Let’s Play Alleyway #02: Keep Your Eye on the Ball
83Breakout was an arcade game developed by Atari and put into the market in May 1976. It was influenced by the game Pong which preceded it by four years. A lot of the mechanics from that arcade game made their way to Alleyway, including the shrinkage of the player controlled paddle upon hitting the top of the screen. One of the major differences between the two games, however, is the method of control: the arcade cabinet and the 1987 Atari 2600 port use a dial to control the paddle, allowing for very precise movement. The Game Boy had to settle for using the D pad and while it does a good job of controlling the paddle, it will never compare to twisting a dial.
One of the other major differences between Alleyway and the game it’s a clone is the lack of colour due to the Game Boy’s screen. It does, however, have a much larger pool of levels and far more variety of block layout within those levels, ensuring that the player remains entertained and challenged for longer. It also has the Mario themed bonus levels where you can rack up extra points to earn more lives, a concept that hadn’t yet arrived on the arcade scene.
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