Created by Taito designers Akira Fujita and Hiroshi Tsujino, "Arkanoid" expanded on the concept established in Atari, Inc.'s "Breakout", a successful game in its own right that was met with a large wave of similar clone games from other manufacturers. It was part of a contest within Taito, where two teams of designers had to complete a block breaker game and determine which one was superior to the other. The film "Tron" served as inspiration for the game's futuristic, neon aesthetic. Level designs were sketched on paper before being programmed and tested to make sure they were fun to play. The enemy and power-up designs were 3D models converted into sprite art. Early location tests for "Arkanoid" surpassed Taito's initial expectations.