Arkanoid Returns (1997). Play online

Summary

Arkanoid Returns is a Japan‑only arcade entry that quietly picked up where Arkanoid :Doh it Again left off. The Vaus paddle rolls through 50 stages that reshuffle their backdrop every nine levels, while familiar power‑ups return alongside the new brown ‘G’ Giga Ball. Players can punch in a hidden code to unlock a fresh batch of levels starting at 51, ending in another showdown with the mischievous DOH.

The PlayStation port, rebranded as Arkanoid R 2000, skips the code and continues straight into round 51, then adds a full extra campaign of 100 fresh stages, a rainbow ‘Vanish’ power‑up and a worm‑type boss. A level editor gives hobbyists a chance to craft their own brick layouts. While it never saw a Western release, the title ranked fifth on Japan’s May 1997 arcade charts and earned a modest 24/40 from Famitsu.