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Alleyway

Last Updated: June 1st, 1999

System
 Game Boy
Genre
 Arcade
Developer
 Nintendo
Publisher
 Nintendo
Release date
 1989
ESRB rating
 NR
Players
 One

Mario's Role in the Game

Mario jumps into your paddle when you start the game. Also, the block formations in Bonus Stage 03, and Stages 16-18 are shaped like Mario's head.

Other Characters in the Game

The block formations in all the Bonus Stages are shaped like Mario characters.

06 - Koopa Troopa
09 - Bloober
12 - Piranha Plant
15 - Bullet Bill
18 - Goomba
21 - Cheep-Cheep
24 - Bowser

Overview

Objective: Rack up points and advance levels by hitting the ball into every block.

The strong "Pong" roots of Alleyway are obvious right from the start. But, instead of trying to hit a ball past a defender's paddle, you are trying to break all the blocks above you by hitting a ball into them. If the ball goes past your paddle, you lose one life.

The first time you play a stage, the blocks will be stationary. The next stage will be the same block formation, but it will move horizontally across the screen. The next stage will again have the same block formation, but it will drop down one block at a time at regular intervals. After three stages with the same block formation, you'll go to a bonus stage. In the bonus stages, if you clear all the blocks, you'll get a nice bonus. The three-stages-then-a-bonus-stage pattern repeats until stage 24, which is where you "beat" the game, and then the block formations start over from the beginning. In all stages, white blocks are worth one point, gray blocks are two points, and black blocks are three points. For every 1,000 points you'll earn an extra life.

When the ball touches the top of the screen for the first time in each stage (except for the first few stages), your paddle width gets cut in half. Not to worry, your paddle will reset at the start of the next stage.

If the ball is on its way down, and you think it's out of your reach, hold A as you move your paddle to speed your paddle up. Holding the B Button will slow down your paddle as you move it, but you probably won't ever need to use this.

Objective: Rack up points and advance levels by hitting the ball into every block.

Tips and Tricks

• Try to get the ball between the top of the screen and the topmost blocks. This will clear out a lot of blocks with not a lot of work on your part.
• To maximize your points in the bonus stages, bounce the ball with low angles. The ball will take a wide, sweeping path across the screen, covering a big area.

Miscellaneous Interesting Stuff

When your score goes past 9,999 and has to reset to zero, you'll get a Fire Flower under the score to let you know it's gone around once already.

Pros & Cons

+
A fair amount of Mario stuff.

-
Slow game; only one speed setting. Takes forever to get through the stages.