Mario controlling the paddle
The paddle[1] is an object in Alleyway. It is controlled by Mario, which is seen during the beginning of the game, where he enters the paddle through the sliding trapdoor at the top, while the cover art shows him inside the paddle in the cosmos, controlling it, implying that the paddle is some sort of vehicle. The North American box art refers to it as a "spaceship,"[2] while Nintendo Power refers to it as a "ship."[3] Mario is also shown leaving the paddle if the player loses all of their lives. The paddle can be moved left and right across the bottom of the screen in conjunction with the player using the 
. If 
is held while is used, the paddle's movement becomes slower. The paddle is used to deflect the approaching ball into breakable blocks. The angle of the ball is dependent on how the ball hits the paddle. The ball can also be hit by the sides of the paddle, which may result in the ball deflecting in the same direction while mostly preserving its angle. If the ball hits the screen's bottom edge, one life is taken away, and the ball hits the ceiling, the paddle becomes shorter, which can first be observed in Stage 4.
