Alleyway

Alleyway is a video game for the Game Boy. It was developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo in 1989. It is a classic -style game that requires the player to clear out all of the breakable blocks above, without allowing the ball to go below the paddle. The intro of the game (as well as the western box art) depicts Mario controlling the paddle.

Alleyway was re-released on the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2011.

Gameplay
The goal of the game is that the player must control the paddle to break all the remaining bricks in the playfield by using a ball. When the player successfully breaks the breakable bricks, the player moves onto the next level. In the next level, there is the same block structure as from the previous level. The main difference is that there are three different types of patterns that make the levels challenging, though using the same level.
 * Normal Block Screen: Nothing at all. The bricks simply stay in place.
 * Scrolling Block Screen: The rows of bricks move either left or right depending on the level the player is in.
 * Advancing Block Screen: The rows of bricks push down towards the paddle after a few bricks are destroyed. Additionally, the top of the screen will sometimes either reveal more bricks for the player to destroy with the same brick pattern; or the steel bricks the player cannot break.

Every fourth round the player enters a bonus level; the bonus levels feature various sprite pieces from Super Mario Bros. The following objects from the Mario franchise appear in these bonus levels:


 * Mario
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Blooper
 * Piranha Plant
 * Bullet Bill
 * Goomba
 * Cheep Cheep
 * Bowser

Additionally in the bonus level, the ball can destroy the bricks without bumping around the playfield; also there is a timer that contains 99 game seconds. If the player destroys all the bricks before the timer runs out, the player gains bonus points. After the bonus level ends, the rounds repeat, but with a new set of bricks.

Old Description from Nintendo eShop
''Originally released at the launch of the Game Boy, Alleyway is a fondly remembered update to the classic ‘bat and ball’ style of games. ''The aim is simple: survive and rack up a huge high score! Take control of the paddle and deflect the ball to break the blocks, but don’t let it drop. Break all the blocks to move onto the next of 32 challenging stages. ''It starts out simple but later levels introduce walls of blocks that move horizontally or vertically. You can also enjoy bonus stages where the aim is to break as many blocks as possible within the time limit.

New Description from Nintendo eShop
''Your spaceship is at the gate of the Alleyway™.

''As Mario™, you will need to use your vessel to deflect the energy ball towards oncoming space grids. Hitting the grids will either weaken or destroy them, and you'll need to keep returning shots until the entire field is cleared!

''As you progress through each level, you will confront new challenges of alternating stages, bonus rounds, and more. Speed and agile reflexes will quickly become your strongest allies as you reach to beat the top score!

''You're in command in the Alleyway!

Reception
Alleyway sold well during its production run, but it was not released as a "Player's Choice" title, and the reviews have been mostly mixed to negative.

gave the game a 33/100%, and they criticized the game's repetitiveness and they stated "this variant doesn't have much more to offer than the original ". They also added "once you've finished a couple of screens, you'll be bored stiff." They also compared it to , and regarded a lack of power-ups in the game.

4 reviewers from  gave the game scores of 6/10, 6/10, 5/10, and 3/10. All of them compared it to Arkanoid, and they complained about the lack of enhancement over the Breakout format. However, two reviewers who gave the game a 6/10 said it was perfectly designed for the Game Boy, and one of them added that "it's also a very good game that combines some new features ... with the original Break-Out theme," and they concluded with the game being good, but a bit long.