 = Kirby 's Block Ball = 
 
 Kirby 's Block Ball is a 1995 action video game , a spin @-@ off from the Kirby series for the Game Boy portable console . It is a Breakout clone ; the player controls paddles along the screen 's edge to knock a bouncing ball , Kirby , into destructible bricks . The game 's 55 levels include power @-@ ups , bonus rounds , and minigames . Kirby 's Block Ball was developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo R & D1 . The team spent half a year revising the gameplay to match Kirby 's signature characteristics . Kirby 's Block Ball was published by Nintendo first in Japan in 1995 , later in Europe , and last in North America in 1996 . 
 Reviewers considered the game an improvement on the Breakout formula and praised its gameplay craftsmanship and incorporation of the Kirby series . It was included in multiple top Game Boy game lists and was later emulated on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console . 
 
 = = Gameplay = = 
 
 The player controls paddles along the screen 's edges to knock a bouncing ball , Kirby , into destructible bricks . The player loses a life if Kirby hits the edge of the screen . Each of the game 's eleven stages include five rounds of increasingly complex block patterns for Kirby to clear . The ten different block types vary in durability and points value . A well @-@ timed hit of the paddle gives Kirby a powerful bounce to break through harder blocks . Another block type turns the remaining blocks into a bonus round that rewards the player for clearing the screen in the least amount of time . The player can find warp stars that lead to minigames , such as air hockey , where the player can earn extra lives . The rounds also include enemies to attack and avoid . Some enemies contain bonus items . Each stage ends in a boss fight . 
 With stone , needle , flame , and spark power @-@ ups , Kirby can transform to interact with blocks differently . For instance , the spark power @-@ up lets Kirby break through otherwise indestructible blocks , and the needle lets Kirby hit spikes once without losing a life . The game has a themed frame and uses a wide palette of colors in @-@ game when played with the Super Game Boy . 
 
 = = Development = = 
 
 The game was developed by HAL Laboratory with Gunpei Yokoi 's Nintendo R & D1 , and published by Nintendo . At one point in development , HAL decided that the game did not feel like a Kirby game . The team spent six months completely revising the game under explicit instructions on how Kirby should move . Kirby games contain elements of unrestricted , creative movement as a general theme . Kirby 's Block Ball was released for the Game Boy first in Japan in 1995 and later in Europe ( 1995 ) and North America ( May 1996 ) . It was later emulated on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console , and released first in Japan ( October 2011 ) and later in Europe ( February 2012 ) and North America ( May 2012 ) . 
 
 = = Reception and legacy = = 
 
 On release , the four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly applauded Kirby 's Block Ball for modifying the Breakout formula to create a new and enjoyable game . They especially praised the unique power @-@ ups , though Crispin Boyer and Sushi X also felt the game was too short and easy . Nintendo Power said they enjoyed Block Ball and its number of stages , but wondered how its eight megabits of memory were being used . The magazine found the parts where Kirby eats the unbreakable blocks to be innovative . All six of the magazine 's reviewers recommended the game . 
 IGN wrote that the game was primarily remembered as " an Arkanoid or Breakout clone skinned with the Kirby franchise " . IGN calculated an average reviewer score of 7 @.@ 4 / 10 . The Kirby series became known for its number of non @-@ platformer spin @-@ offs , of which Block Ball was one , like Kirby 's Pinball Land and Kirby 's Dream Course . Kirby 's spherical shape lent itself towards ball @-@ like roles . IGN wrote that Block Ball was the first " truly out there " Kirby spin @-@ off , but that the game was too short . 
 Planet Game Boy called it one of the original Game Boy 's ten " all @-@ time classics " and GamesRadar placed it among the top 25 Game Boy games released . They considered Kirby 's Block Ball an improvement upon Alleyway , a Game Boy launch title and Breakout clone . IGN recommended the game upon its 3DS rerelease both in general and for Breakout fans . Nintendo World Report recommended the game to players who like score attack games and called it the best version of Breakout released . Retrospective reviewers found the game enjoyable and praised the craft behind the gameplay and Kirby themes . Alternatively , Kirby 's Block Ball received the lowest rating on Tim Rogers 's 2004 " Yamanote Scoring System for Portable Games " ( a metric by which he played a game while counting stops on the circular Yamanote train line until he lost interest ) with a score of " one " stop . He called it " too damned bland " . 
 In a retrospective review , Jeuxvideo.com had high praise for the level design , graphics , and animations . They also found the music excellent in comparison to the annoying and repetitive soundtrack of most Breakout clones . The magazine also liked how the game fit the Kirby universe , apart from its increased difficulty — Jeuxvideo.com occasionally had trouble hitting the slow @-@ paced ball with precision . 
 
 