Finally a game where you could score more than 21 points. Breakout. 

This was the big follow-up to the pong type games. And I guess besides space war, the first to keep a score. So it was the first to brag to your buddies about how good you were.

The object was to break through a wall of bricks. The blip got faster and faster. and your score got higher and higher. I think the first versions used colored strips on the CRT screen to simulate color in the game. Later they actually made the lines in color.

I have a good breakout story. A buddy and I were in the local 7-11 playing breakout about two weeks after they got the game. We were heavy into a competition when several police cars pulled up outside and a half dozen cops came into the store. One of the cops asked us if we saw anything ??? Like what we asked. The store had just been robbed. My buddies girlfriend was actually the cashier that day. She came over all shook up and upset and here we were oblivious to it all trying to play a little breakout.  The manager gave her the rest of the day off. And like a typical teenager my buddy was trying to talk her into staying for a little bit longer so we could get back to playing the game. She responded with a comment about boys and their games :)

Then this game evolved into a 4 player battle called warlords. In your corner there was a castle and in the castle was your king. You had a little paddle in front of the castle that could deflect the blip on it's way. If it hit your castle a brick was knocked out. If most of the bricks were gone it was possible for your king to get hit which ended your game. The basic breakout game was revamped a few years later in a game called Arkanoid.

And now...  blah

Breakout Lovers like page counters.