Arkanoid II: Revenge of DOH

DOH is back, and the Vaus is ready for round two. Arkanoid II: Revenge of DOH is Taito's 1987 block-breaker sequel — bigger, with branching warp gates, new brick types, and a fresh wave of power-ups — and Taito's NES conversion of it runs straight from this page, free, with no cartridge and no install step in the way. Bounce, break, and choose your path to the final showdown. Hit the Play button to launch, and read on for the gameplay, controls, and tips.

What Is Arkanoid II: Revenge of DOH?

Arkanoid II: Revenge of DOH (also just Arkanoid II) is a block-breaker arcade game released by Taito in 1987 as the sequel to the hugely successful Arkanoid, later ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and home computers. The mysterious enemy DOH has returned for vengeance against the Vaus space vessel, and you must once again pilot the paddle, clear the bricks, and destroy DOH for good.

The big new wrinkle: branching paths. Revenge of DOH spans 34 rounds drawn from a pool of 64 — and your choices along the way decide which stages you actually play, giving the game far more variety and replay value than the original.

What's New

Revenge of DOH expands the Arkanoid formula in several ways:

• Warp Gates — when you finish a level or catch the Break ('B') pill, two gates appear at the bottom corners. Choose a gate, and your choice determines which version of the next level you get — creating branching routes through the game.
• New brick types — notched silver bricks take several hits and then regenerate after a short time (you don't have to destroy them to finish a level), and some bricks move side to side as long as their path is clear.
• New power-ups and enemies — fresh capsule effects and obstacles join the mix.
• A mini-boss — on round 17 you face a giant brain before pressing on.
• A two-form final boss — after the final rounds, DOH appears first in its statue-like form, then as a creature with tentacles that break off and regenerate when struck.
• Level editor — home versions let you build, edit, and replace your own levels.

How the Gameplay Works

At heart it's still classic Arkanoid — move the Vaus, bounce the ball, clear the breakable bricks, and catch falling capsules for power-ups like expand, laser, catch, slow, and multi-ball. The fire button is used when you've caught the Laser ('L') or Catch ('C') pill. What sets the sequel apart is the decision-making: which warp gate to take, and how to handle regenerating and moving bricks.

How to Play

Getting started is instant. Press the Play button on this page and the Vaus is on screen as soon as the title sequence ends. Then:

1. Move the Vaus and launch the ball into the bricks.
2. Catch power-up capsules for lasers, catch, expand, and more.
3. Clear the breakable bricks to finish each round.
4. Choose a warp gate at the end of a level to pick your path.
5. Beat the mini-boss and DOH's two forms to win.

The Vaus only ever slides left and right, which is why Revenge of DOH suits a phone as readily as it does a desk. At a keyboard the arrow keys steer and Z or X launches; connect a controller by cable or Bluetooth and it is picked up without anything to configure, wearing the console's own button layout. On a touchscreen you get a pad drawn in the shape of the original controller, with fire sitting where your right thumb already rests for the Laser and Catch pills.

Controls

The fire button launches the ball and is also used with the Laser and Catch power-ups. A connected gamepad uses the same mapping, though the Vaus is a paddle and plenty of players find the keyboard's instant left-right response easier to judge.

Tips for New Players

• Plan your warp gate. Each gate leads to a different next level — over repeated runs you'll learn which paths suit your strengths.
• Ignore regenerating silvers when you can. Notched silver bricks come back and don't need to be destroyed to clear a level — don't waste the ball chasing them.
• Grab Catch on hard layouts. Holding and re-aiming the ball is invaluable when bricks are moving or regenerating.
• Watch moving bricks. Some bricks slide side to side — time your shots for when they line up with a clear path.
• Save lasers for the bosses. The Laser power-up makes the giant brain and DOH far more manageable.

Why Play It in Your Browser?

Arkanoid II: Revenge of DOH is the bigger, bolder block breaker — branching paths and new brick tricks give it serious replay value. Loading the conversion here means never sourcing a cartridge or a working console, which matters for a game whose 64 possible rounds you'll want to sample across a lot of short sessions. Because it's the genuine NES build, you get the warp-gate branching, the new bricks and power-ups, and DOH's two-form finale exactly as Taito designed them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Arkanoid II free to play here? Yes. Press Play and Taito's complete NES conversion of Revenge of DOH runs here for free, with no account and nothing to install.

When did Arkanoid II come out? It released in arcades in 1987 as the sequel to Arkanoid, and was ported to the NES and home computers. The version here is the NES release.

What are the warp gates? At the end of a level (or when you catch the Break pill), two gates appear — choosing one decides which version of the next level you play, creating branching paths through the game's 64 possible rounds.

What does Revenge of DOH add that the 1986 Arkanoid didn't have? It adds branching warp gates, regenerating and moving bricks, new power-ups and enemies, a mini-boss, and a two-form final battle with DOH.

Can I play it on my phone? Absolutely. Sliding the Vaus with a thumb on the on-screen NES pad works well, and the touch layout keeps the fire button close for launching and for the Laser and Catch pills. Desktop plays the same with the keyboard or a connected gamepad.

Ready for round two with DOH? Press Play and launch the ball.