<s>
is	O
a	O
1989	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
and	O
Intelligent	O
Systems	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
as	O
a	O
global	O
launch	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
Breakout	B-Application
clone	I-Application
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
four	O
games	O
developed	O
and	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
later	O
re-released	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
in	O
June	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
name	O
Alleyway	B-Application
references	O
the	O
in-game	O
gateway	O
that	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
spaceship	O
(	O
represented	O
as	O
a	O
paddle	O
)	O
must	O
pass	O
through	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Alleyway	B-Application
is	O
a	O
portable	O
clone	O
of	O
Breakout	B-Application
,	O
it	O
adds	O
several	O
features	O
,	O
including	O
alternating	O
stages	O
,	O
bonus	O
rounds	O
,	O
and	O
hazards	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
at	O
later	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
original	O
box	O
art	O
featured	O
an	O
unidentifiable	O
protagonist	O
,	O
later	O
international	O
releases	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
replaced	O
the	O
character	O
with	O
Mario	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alleyway	B-Application
was	O
released	O
with	O
limited	O
advertising	O
,	O
receiving	O
moderate	O
to	O
low	O
scores	O
from	O
reviewers	O
who	O
compared	O
it	O
to	O
games	O
like	O
Arkanoid	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
's	O
objective	O
in	O
Alleyway	B-Application
is	O
to	O
clear	O
all	O
bricks	O
in	O
each	O
stage	O
using	O
a	O
ball	O
and	O
paddle	O
while	O
keeping	O
the	O
ball	O
from	O
falling	O
into	O
the	O
pit	O
below	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Breakout	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
starts	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
five	O
paddles	O
;	O
each	O
time	O
the	O
ball	O
falls	O
into	O
the	O
pit	O
below	O
the	O
paddle	O
,	O
a	O
paddle	O
is	O
removed	O
and	O
the	O
ball	O
is	O
reset	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
lacks	O
a	O
continue	O
feature	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
high	O
score	O
will	O
be	O
retained	O
until	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
reset	B-General_Concept
or	O
turned	O
off	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
battery-backed	O
SaveRAM	B-Architecture
or	O
password	O
feature	O
,	O
Alleyway	B-Application
can	O
only	O
be	O
completed	O
in	O
one	O
sitting	O
on	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
later	O
changed	O
with	O
the	O
re-release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
system	O
,	O
which	O
allowed	O
for	O
in-game	O
progress	O
to	O
be	O
recorded	O
to	O
a	O
single	O
save	O
state	O
accessible	O
at	O
any	O
time	O
while	O
playing	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
ball	O
hits	O
a	O
brick	O
,	O
the	O
brick	O
disappears	O
and	O
the	O
ball	O
ricochets	B-Application
in	O
a	O
different	O
direction	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
angle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alleyways	B-Application
ball	O
cannot	O
be	O
locked	O
in	O
an	O
infinite	B-Algorithm
loop	I-Algorithm
of	O
ricochets	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
the	O
ball	O
will	O
travel	O
at	O
a	O
slightly	O
raised	O
or	O
lowered	O
angle	O
depending	O
on	O
its	O
current	O
trajectory	B-Application
,	O
and	O
will	O
break	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
loop	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
levels	O
follow	O
a	O
generic	O
design	O
,	O
though	O
one	O
group	O
is	O
modeled	O
after	O
Mario	B-Application
's	O
head	O
as	O
it	O
appears	O
next	O
to	O
the	O
remaining	O
paddles	O
icon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bonus	O
stages	O
feature	O
patterns	O
based	O
on	O
various	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
sprites	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
Piranha	O
Plant	O
,	O
Goomba	O
or	O
Bowser	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
finishing	O
the	O
final	O
bonus	O
round	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
given	O
a	O
congratulations	O
screen	O
using	O
the	O
Mario	B-Application
graphic	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Mario	B-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
every	O
10,000	O
points	O
,	O
a	O
sprite	O
from	O
the	O
NES	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
game	O
is	O
shown	O
below	O
the	O
numerical	O
score	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
on	O
classic	O
ball-and-paddle	O
arcade	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Breakout	B-Application
and	O
Arkanoid	B-Device
,	O
Alleyway	B-Application
was	O
a	O
launch	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
in	O
1989	O
for	O
Japan	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
alongside	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Land	I-Application
,	O
Baseball	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Tetris	B-Application
,	O
though	O
only	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
predates	O
Tetris	B-Application
by	O
two	O
months	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
legal	O
battles	O
between	O
Nintendo	O
and	O
Tengen	O
over	O
the	O
Tetris	B-Application
property	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
6	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
as	O
a	O
launch	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
system	O
via	O
online	O
distribution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alleyway	B-Application
marks	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
appearances	O
of	O
