Break'Em All Walkthrough

By
Tris Baybayan

Introduction

Welcome to the Break'Em All walk through. The purpose of this document is to provide you with the proper information and strategies to help you complete the game. This document will provide you with detailed descriptions of brick types and Power Ups as wells helpful strategies for Tokoton and Quest Mode. Please be aware that reading further into this document may spoil some gameplay aspects, because entailed are the descriptions and strategies for each of the Quest Mode bosses, and the different rankings awarded to the player while progressing through Tokoton Mode.

General Gameplay

Scoring System

Break'Em All will score the player in several different aspects of the game. This gives the player the opportunity to break records other than High Score. These are the different areas of scoring:

• Score – With each successful hit on any breakable brick, the player's score will be incremented. Executing combos where the ball hits several bricks before hitting the paddle again will increment your score at a larger rate. Certain Powers Ups will increase the amount of points received for each broken brick.

• Blocks - This determines the amount of blocks that were successfully broken up until all lives are lost.

• Rally – The Rally increments every time the ball successfully reflects off of the paddle. This determines the amount of successful rallies the player has executed until the player loses a life. Once the player loses a life, the Rally will be reset to zero.

• Time – Reaching further stages will consume a fair amount of time. This determines the amount of time you've played up until you've lost all of your lives.

• Stage - This records the number of stages you have successfully played through in Tokoton and Quest Mode.

Brick Types:

Throughout the different modes of Break'Em All you as the player will encounter many types of blocks, each with their own special attribute making them more difficult to break. Using certain Power Ups will aid you in breaking these bricks with less difficulty. Here are the different type of bricks:

• Silver Brick - One hit will destroy this brick.

• Glass Brick - One hit will destroy this brick but the ball will not be reflected back.

• Gold Brick - Two hits will destroy this brick.

• Ruby Brick - Three hits will destroy this brick.

• Indigo Brick – Four hits will destroy this brick.

• Wall Brick - This brick is invulnerable to all Power Ups and cannot be broken.

• Top-Hit Brick - This will appear as a silver and black brick and is only vulnerable from the top.

• Bottom-Hit Brick - This will appear as a silver and black brick and is only vulnerable from the bottom.

• Left-Hit Brick - This will appear as a silver and black brick and is only vulnerable from the left.

• Right-Hit Brick - This will appear as a silver and black brick and is only vulnerable from the right.

• Trigger Brick - When activated, it will eliminate Wall Bricks blocking your path.

• Magnetic Brick - Pushes the Ball away from the Brick. This brick only appears in Quest Mode.

Power Ups:

Prior to entering Tokoton Mode or Quest Mode, you will be prompted to select a series of Power Ups. These Power Ups will give you special abilities which will allow you to do things such as: increase ball speed, extend paddle length, or hit several bricks at once. During gameplay, a blue Power Up meter will be displayed on the right and left side of the screen, this meter will charge when a certain amount of rallies have been executed, the first three Power Ups require ten successful rallies each, and the last three require twenty, once the meter begins to glow, a Power Up may be executed. These are the different types of Power Ups:

• Slow – At certain points of the game, you will find that the speed of the ball will increase enough to where it becomes extremely overwhelming. This Power Up will significantly decrease the speed of the ball making movement easier to comprehend.

• Fast – This Power Up will slightly increase the speed of your ball; however, in turn, the amount of points received per broken block will increase.

• Catch – This Power Up will catch the ball and hold it until the player releases it or until the speed meter reaches zero. This slightly helps the player with accuracy and allows them to reach hard to hit areas with less difficulty.

• Mirror – Mirror will reflect the ball in the exact direction it came from. This ability does not have any particular advantages and may cause confusion. It's suggested not to use this Power Up.

• Multi – This Power Up will create three separate balls to simultaneously rally. This is extremely useful when attempting to break bricks located in an enclosed area or when fighting a boss with several weak points.

• 5-way – This Power Up will create five separate balls but will immediately go back to one as soon as a ball hits the paddle. This is helpful for the sole purpose of hitting several blocks located in one area.

• Safe – Safe will extend a barrier behind the paddle to block the ball. The barrier can withstand two hits and will disappear there afterwards. This is extremely helpful during any point of the game because it almost acts as two extra lives.

• Option – Option will create an immobile clone of the paddle wherever executed. Up to two paddles can be created at one time. The advantage this has over Safe is that it can withstand an unlimited amount of hits; however, it does not guarantee the prevention of the ball falling behind the paddle because it does not cover as much area as Safe.

• Wide – Wide does nothing other than increase the surface area of the paddle. This makes things less difficult by decreasing the accuracy required to successfully control the paddle.

• Small – This Power Up will decrease the surface area of the paddle; however, in turn, the amount of points broken per block will double. This is extremely helpful during Quest Mode Multi-player when attempting to out score your opponents. This is also helpful in Tokoton Mode because it makes it less difficult to obtain higher ranks.

