online multiplayer games, in one session during Halloween. |
200 | 2 | No | BO | |
Romancing the Brick |
Score 135,000 points. |
1000 | 10 | Yes | BN | |
Brick Crusher |
Destroy 1,000 bricks without losing a life. |
500 | 5 | No | BM | |
Buckingham Palace |
Destroy a total of 15,000 bricks in Rated games. |
100 | 1 | No | BL | |
Tower of London |
Destroy a total of 5,000 bricks in Rated games. |
100 | 1 | No | BK | |
Marble Arch |
Destroy a total of 500 bricks in Rated games. |
100 | 1 | No | BI | |
Nelson's Column |
Destroy a total of 2,500 bricks in Rated games. |
100 | 1 | No | BJ | |
Covent Garden |
Destroy a total of 100 bricks in Rated games. |
100 | 1 | No | BH | |
Too Much of a Good Thing |
Collect 10 positive power-ups in a row. |
200 | 2 | No | BG | |
It's So Easy |
Collect 5 positive power-ups in a row. |
100 | 1 | No | BF | |
And Still You Did Not Learn |
Collect 10 negative power-ups in a row. |
200 | 2 | No | BE | |
Glutton for Punishment |
Collect 5 negative power-ups in a row. |
100 | 1 | No | BD | |
Brickicide |
Complete 10 levels without collecting positive power-ups. |
200 | 2 | No | BC | |
Crazy Fool |
Win a Rated game without collecting any power-ups. |
500 | 5 | No | BB | |
Reluctant Charger |
Win a Rated game using the plasma ball once, and only once, per level. |
200 | 2 | No | BA |
All information for these achievements is stored on their respective pages, along with walkthroughs and tips for many of them. So, if you notice a mistake, or have a good strategy, go there!
Did you notice a missing achievement? You can help the FunOrb Wiki by making a page for it. Simply type the achievement name in this box to make a page for it.<createbox>
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References
Trivia
- Achievement "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" is a reference to Wizard of Oz
- Achievement "Another Brick in the Wall" is a reference to Pink Floyd's song Another Brick in the Wall
- Achievement "Gone with the Brick" is a reference to Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind
- Achievement "Brick Me (Baby) One More Time" is a reference to Britney Spear's song and album [Hit Me]...Baby One More Time
- Achievement "The House That Jack Built" is a reference to the English nursery rhyme of the same name.
- Achievement "Romancing the Brick" is a reference to the movie "Romancing the Stone"
- Achievement "Stone Cold Crazy' is a reference to the Queen song of the same name.
- Achievement "Somewhere Over the Rainbow' is a reference to the Harold Arlen song of the same name.
- On the 16th of April 2009, Brick-À-Brac became fully available to free players along with Deko Bloko. However, on the 28th of May 2009, a new extension for single players, brick extension, was added, which can only be accessed by members.
- This game has many levels referring to other FunOrb games like Zombie Dawn, Wizard Run and Orb Defence.
- One level of the Brick Extension, titled Slave-42, is a reference to the game Steel Sentinels. The Brick Extension was added four months before Steel Sentinels was released.
- Another level of the Brick Extension, titled Astral Splinter, is a reference to the Funorb game Stellar Shard.
- The Strong power-up looks like a Superman symbol, the Weak power-up is a mirrored Strong power-up.