Alleyway

"One of Mario's lesser-known jobs..."

Is defending the world from a gigantic ricocheting steel ball, apparently.

Introduction

Alleyway is a very old game, about 15 years old, that seems like an attempt from Nintendo to milk some profit out of a Breakout ripoff. Maybe they tried to get more people to buy it by including Mario. I'm not sure. Anyways.

Gameplay (6 / 10)

This is very plain and unoriginal. Mario jumps into a pod device, and then you move it across the screen trying to bounce a floating ball to the top of the screen where it will slowly destroy a wall of blocks, your job is just not to let it fall past the bottom of the screen when it comes back down. Your score depends on how many blocks you destroyed and what color they were. It's simple but addicting, and if you're easily entertained this will keep you in place for a good 20 minutes to a half hour sometimes.

After you destroy all the blocks on the screen, you get transferred to a new level. It is kept interesting by different ways of arranging the blocks, scrolling blocks, unbreakable blocks, and even descending blocks. But there really could have been more to the game than this.

Graphics (5 / 10)

The graphics are barely above the toleration level, and while they show pretty much everything you need to see, they don't show it very well, and it overall could have been done so much better. They at least could have added in some varying backgrounds to keep the levels distinguished from one another, but instead all you get is a plain white wall of nothingness. It's just the blocks, the ball, and your pod. Not very pleasing on the eyes.

Sound (4 / 10)

Yet another category that could have been greatly improved upon. There are 2 tunes in the game (there might be a third when you beat it but I have never even come close), one at the Press Start screen, and one short little tune when you jump into your pod at the start of the level. There could have been some music while you are actually playing the game, without being too distracting. This is just bland and boring though.

As for sound effects, there are 5 in the whole game. 3 of which constitute the ball bouncing around the level. Sad.

Control (9 / 10)

At last, something I can give a decent score! The controls are simple but responsive. You use the d-pad to steer your pod left or right, and you hold A to speed it up, or B to slow it down if you don't like the normal speed it moves at. It's probably the most complicated, involved part of the game. Which still isn't saying much.

Replay Value (2 / 10)

Like I said before, the game keeps track of your score, but unless you write it down it's useless because it won't remember after you turn the game off. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the whole replay value. Except for the game's mildly addicting gameplay.

Pros:
-Sort of Addicting
-You get to see Mario commit suicide by jumping out of his pod

Cons:
-Everything Else

Final Score: 5 / 10

Rent or Buy?
I'll be amazed if you can find a place to rent Gameboy games at, and if you come across it, I wouldn't recommend spending any more than $3 on it.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 12/26/05