Alleyway/Gameplay

Blocks
There are four different kinds of blocks in Alleyway. Three of them are breakable, and the key to completing your objective of removing every block on the stage so you can advance to the next one. The fourth block is unbreakable, and only serves as an obstacle in the game. The three breakable bricks differ only in appearance and point value.

Paddle Techniques

 * You control the paddle throughout the game. Your objective is to remove every breakable brick in a stage by hitting them with the ball.  You will lose one life if you let the ball touch the bottom of the screen without intercepting it with the paddle.
 * You begin the game with 4 lives. Every time you score 1000 points, for the first 9000 point of the game, you will earn one extra life.  While the game is limited to displaying no more than 9 extra lives, you can in fact earn up to 13 extra lives at one time.
 * Once the ball leaves your paddle, it will travel at a fixed angle, changing only in the event that it collides with a wall, brick, or unbreakable block. This causes the ball to reflect in a predictable manner.
 * You have the most control over the ball when it hits the paddle.
 * You can allow the ball to strike the middle of the paddle when it is motionless, causing the ball to reflect as if it hit another wall.
 * You can allow the ball to strike the far edges of the paddle, causing it bounce off the paddle at a far more shallow angle. This tends to make the ball's vertical movement slower, but the horizontal movement will be faster.
 * You can hit the ball with the paddle while the paddle is in motion. The motion of the paddle can influence the direction and speed that the ball bounces off the paddle with.
 * If the ball touches the ceiling of the Alleyway, the size of your paddle will shrink a bit. This reduction in size can make it harder to reflect the ball, as there is less room for error.  Be prepared for this event when it happens, and maintain your focus to stay under the ball.
 * Note that in the first set of stages, a row of unbreakable bricks will prevent the ball from touching the ceiling, so your paddle can't shrink until Stage 4.
 * You can use the A and B buttons to speed up or slow down the speed of the paddle as it moves respectively. These can come in handy when you feel like there isn't enough time to reach the ball, or when you want to position the paddle just right before the ball hits it.