Start the ball one click to the right, then reposition your paddle 2-3 clicks to the right to intercept the ball as it bounces off the unbreakable bricks. Strike the ball on the right half of your paddle and try to send a slightly angled shot into the right wall at about the level of the bottom-most row of unbreakable bricks. You can also start the ball off two clicks to the left, following the same principle.
This should dislodge one or more of the exposed capsules. Often, multiple capsules will be dislodged and will be falling simultaneously, so keep a close eye on which ones you intend to grab.
If you get trapped under the row of unbreakable bricks and need help getting out, read these instructions.
If you get the Gun, try to destroy three of the five low-hanging unbreakable bricks. Destroy either the left-most three bricks or the right-most three bricks; this gives you a clear channel to the top of the board. Don’t destroy the middle three bricks.
Multi is helpful when the ball is moving fast. I usually avoid it when the ball is moving slowly, because there are many capsules on this level and dislodging them all at once can be confusing.
Great blog, great tips. But for Level 18, with a Gun, I have found great success by shooting out the far-left and far-right unbreakable bricks on the top row. Then, shoot a brick in the top left or right corner (if one is still there) or just unload by shooting the empty corner to avoid accidentally removing an additional unbreakable brick. High proportion of balls bouncing down toward the middle will then be able to bounce back up through the side channels you’ve created.
ps. I agree with you that level 31 is toughest.
Thanks Rick, good tip!
Man, this one is giving me a heap of trouble on the second go-round. I finally got past it but at the cost of half my lives. I don’t know why it’s so hard, I mean on advantage of the second run through is that since the ball starts fast, you get the fast period over with sooner. From that point on, with a slow ball, it SHOULD play the same as in the first round. I have no trouble with this level in the first round. I generally clear it without losing a single life. Indeed, since there are so many capsules, I usually net GAIN lives.
But on the second round, it just beats the crap out of me.
Completely impossible the second time around. Just brutally unfair. Twice I’ve gotten here and lost all my lives. 15, the second time! Once you lose the ball once, it’s over. The bricks will have descended all the way and you have to deal with it starting out rocket fast with the bricks right on your head. 50-70% attrition rate of your remaining lives right there. Then of course the last few bricks are all bright red so you have hit them a billion time, and the ball will pop out over and over.
Just brutally unfair.
Goddamnit I hate this game. I just want to beat it once and then never play it again.
I guarantee once you beat the game, you’ll want to do it again :-).
if you hit it correctly after one click to the right it destroys quite a lot of the bricks .multiple is good on this but catch is also a good option to play safe on a potentially tricky round .I also take out the three left hand bricks with a gun but it can sometimes make it tricky cos there are more angles for the ball to bounce off when it travels back down