Mario	B-Application
on	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
system	O
alongside	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Land	I-Application
,	O
although	O
its	O
original	O
box	O
and	O
cartridge	O
art	O
showed	O
an	O
unidentified	O
character	O
in	O
a	O
spacesuit	O
piloting	O
the	O
paddle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
artwork	O
was	O
changed	O
to	O
show	O
Mario	B-Application
at	O
the	O
controls	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
international	O
release	O
,	O
but	O
neither	O
the	O
manual	O
nor	O
the	O
back	O
of	O
the	O
box	O
refer	O
to	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
mascot	O
's	O
presence	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Powers	I-Application
preview	O
made	O
no	O
mention	O
of	O
Mario	B-Application
in	O
the	O
title	O
other	O
than	O
note	O
of	O
the	O
pattern	O
of	O
bricks	O
in	O
Mario	B-Application
's	O
shape	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
bonus	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Official	O
confirmation	O
of	O
the	O
pilot	O
being	O
Mario	B-Application
only	O
came	O
about	O
in	O
1990	O
with	O
Club	O
Nintendos	O
preview	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
European	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
titles	O
made	O
by	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
R&D1	O
development	O
team	O
,	O
alongside	O
Tetris	B-Application
and	O
Radar	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Years	O
later	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
designer	O
Gunpei	O
Yokoi	O
would	O
reuse	O
much	O
of	O
Alleyways	B-Application
source	O
code	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
paddle	O
behavior	O
and	O
adapted	O
physics	O
engine	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
game	O
Kirby	B-Application
's	I-Application
Block	I-Application
Ball	I-Application
while	O
working	O
with	O
Shigeru	O
Miyamoto	O
's	O
team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alleyway	B-Application
was	O
re-released	O
for	O
download	O
onto	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
cartridge	I-Application
,	O
occupying	O
one	O
memory	O
block	O
on	O
the	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Advertisements	O
for	O
Alleyway	B-Application
were	O
grouped	O
with	O
those	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
itself	O
and	O
other	O
titles	O
for	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Years	O
after	O
its	O
initial	O
release	O
,	O
a	O
two-page	O
section	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Device
Game	I-Device
Boy	I-Device
Nintendo	O
Strategy	O
Guide	O
bundled	O
with	O
the	O
Super	B-Device
Game	I-Device
Boy	I-Device
accessory	O
appeared	O
,	O
which	O
gave	O
advice	O
and	O
color	O
codes	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Alleyway	B-Application
sold	O
well	O
enough	O
during	O
its	O
production	O
run	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
not	O
been	O
re-released	O
as	O
a	O
Nintendo	O
Player	O
's	O
Choice	O
title	O
,	O
and	O
reviews	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
have	O
been	O
mostly	O
mixed	O
to	O
negative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mean	O
Machines	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
33%	O
,	O
criticizing	O
its	O
repetitiveness	O
and	O
stating	O
"	O
this	O
variant	O
does	O
n't	O
have	O
much	O
more	O
to	O
offer	O
than	O
the	O
original	O
 [ Breakout ] 	O
 "	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
magazine	O
's	O
staff	O
added	O
"	O
once	O
you	O
've	O
finished	O
a	O
couple	O
of	O
screens	O
,	O
you	O
'll	O
be	O
bored	O
stiff	O
"	O
and	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
Arkanoid	B-Device
,	O
regarding	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
power-ups	O
in	O
Alleyway	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
four	O
reviewers	O
compared	O
it	O
to	O
Arkanoid	B-Device
,	O
complaining	O
about	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
enhancement	O
over	O
the	O
Breakout	B-Application
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamesRadar	O
shared	O
the	O
sentiment	O
in	O
their	O
review	O
of	O
the	O
3DS	B-Operating_System
re-release	O
,	O
with	O
reviewer	O
Nathan	O
Meunier	O
giving	O
it	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
5/10	O
and	O
stating	O
"	O
Alleyway	B-Application
was	O
n't	O
so	O
hot	O
when	O
it	O
first	O
came	O
out	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
still	O
pales	O
when	O
put	O
it	O
side-by-side	O
to	O
other	O
similarly	O
priced	O
offerings	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamers	O
Darran	O
Jones	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
pretty	O
piss-poor	O
all	O
the	O
way	O
back	O
in	O
1989	O
"	O
,	O
noting	O
the	O
bland	O
levels	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
power-ups	O
found	O
in	O
Arkanoid	B-Device
,	O
and	O
that	O
many	O
similar	O
clones	O
had	O
outperformed	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
two	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
reviewers	O
that	O
gave	O
the	O
highest	O
scores	O
did	O
state	O
they	O
felt	O
the	O
design	O
was	O
perfect	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
,	O
one	O
adding	O
"	O
It	O
's	O
also	O
a	O
very	O
good	O
game	O
that	O
combines	O
some	O
new	O
features	O
...	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
Break-Out	O
theme	O
"	O
and	O
concluding	O
"	O
Alleyway	B-Application
is	O
good	O
—	O
but	O
a	O
bit	O
long	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Allgame	O
noted	O
that	O
despite	O
the	O
simplicity	O
and	O
variety	O
,	O
"	O
Alleyway	B-Application
is	O
fun	O
to	O
play	O
"	O
,	O
further	O
adding	O
that	O
games	O
of	O
its	O
kind	O
"	O
always	O
play	O
well	O
on	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
