Alleyway is a video game developed by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo as a global launch title for the Game Boy. It is a Breakout clone and one of the first four games developed and released for the system. The game was released first in Japan in 1989, in North America later that year, and in Europe in 1990. Alleyway was released with limited advertising, receiving moderate to low scores from reviewers who compared it to games like Arkanoid. The name Alleyway references the in-game gateway that the player's spaceship (represented as a paddle) must pass through. While Alleyway is a portable clone of Breakout, it adds several new features, including alternating stages, bonus rounds, and hazards for the player at later levels.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1509:

Henry VIII became King of England, following the death of his father Henry VII, eventually becoming a significant figure in the history of the English monarchy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII_of_England

1836:

Texan forces led by Sam Houston defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna and his Mexican troops in the Battle of San Jacinto near La Porte, the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Jacinto

1894:

Norway formally adopted the Krag-Jørgensen, a repeating bolt action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen, as the main firearm of its armed forces. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krag-J%C3%B8rgensen

1960:

Brasília, a planned city primarily designed by architect and urban planner Lúcio Costa, was officially inaugurated, replacing Rio de Janeiro as the capital of Brazil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bras%C3%ADlia

1970:

In response to a long-running dispute over wheat quotas, the Principality of Hutt River proclaimed their secession from Western Australia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Hutt_River

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

quarantine (v): To put into obligatory isolation or separation, especially as a sanitary measure to prevent the spread of contagious disease http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quarantine

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

How hard to realize that every camp of men or beast has this glorious starry firmament for a roof! In such places standing alone on the mountaintop it is easy to realize that whatever special nests we make — leaves and moss like the marmots and birds, or tents or piled stone — we all dwell in a house of one room — the world with the firmament for its roof — and are sailing the celestial spaces without leaving any track. --John Muir http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Muir