In Taito’s 1986 arcade game Arkanoid, the player-controlled paddle is called the Vaus.
Arkanoid is a brick-breaking game inspired by Atari’s Breakout, but it adds a story, power-ups, varied block types, and enemies. The Vaus moves horizontally along the bottom of the playfield, bouncing a ball to destroy formations of blocks. Its name is part of the game’s science-fiction setting rather than a generic label for the paddle.
The game’s title refers to the Arkanoid spacecraft, which is destroyed at the beginning of the story. The Vaus is the smaller craft that continues the mission. Players may therefore confuse the names: Arkanoid is the larger vessel and game title, while Vaus is the controllable paddle-like craft.
Arkanoid became a major arcade success and inspired numerous sequels and clones. Its power-ups include effects that enlarge the Vaus, split the ball, slow its movement, or let the paddle catch and relaunch the ball.