hitTest collision maze in AS3.0

I once created a functioning maze on a grid in AS2.0 wherein the avatar would move one square at a time via keyboard arrows. His new position was checked against an Array of individually named invisible blocks which overlapped the borders of the maze and if there was a collision he was kicked back and a message prompt said, “You cannot proceed in this direction.”

Is this how I should proceed in AS3.0, or is there a less time consuming (setting up, naming, arranging blocks) method? Also, have there been significant changes to how hitTest works between versions?

Thank you in advance wonderful forum gurus! :yoda: