About

<h2>Overview</h2><figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/4/44183/1806591-0.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-1806591" data-ratio="0.75" data-width="480" data-embed-type="image" style="width: 480px"><a class="fluid-height" style="padding-bottom:75.0%" href="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/4/44183/1806591-0.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-1806591"><img alt="No Caption Provided" src="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/scale_small/4/44183/1806591-0.jpg" srcset="https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/original/4/44183/1806591-0.jpg 480w, https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/scale_small/4/44183/1806591-0.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" data-width="320"></a></figure><p>Block Hole, known in Japan and Game Boy release as <em>Quarth</em>, is a sci-fi <a href="/single-screen-level/3015-731/" data-ref-id="3015-731">fixed-screen</a> puzzle/shoot-'em-up game developed and released by <a href="/konami/3010-87/" data-ref-id="3010-87">Konami</a> for <a href="/arcade/3045-84/" data-ref-id="3045-84">arcades</a> in late 1989.</p><p>Combining vertical-scrolling shoot-'em-up gameplay (similar to <a href="/space-invaders/3030-5099/" data-ref-id="3030-5099">Space Invaders</a>) with a unique puzzle mechanic (with blocks similar to those from <a href="/tetris/3030-1896/" data-ref-id="3030-1896">Tetris</a>), Block Hole has players destroying a deadly barrage of jagged blocks barrelling towards Earth (due to a deadly phenomenon known as "Block-Hole") by filling them in with blocks fired from the ship (so that they form enclosed rectangles).</p><p>The game later received home ports in 1990, including <a href="/sharp-x68000/3045-95/" data-ref-id="3045-95">Sharp X68000</a>, <a href="/nec-pc-9801/3045-112/" data-ref-id="3045-112">NEC PC-98</a>, and <a href="/msx/3045-15/" data-ref-id="3045-15">MSX</a> computers (in Japan), the <a href="/nintendo-entertainment-system/3045-21/" data-ref-id="3045-21">Famicom</a> (in Japan), and the <a href="/game-boy/3045-3/" data-ref-id="3045-3">Game Boy</a> (in Japan and North America, the latter of which uses the <em>Quarth</em> name). Some versions have unique two-player multiplayer modes, including a co-operative mode (where both players share the same playfield) and a competitive mode. It also received a <a href="/playstation-2/3045-19/" data-ref-id="3045-19">PlayStation 2</a> release by <a href="/hamster-corporation/3010-4703/" data-ref-id="3010-4703">HAMSTER</a> in Japan on January 26, 2006 as part of the <a href="/oretachi-game-center-zoku/3025-3563/" data-ref-id="3025-3563">Oretachi Game Center Zoku</a> series.</p><p>The MSX version later received digital Japan-only releases (as <a href="/virtual-console/3015-2925/" data-ref-id="3015-2925">Virtual Console</a> titles) for the <a href="/wii/3045-36/" data-ref-id="3045-36">Wii</a> on February 2, 2010 and for the <a href="/wii-u/3045-139/" data-ref-id="3045-139">Wii U</a> on April 23, 2014, while the Game Boy version received a digital Virtual Console release for the <a href="/nintendo-3ds/3045-117/" data-ref-id="3045-117">Nintendo 3DS</a> in Japan on February 22, 2012 and in North America on September 27, 2012. The arcade version received a digital release for the <a href="/playstation-4/3045-146/" data-ref-id="3045-146">PlayStation 4</a> and <a href="/nintendo-switch/3045-157/" data-ref-id="3045-157">Nintendo Switch</a>, both as part of the <a href="/arcade-archives/3025-3081/" data-ref-id="3025-3081">Arcade Archives</a> series, on January 21, 2021.</p>