If you like this demo and would like to utilize all of the features of the game, click on the "Registration Form..." button below. The Shareware fee is fifteen U.S. Dollars ($15.00).
Upon receipt of the Shareware fee, I will send you an unlock code, which will turn this demo into a full featured version of MacBrickout 3.1. Be sure to include your return address (and your Email address if you have one).
The full featured version, will give you the ability to acquire free balls, shoot lasers, warp levels and play bonus levels. There are a few surprises too!
I hope you enjoy MacBrickout. It's the result of nearly 1,000 hours of work spread out over the course of a year. Elizabeth and I are saving to buy a house. All proceeds from the game will be applied toward the down payment.
We enjoyed reading all of your letters from MacBrickout 2.0.5, 3.0, and 3.0.1. We look forward to reading many more and hearing about your high scores.
•• How To Play ••
Knock all of the bricks out using the ball and the paddle. Don't let the ball go off of the bottom of the screen. When all of the bricks are gone, the level is completed and you move on to the next level. The object of the game is to try to survive long enough to complete the very last level. How many levels are there? That's for me to know and for you to find out.
Bubbles -- All they do is get in the way. You get 50 points every time one pops.
Capsules -- These occasionally fall when a brick disappears. Catch them with your paddle and see what prize you get. Some capsules are good and some are bad and after playing a few games, you'll be able to determine which are which. Some capsules require the use of the mouse or trackball button. Can you discover the power of the clear capsule?
To pause the game, hit the space bar.
•• Tips ••
There is a beginner mode in the options menu. This slows the ball down a little bit and the scoring is somewhat reduced.
When you first launch the game, the sound volume defaults to whatever your computer's sound volume is. For convenience, you can change the game volume from the options menu. When you quit the game, the computer's original sound volume will be restored.
Every time a ball hits the paddle, it speeds up slightly. Try to aim the ball so that it hits as many bricks as possible before returning to the paddle.
Hitting multiple bricks with the ball increases the multiplier. When a ball hits the paddle, the score is calculated based on the accumulated multiplier, then the multiplier is reset to 0. Getting high multiplier values will yield very high scores.
Sometimes a ball will bounce back when it should have disappeared off of the bottom of the screen. This is MacBrickout's way of saying, "I'll give you a second chance."
Clean your mouse or trackball! Playing this game with a dirty controller can be very frustrating!
•• Special Thanks ••
I'd like to extend a special thanks to those listed below. This game would not have been possible without their help.
Bryan Harding of San Diego, CA -- A few years ago, I didn't even know what "C" was. Bryan has helped me understand the triumphs and pitfalls of the C programming language. Thanks for drawing those bubbles and thanks for teaching me proper Macintosh etiquette!
Jeffrey Pohlmann of San Diego, CA -- His artsy contributions and ideas have made MacBrickout appealing to the eye.
Jim Oliver of San Diego, CA -- Your constructive, and objective criticism has helped enormously!
Professional Sound and Music of San Diego, CA -- Thanks for letting me work 5 hour days for the past couple of months so I could get this game out by the deadline. Now that this game is complete, I'll be in bright and early at 9:00 AM Monday morning... I promise!
"The Lovely" Elizabeth -- Thanks for standing by me during this long, enduring programming frenzy. Thanks for giving me ideas, for beta testing, for getting an incredibly large high score that I can't even beat, and for just being you.
Jerry "Hot Rod" DeMink -- Your cross country beta testing has been terrific! Hurry up and move back to San Diego and liven up our music scene with some of that screamin' guitar playing!
Eric Tydingco -- I enjoyed composing the music for your film. It provided me with a perfect intermission during this MacBrickout project. Thanks for beta testing too!
Rick Baker & Debbie McCright-- You guys aren't beta testers, you're gamma testers! Oh, by the way, sorry I got you addicted to MacBrickout...
Andrew Welch of Ambrosia Software, Inc. -- I found your helpful tips encouraging.
Katherine Ferguson -- Thanks for beta testing and for allowing me to borrow your computer for a while. Your generosity has helped me finally nail down a very elusive bug in the paddle positioning routines.
Dave Mark and Cartwright Reed -- Many thanks for writing those incredible "Macintosh Programming Primer" books that "kick started" my journey into the world of Macintosh Programming.
A very special thanks goes to these people. Your contributions are what inspired me to write MacBrickout 3.1: Joe Bradley, Bruce Shanker, and Don F. Gillespie for that last minute quality control; David Slattery, Mike Silverman, Peggy Bounds, Harold Goldberg, Allen Arnold, Laura George Saxton, Wendy Bell, James R. Weber DDS, Regina Sapielak, Barret Miller, Susan L. Gallagher, David G. Politte, Jens Weise, Douglas W. Bailey, Fred & Vigdis Abrahamson, George and Linda House, James N. Alexander, John S. Bradford, Patrick and Sarah Weigel, Kent Winterrowd, John A. Cusanelli, Richard Sampson, Nolan and Gail Rappaport, Michael L. Kahn, Rachel Smith, John M. Lamont, Ronnie D. Fulton, Robert F. Greis, Ken Childs, Chip and Linda Ames, Mark Adamson, Mark Nelson, Thomas J. Shea, Nancy & Brian Brasseur, Mark Bradley, and all others who have contributed after this version was released.
•• Final Note ••
MacBrickout 3.1 is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. The entire risk as to the results and performance of using MacBrickout 3.1 shall lie entirely with the user. Leapfrog Software does not make any warranties, either expressed or implied. Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incindental or consequential damages so the above notice may not apply to you. In no event shall Leapfrog Software's total liability to you for all damages, losses and causes of action exceed the total amount paid by you for this software.
