Marble Blast Gold
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| Marble Blast Gold | |
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| Developer(s) | Monster Studios and GarageGames |
| Publisher(s) | GarageGames |
| Engine | Torque Game Engine |
| Platform(s) | Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360 (XBLA) |
| Release date | 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle and Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone |
| Media | 1 CDs/Download (XBLA) |
| System requirements | 400 MHz processor (x86) /G4 processor (PPC), 64 MB RAM, Sound Card, SVGA Graphics Card, DirectX/OpenGL |
| Input methods | Mouse / Keyboard / Xbox game controller / Joystick |
Marble Blast Gold is a 3D adventure game involving a marble, several platforms, a few hazards and sometimes PowerUps. It was pre-installed on some Apple Inc. computers like the Mac Mini and iBook.
Marble Blast Gold was also released for the Xbox, which featured 28 new levels. The sequel, Marble Blast Ultra was released a few years later for the Xbox 360 platform, and features improved graphics and new features.
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[edit] Gameplay
The basic gameplay involves rolling a marble from the start pad to the end pad around a platform (usually several platforms), while avoiding the hazards along the way, like mines and trap doors. On some levels, there is a Qualifying time that you must beat in order to move on. There is also a Gold time for every level.
Some levels have PowerUps you can use. These include the SuperSpeed, Time Travel, and Gravity Modifier. The PowerUps will help you finish the level faster as well as assist you in getting to other platforms. However, they can also be deadly, because they require more marble control on the intermediate and advanced levels.
[edit] Controls
There are two main controls to learn in the game, the ball's spin control and the camera direction control. By default the ball is controlled by the W, A, S, D keys while the camera is controlled by the mouse or arrow keys; a setup similar to that of typical first-person shooter games. Pressing the mouse button activates power ups. Settings can be configured to the user's preferences. Buttons like the ball control, camera control, jump and use PowerUp can be held down, eliminating the need for repeatedly pressing them.
A joystick can be used in this game, but first must be enabled. To enable the joystick, press the [~] (tilde) key (for Macintosh users, press [control]+[F10]) and type EnableJoystick(); Then, you must go into the Options screen and set the joystick controls.
[edit] PowerUps
PowerUps will help you get to the finish line faster and easier, but require control of the marble. These PowerUps include:
- Gravity Modifier: This PowerUp modifies the way that the "artificial gravity" acts on the marble. It has an arrow pointing to the direction that gravity will act once you touch it.
- Gyrocopter: A "helicopter-like" PowerUp, the Gyrocopter PowerUp will allow you to fly to other platforms that would be impossible by plainly jumping.
- Shock Absorber: When you get the Shock Absorber and you fall, the PowerUp will cushion your fall (hence the name "Shock Absorber"). This is especially helpful, because if you fall onto a platform at an angle, you will fall out of bounds.
- SuperBounce: This PowerUp will give you a "rebound" when you take a high jump. The higher you fall from, the more the rebound. The PowerUp will automatically deactivate after 5 seconds.
- SuperJump: Gives the marble a higher jump when the PowerUp key is pressed. Activating th power-up when jumping will cause an increased boost.
- SuperSpeed: This PowerUp will boost your marble's velocity, and it will always do this forward.
[edit] Obstacles and Dangers
Obstacles are best to be avoided, because they will cause you to go Out of Bounds, however, this is not always the case. Some "obstacles" can be helpful, like in the Custom Levels. The obstacles in MarbleBlast Gold include:
- Platform edge: If the marble falls off a platform and nothing is there to catch it, it will go out of bounds and the level will automatically be restarted.
- Moving objects: The marble can get bumped off its course and sometimes the level itself by any moving object. These are NOT to be confused with moving platforms.
- Oil Slick: This is very slippery, which means the coefficient of friction is very low. Oil slick can also cause loss of marble control, often throwing it off a platform.
- Tornadoes: The tornado will pull your marble in and spit it out, and usually, off the course. The best way to get through tornadoes is to go directly into the center. They will speed you up if you approach them that way.
- Trap doors: These open up shortly after the marble rolls over them, dropping the marble to an undesirable place, often out of the level, and sometimes, to a lower portion of the level. They will reset after a while. The best way to getting by trap doors is by moving over them quickly.
- Mines: These explode on contact, throwing the marble up and away from the explosion. If there is nothing to stop your marble from flying out of control (like a wall), you will often fall out of the level
- Fans: These blow the marble in the direction the fan is facing, often off the edge. They can also be helpful in lifting you to another platform.
- Bumpers: These repel the marble on contact, in the manner of a pinball machine bumper. There are two types of bumpers; the round ones and the triangle shaped ones.
- Surfaces: Along with normal terrain and regular traction, there is also grass, characterized by high traction (which is often an advantage), oil slick, even more slippery mud, and 'outer space', terrain where there is no traction at all. There are also terrains made for aesthetic purposes, which vary from standard terrain in appearance but not in physical properties. If you want to turn in one of these slippery terrains, you should jump, then make your move.
[edit] Comments
On GameRankings Marble Blast Gold received an 8.4/10 rating, "Addictive gameplay and appealing levels lead to some of the best fun that $14.99 can buy".[1] On Gametunnel, the game was rated 9/10 overall, "Marble Blast Gold is another great entry into the marble genre and a showpiece for the Torque engine. Highly recommended!".[2] On GamersInfo, the reviewer noted "The game can be a lot of fun, especially if you are the type that likes to challenge your eye-hand coordination".[3]
[edit] Spin-Off
There are some other Marble Blast games that weren't made by the actual company like Marble Blast Platinum, and Marble Blast Platinum Ultimate Version. There have also been a large amount of patches/updates people have made which contain custom levels and/or marbles.
[edit] References
- ^ Charlie Sinhaseni. Marble Blast: Great balls of fun!. Gaming Nexus. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
- ^ Kyle Nau. Gamepage: Marble Blast Gold. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
- ^ Velea Gloriana. Marble Blast Gold. GamersInfo. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
[edit] External links
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