lien302 .. Shouldn't really matter what way the holes are facing. You should always have a pitch to your drainage away from the wall and away from any foundation.. Those holes are meant to percolate water back into the ground but most water will be carried through the pipe and out of the sides and also the front of the wall(wheep holes) depending on the length of the wall.. I use 4" HDPE pipe myself and its perforated all the way around the pipe.. Also using a filter fabric is also not brought up.. Before the base even goes in a filter fabric should be placed and left long behind the wall and continued up behind the wall between the 3/4 clean and soil.. This will help to keep the water flowing down to the pipe and away from the wall.

If you have pipe with holes on one side, those holes face downward. What the other guy replied about it not mattering and the holes being meant to percolate water back into the ground is wrong. Holes are to allow water to enter pipe from below, which in turn provides the water with a fast unimpeded path to flow out from behind your wall.

The placement of holes in the drainage pipe will determine the level of ground saturation. If you place a 4” drainage pipe with the holes on top you can anticipate 4” of additional ground saturation behind your wall then if you place the pipe with the holes facing down.

Cribs walls do not look better than a nice block retaining wall.