• Laser – Laser gives the ball the ability to temporarily obliterate any breakable brick in it's path. This is extremely helpful during stages where there are an abundant amount of indigo and ruby bricks. This is also very helpful in Quest Mode when attempting to progress to the boss as quickly as possible.

• Bomb – When activated, Bomb will allow the ball to hit a brick and any brick adjacent to it for a short period of time. This is extremely helpful for it may significantly increase your max combos and in turn, increasing the rate at which your score increments.

Tokoton Mode

In Tokoton Mode, the player is presented with a series of stages made up of obstacles comprised of breakable bricks. A stage is completed once all the bricks have been broken. As you progress further into Tokoton Mode and as your score increases, you will obtain different rankings, the ultimate goal of Tokoton Mode is to obtain the highest ranking possible.

Tokoton Mode Tips

The determining factor of your success in Tokoton Mode is based on the Power Ups you select. It has been determined that the most optimal set of Power Ups in Tokoton Mode are:

• Slow – During the beginning stages of Tokoton Mode slow will not be of much help; however, during the later stages, the ball speed with increase at a much faster rate and executing Slow will often help you prevent the ball from falling behind the paddle.

• Catch – Again, during the later stages of Tokoton Mode, the ball speed will increase to an overwhelming amount. Using catch will help the player regain control of the ball because it gives you a brief moment to think about what to do next.

• 5-Way – This is a good Power Up to use because it's not too much to comprehend at one time. It's suggested to use this Power Up mainly to destroy bricks located in an enclosed area. Also, since it returns to one ball as soon as contact is made with the paddle, it's less risky in regards to breaking your Safe barrier. (Multi can be used and it does have an advantage because the balls do not disappear; however, it's much more risky in regards to breaking your Safe barrier.)

• Safe – Safe is one of the most valuable Power Ups to the player. The Safe barrier almost acts as an additional two lives, and you'll find that it will save you on more than one occasion. Also, by extending a Safe barrier behind the paddle, a small amount of pressure will be alleviated in regards to losing a life. This allows you to better concentrate on your next move rather than preventing the ball from falling behind the paddle.

• Small – Small will help you obtain a higher rank in a shorter amount of time. As you progress further into Tokoton Mode the amount of points required to obtain the next rank will significantly increase. Without using the Small Power Up, obtaining the next rank will take almost twice as long.

• Bomb – Bomb has an advantage over Laser in Tokoton Mode because it allows the player to hit adjacent bricks. This is extremely helpful when you're attempting to break a brick located on the opposite side of a Wall Brick. Bomb also lasts much longer than Laser, giving you time to recharge your Power Up meter and execute Bomb again immediately after it depletes.

In order to efficiently use these Power Ups, you must know when to activate them. When first beginning Tokoton Mode, charge you Power Meter until Safe can be activated. Always prioritize Safe over any other Power Up, reducing the risk of losing a life is much more important than obtaining points. After activating Safe, charge your Power Up meter until Small can be activated. Now, is when you should be thinking about your score. Once Small has been activated, charge your Power Up meter until Bomb is available. Now that you've established Bomb, all you have to worry about is maintaining the state that your ball and paddle are in. If the ball speed becomes too overwhelming, activate a Slow Power Up; however, you must take caution when activating Slow because it is very easy to accidentally activate Catch. By the time your Bomb Power Up depletes another one should be immediately available. If you've successfully executed a sufficient amount of rallies after activating Bomb, a Safe should be available immediately after the one you've established has been broken.

Ranking System

As your score increases, you will be awarded with different ranks. Here is the progression of the ranks and the amount of points required to obtain each rank:

Level	Rank	Required Points
Lv.1	Amoeba	0
Lv.2	Fish	10,000
Lv.3	Tortoise	30,000
Lv.4	Alligator	60,000
Lv.5	Swan	120,000
Lv.6	Dolphin	220,000
Lv.7	Lion	400,000
Lv.8	Man	700,000
Lv.9	Evolved Man	11,00,000
Lv.10	God	1,600,000
Lv.11	Super Amoeba	2,200,000
Lv.12	Super Fish	2,900,000
Lv.13	Super Tortoise	3,700,000
Lv.14	Super Alligator	4,600,000
Lv.15	Super Swan	56,00,000
Lv.16	Super Dolphin	6,700,000
Lv.17	Super Lion	7,900,000
Lv.18	Super Man	9,200,000
Lv.19	Super Evolved Man	10,600,000
Lv.20	Super God	12,100,000
Lv.21	Hyper Amoeba	13,700,000
Lv.22	Hyper Fish	15,400,000
Lv.23	Hyper Tortoise	17,200,000
Lv.24	Hyper Alligator	19,100,000
Lv.25	Hyper Swan	21,100,000
Lv.26	Hyper Dolphin	23,200,000
Lv.27	Hyper Lion	25,400,000
Lv.28	Hyper Man	27,700,000
Lv.29	Hyper Evolved Man	30,100,000
Lv.30	Hyper God	32,600,000

Quest Mode

In Quest Mode, the player is presented with a series of stages, each containing three sub-stages and a boss stage. To progress through the sub-stages of Quest Mode, you must pass the ball through a small passage way that is blocked by a series of bricks. It is not required to break every brick, only those that block your path.

