Alleyway scores 7/10 in the verdict of The Games Market editorial team.
Once Upon a Time
Alleyway, a Feud Still Open!
by Simon Larocca·January 2, 2024
The varied world of arcades is made up of a host of video games that have set the standard, but also of other titles that have inherited the legacy of the masterpieces that came before them, with the skill of their developers and the intellectual honesty of owing them a great deal.
Poi ci sono i cloni fatti e finiti, riproposizioni più o meno riuscite dei giochi di maggior successo da parte di case di produzione non necessariamente di nicchia, armate della convinzione che non serva altro che rifare un gioco ben riuscito per ottenere lo stesso risultato. Non sempre è stato così.
Alleway, released in 1989 for Nintendo Game Boy, the dream machine, is a case apart, worthy of being analyzed. The title it clearly refers to is none other than Breakout, a seminal title that, with steel ball blows against the colored bricks arranged at the top of the screen, battled with its twin brother Arkanoid for the crown of best puzzle game of that genre, an exciting struggle that even today divides players in an almost endless feud.
I’ll set aside the discussion about Breakout and Arkanoid because it is not central here; suffice it to say that the two titles spawned legions of clones on every console, and Alleyway is one of them, nothing more and nothing less. GameBoy is the portable console par excellence, and the multitude of puzzle games that make up its library clearly shows the direction Nintendo gave to its little gigantic marvel when it was released.
Even in Alleyway we have a kind of racket, if we want to call it that, with which to hit a ball that bounces off the three walls that make up the level, that is, the game screen, with the aim of hitting and breaking the bricks arranged in ever different structures, without, of course, letting the ball fall to the bottom behind our rectangular avatar.
During the game sessions, the Nintendo brand will be instantly recognizable thanks to the parade of iconic characters from the Kyoto company, who will even appear as stylized figures made up of the very same bricks that you will have to destroy to score points and advance through the game levels. Gameplay that looks straightforward on paper and is controlled by the horizontal movement of the paddle, or spaceship if you prefer given the minimal sci-fi game plot, which however will put your reflexes and hand-eye coordination to the test, thanks to increasingly difficult levels and the speed of the ball.
Trajectories that you won’t always be able to predict and increasing difficulty keep the level of attention high during the game and give the game a remarkable longevity. I recommend this title to all lovers of fast-paced puzzle games and especially to those who, with Breakout and Arkanoid, lost a lot of eyesight playing on PCs during their school years (any reference is purely coincidental, let the record show it).
The gameplay of Alleyway is one of its notable strengths, in addition, the ability to insert the cartridge, press start and play immediately without many frills, catapulted into a rhapsody of balls that go hand in hand with the laws of physics and challenging and fun levels, help make the player feel at home, having in their hands a classic game that never disappoints, and forgive me if that’s not enough.
7
Pro
Dynamic puzzle game with a simple concept, yet engaging
Immediate and no-frills, deliciously arcade-like
Basically, Breakout for Game Boy!
Contro
Suggested plot but, when all is said and done, nonexistent and useless
Racket maneuverability not always responding precisely
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
TGMGrading
Grade your titles
Inspection, sub-grades, seal and display case: every grade comes with the method behind it, written down in full.
