Clean Sweep |
Arcade cabinet - USA.
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Clean Sweep is a seminal block breaker video game developed and published by Ramtek for the arcade in May 1974. The game uses TTL instead of a CPU and is among the first video games to use RAM to store the game state and ROM to store graphics.
The objective of Clean Sweep is to eliminate all the dots on the screen by running them over with a ball which you must keep bouncing around the screen with a paddle. Clearing all the dots earns you bonus points for getting a "clean sweep."
Personal
Own? | No. |
Won? | No. As far as I know, the game doesn't have a win condition. |
While researching the ball and paddle genre of video games, I discovered this game and was eager to learn more about it. Although it isn't very enjoyable, it's status as a pioneer makes it a very important game.
Review
Best Version: Arcade
Good
- The game serves as a prototype for the block breaker genre of video game. Although it doesn't function exactly as later games would, they owe a lot to this game.
- By utilizing both RAM and ROM, the game was able to have more targets and more details graphics than most other games of the time.
- Drawing a rounded paddle helps the player more intuitively know how the ball will rebound off it.
Bad
- The paddle moves so quickly, it's pretty difficult to control.
- The ball's speed doesn't accelerate at a consistent manner, but instead frequently changes in speed after each hit. Sometimes this is based on the angle you return the ball, sometimes it's based on the number of dots, but there doesn't seem to be an obvious reason. Either way, it makes it harder to return the ball.
- As you clear out the dots, it becomes harder and harder to hit the remaining ones, so, the final stages of the game is usually just you rebounding the ball over and over and hitting nothing resulting in boring game play. This problem became more apparent as the genre matured, and future games incorporated ways around this.
Ugly
- There isn't much to this game. If you're able to clear all the dots, the game just immediately draws a new set. There is no fanfare for clearing them, you just get a slight score bonus.
- The game is media challenged. The display is monochromatic, the sound is just beeps, and even the cabinet art is dull.
Media
Arcade Art
Documentation
Screenshots
The paddle reads "hit," when you return the ball.
Videos
Representation
Credits
Titles
Language |
Native |
Transliteration |
Translation
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English (Canada) |
Flip-Out |
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English (USA) |
Clean Sweep |
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Japanese (IPM) |
PT スターダスト |
Suta Dasuto |
PT Stardust
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Japanese (Sega) |
イレーズ |
Irezu |
Erase
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Japanese (Universal) |
スターラブ |
Suta Rabu |
Star Rub
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Links