Quest Mode Single Player Tips

In regards to selecting the Power Ups, Quest Mode Single Player is very similar to Tokoton Mode; however, since your main goal in Quest Mode is to get through the sub-stages and proceed to the boss, breaking all of the bricks and obtaining a high score are more of a secondary goal. Knowing this, a few different Power Ups will work toward your advantage. Here are the suggested Power Ups for Quest Mode Single Player:

• Slow - You'll find that many stages in Quest Mode require a great deal of accuracy. Using Slow will aid you in being more accurate throughout the stages of Quest Mode.

• Catch – Catch will be extremely helpful when fighting bosses. Some bosses require the player to possess precise timing as well as to be extremely accurate. Using Catch will aid you in both your timing and accuracy.

• Multi – Using Multi will increase your chances of passing through smaller passage ways. Also, when fighting bosses that require multiple hits and/or have several weak points, using Multi will aid you in defeating the boss quicker.

• Safe – Safe is beneficial to the player at any time. Safe will prove to be most beneficial when fighting bosses with hard to hit weak points.

• Wide – Since you're not too concerned about obtaining a high amount of points, it doesn't hurt to increase the surface area of your paddle.

• Laser – Laser will clear the majority of bricks in a short amount of time. This is much more effective than bomb because it doesn't take nearly as long. Use Laser to clear the bricks located near the passageway leading to the next area, with a little bit of luck, you just might proceed through the passageway before your Laser runs out.

Boss Strategies

STAGE 1: The Condor (1^st Form)

In order to defeat the Condor, you must break through the bricks located in the narrow passageway and attack the core. The bricks can be broken from the right and left sides of the passageway as well. Be cautious of the rotating block that the Condor sends your way, they will often reflect your ball back at you when least expected. Activate your Safe as soon as possible to help prevent the ball from falling behind the paddle and use Catch to help aim toward the middle bricks. Even with Laser activated, the bricks guarding the core will reflect your ball back at you; however, Laser will allow you to pass through the rotating blocks without the ball being reflected.

STAGE 2: The Plant

The Plant possesses five weak points, which are all guarded by a number of floating seeds. Using Laser will allow you to break through the floating seeds with ease. The Plant is also submerged in a pool of water, so, whenever your ball enters the vicinity of the Plant, your ball speed will significantly decrease, be cautious because once your ball exits the water it will return to normal speed. Try your best to have your Safe activated before you enter this boss battle. The best approach to this boss is by using the Multi Power Up, position your ball between all five cores and activate Multi. With good timing, the Multi will rally against the five weak points for a short period of time.

STAGE 3: The Monkey (1^st Form)

The Monkey cannot be damaged anywhere other than its core, which is guarded by two retractable arms. You'll find that the ball will often reflect off of the Monkey and the ball speed will quickly increase, so be ready to use your Slow Power Up. Approach this boss by activating your Safe and using the Catch Power Up. With Catch activated, carefully time the Monkey's arm movement and release the ball toward his weak point.

STAGE 4: The Spider (1^st Form)

Each of the Spider's legs is made up of a series of breakable bricks and its weak point is located at the top near its fangs. Be cautious of the Spider's web shot, it'll often send your ball in an unexpected direction which is hard to anticipate. With the proper Power Ups, the Spider is a very easy battle. Try your best to have Safe activated before entering this battle. Using Laser will help eliminate the majority of breakable bricks and in most cases will hit the core with ease. But if not, the Laser has just opened up a path for you to attack the core with less difficulty.

STAGE 5: The Whale (1^st Form)

The Whale is one of the more tedious bosses, its weak point is located within its self behind a series of breakable walls. The Whale does nothing but move in various directions about the screen, which makes it extremely difficult to attack. Be aware that the ball will often reflect off of the Whale and surrounding walls, significantly increasing ball speed. So, be sure to have your Safe activated and be ready to execute a Slow Power Up. Catch is extremely beneficial during this fight because it gives you the ability to release the ball while tracking the Whales movement. Using a carefully aimed Laser Power up on the breakable wall is the most efficient attack, you'll find that doing this will often succeed in hitting the core.

