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.