Alleyway
1989 · Action · Game Boy
Overview
Alleyway (1989) is Gunpei Yokoi's Breakout-style Game Boy launch title, in which a paddle bounces a ball to clear walls of bricks.
Deep Dive
The player keeps the ball from falling into the pit while clearing every brick in the stage. There are 24 regular levels plus bonus stages, 32 in all. Players start with five paddles and earn more with points.
Developer Story
Yokoi designed it and Kenji Yamamoto composed the music. It launched with the Game Boy in Japan in April 1989. Reviews were mostly mixed to negative, though AllGame called it "fun to play".
Did You Know?
- The original box showed an unnamed pilot in a spacesuit; later international releases replaced that character with Mario.
- Critics compared it unfavourably with Arkanoid for its repetition and lack of power-ups.
Sources & further reading
- Alleyway (video game) — Wikipedia