STAGE 6: The Heron

In this boss battle, there are two walls, both alternating colors, located at the top of the screen. The Heron's weak point will not be exposed until it has traveled to the bottom of the screen and back up. To speed up this process, pay close attention to the hieroglyph that glows at the beginning of the battle. Whichever color this hieroglyph glows is the color of the block you should hit at the top of the screen. You'll find that the core is somewhat difficult to aim for and also requires two hits. Using Catch or Multi will help you attack the core with less difficulty.

STAGE 7: The Condor (2^nd Form)

The 2^nd form of the Condor is virtually identical to the first; however, is slightly more difficult because the blocks guarding the core as wells the core its self require two hits to destroy. The same strategy used against the 1^st form of the Condor should be used here as well. (Refer to STAGE 1)

STAGE 8: The Monkey (2^nd Form)

The 2^nd form of the Monkey requires the player to attack the core three times. The same strategy used against the 1^st form of the Monkey should be used here as well; however, this strategy may have to be repeated several times. (Refer to STAGE 3)

STAGE 9: The Spider (2^nd Form)

The 2^nd form of the Spider requires the player to attack the core five times. Laser will still allow the ball to pass through the Spider's legs with ease, so the same strategy used against the 1^st form of the Spider can also be used here. (Refer to STAGE 4)

STAGE 10: The Whale (2^nd Form)

The core of the 2^nd form of the Whale still only requires one hit; however, the breakable walls blocking it now require two hits. The Laser is still able to pass through the breakable walls so the same strategy used against the 1^st form of the Whale should also be used here. (Refer to STAGE 5)

STAGE 11: The Hands

During this boss battle, the player will encounter two large hands. The core will be hidden in one of the two hands, this is randomized every time you enter this battle. Each Hand requires a large number of hits to destroy; however, you'll be able to view the damage inflicted by observing the amount of cracks in each Hand. The Power Up that is most helpful during this battle would be Multi. Wait until the ball has bounced above the Hands then activate the Multi Power Up, this is bound to hit both Hands quite a few times and significantly increases the rate of damage you deal to them. If you're lucky, you'll destroy the Hand containing the core first, again, there is no way to tell which Hand contains the core. Once the core has been exposed, direct the ball toward it for one last hit and defeat the boss.

STAGE 12: The Unknown

When first entering this battle, nothing other than four green orbs will appear on the screen, but be cautious because there are actually two invisible objects located on the right and left that will reflect your ball back at you. Each green orb requires five hits to break, as you continue to break the orbs you will notice that the invisible objects will slowly be revealed to what appears to be two large eyes. Underneath each green orb are the actual weak points which require three hits each. The best way to approach this boss is by activating Safe and using Multi. With Multi activated you'll be able to hit several of the green orbs at once, which will help quicker reveal the invisible objects. Once you've defeated this boss, you have successfully completed Break'Em All Quest Mode, so sit back and enjoy the credits.

Survival Mode

In Survival Mode, you will thrown into a battle field with seven other opponents. Your main goal is to dodge oncoming balls and become the last surviver. You have the ability to rally balls off of your paddle, but be cautious because each paddle has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. As you continue to successfully rally oncoming balls, your paddle will evolve, reducing its vulnerability and increasing its strength.

Paddle Types

• Type A – The Type A paddle is strong on the left and right but vulnerable from the top and bottom. Stick with steady left and right movement and avoid moving vertically. Be cautious of Type B, C, and D paddles because they are able to reflect balls in vertical directions. The advantage that the Type A paddle has is that it can reflect balls in horizontal directions where the other paddle types are most vulnerable.

• Type B – The Type B paddle is strong on the top and bottom but vulnerable from the left and right. It is suggested to primarily use vertical movement and to avoid moving horizontally. Be cautious of Type A and evolved C paddles because they are able to reflect balls in horizontal directions. The Type B paddle only has an advantage over the Type A paddle. The Type C and D paddles are able to easily defend against most Type D attacks.

• Type C – The Type C paddle is extremely vulnerable until further evolved. Prior to evolving, the Type C paddle is only strong from the top; however, after evolving, the paddle's vulnerability significantly decreases and it becomes much stronger from it's top half. Be cautious of the Type A paddle until further evolved.

• Type D – The Type D Paddle is also extremely vulnerable. The way that the Type D paddle is shaped makes makes it likely for a ball to get stuck inside of it. Once evolved, the chances of this happening are reduced but it's still likely to happen. Stick with a steady vertical movement until further evolved. Be cautious of the Type A paddle because you are most vulnerable from the left and right.

Survival Mode Tips

• Playing defensive is key in survival mode. Rather than concerning yourself with attacking your opponents, focus on dodging the barrage of balls endangering your core. Be patient and allow your opponents to make their own mistakes, you'll find that you'll last a lot longer by taking this approach.

• Pay close attention to your radar. By utilizing your radar, you'll be one step ahead on knowing where balls are coming from, and if a life ball or lucky ball has appeared on the field.