Jirbo Break

Breakout is one of the oldschool. A floating platform paddle thing at the bottom, a load of bricks and a ball. A lot has changed in the world since whenever the hell this game was originally conceived. But what hasn't changed is that it's still fun.

This version is somewhat sickeningly laden with cutesy 'Jirbo Animals', and while it doesn't detract from the game play too much, it is a little bit annoying. Otherwise it's a standard remake - power ups exist to give you a longer paddle to flip, blocks vary in how much they must be hit to break, and points will be racked up.

The blocks themselves are a little too big to make for any really long games, which actually aids the whole pick-up-and-play style of the game. The paddle itself actually moves when hit at an angle allowing for more control, which is a nice touch that is very intuitive.

Control-wise there are two options available, but the essential point is that you just drag your finger and the platform moves, which works really well - sometimes. The biggest drawback being if your finger actually obscures the paddle, which can make things a wee bit more difficult.

You will definitely kill some time with Breakout, though how long depends on how well you can deal with those smiley bastard animals and whether the controls suit you. Either way, it's a tried and tested classic and it’s free. So you should probably give it a shot.