Marble Blast Ultra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Marble Blast Ultra | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | GarageGames |
| Publisher(s) | GarageGames |
| Engine | Torque Shader Engine |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360 |
| Release date | January 25, 2006 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone (E) |
| Media | Download |
| Input methods | Gamepad |
Marble Blast Ultra, commonly abbreviated as MBU, is a 3D puzzle/action game involving a marble, available for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points ($10 USD). However, on December 5, 2007, it was made an Xbox Live Arcade Hit and its price was lowered to 400 Microsoft Points ($5 USD). Marble Blast Ultra is the sequel to Marble Blast Gold. It features 60 brand new levels, enhanced graphics, 2 new power-ups and a multiplayer mode. A PC port of the game under the title Marble Blast Online is playable exclusively at InstantAction.com.
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
The basic gameplay involves rolling a marble around a 3D obstacle course from start to finish, avoiding the many hazards littered about. The obstacles are normally intended to throw the marble off the edge of the level, thus causing the player to "lose" and be forced to restart the level. Some levels also involve collecting gems, which must be collected before the level can be completed. Power-ups are available on some levels which provide help to the player.
Along with the power-ups, MBU features a blast meter which allows the marble to do a double jump. The meter fills continuously and the more its filled, the higher the double jump will be. The levels are completed once the player reaches the finish pad. There are 60 levels, which are divided into three different difficulty levels. Levels can be played in any order and each level features par times for the player to beat.
[edit] Power-ups
There are many power-ups in the various levels. They are:
- Super Speed: Gives the marble a single burst of extra horizontal speed.
- Super Jump: Gives the marble a single higher vertical jump.
- Ultra blast: This refills the blast meter and adds a little extra.
- Mega Marble: Makes the marble grow bigger, allowing it to avoid small holes and knock other players out of the way.
- Time Travel: Pauses time for a given number of seconds, and helps the player qualify to "win" the level or surpass the "par" time.
- Gyrocopter: Allows the marble to glide for a short period of time.
- Gravity Modifier: Changes gravity direction.
[edit] Controls
There are three main controls to learn in the game: the ball's control, the camera control, and the jump button. The left thumbstick is used to control the ball, while the camera is controlled by the right thumbstick. There are two ways to jump, either by hitting A, or by using the left trigger-which is often overlooked[citation needed]. Pressing the Right Trigger activates power ups. To use regular blast either X, B, RB, or LB is used.
[edit] Obstacles
There are many obstacles in the game. They are:
- Level's 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 or the marble will be returned to the last checkpoint.
- Moving objects: The marble can get bumped off its course and sometimes the level itself by any moving object.
- Trapdoors: These open up after a few seconds, dropping the marble to an undesirable place, often out of the level.
- Fans: These blow the marble in the direction of the fan, often off the edge.
- Bumpers: These repel the marble on contact, again, usually off the edge.
- Surfaces: Along with normal terrain and regular traction, there is also gray tracking with high traction (often an advantage), slippery ice, There are also terrains made for aesthetic purposes, like asphalt.
[edit] Par times
A "par time" is the objective in a single player game. Each level has a par time and the harder the levels become, the harder the par times become. Sometimes, knowing how to properly use power-ups and when and where to jump is the key to success. The reason to do par time is to challenge oneself and to get the achievements.
[edit] Leaderboard
This game relies heavily around the online leaderboards. Each level features leaderboard support for the fastest times recorded to the 100ths of a second. Player can compare their score to people on their "friends" list. However, due to a glitch, some people aren't able to view those times.[1]
[edit] Glitches
In total, there are three "glitches" in the game that allow the player to achieve faster times and make better routes on levels easier.
- Early Start Glitch: Prior to the marble's release from the starting pad, the user must press the Start button to pause the game. The longer they wait in the start menu, the earlier their marble will be released. After the waiting, they must select Resume. Their marble will fly out of the start pad earlier, however this will not change the time on the clock. Generally it is used to make the marble reach moving platforms that can't otherwise be reached.
- Trap Launch Glitch: A trap launch is performed by trapping the marble in between two moving platforms, or a moving platform and a stationary platform by hanging about half of the marble over the edge of the platform. Once the marble comes in contact with the second platform, it will produce a grinding noise and then fly out at a very high speed. This can be used to launch across several levels such as Endurance, Survival of the Fittest, and Natural Selection.
- Time Travel Glitch: A new glitch that is very rare to produce, however, but subtracts .01 seconds when the player reaches the goal at the exact time the Time Travel expires. This helps primarily on levels where the goal for a top time is to get to the first time travel quickly, like Bunny Slope and Cube Root. It has not been done on Cube Root yet, but could lead to the top time being pushed to 1.39 seconds.
[edit] Downloadable Content
Downloadable content was planned to be released for this game [2] that would include 11 new multiplayer maps and new multiplayer game modes like "Bowl" and "Blast Club", as well as fix the glitch in the leaderboards where viewing friends times is not allowed. However, it was later found out that the chances for the downloadable content being released are unlikely due to a publisher conflict.[3]
[edit] Multiplayer
Multiplayer contains 10 levels and supports up to 8 simultaneous players. There is only 1 mode which consists of collecting gems within a certain time limit, which depends on the level. After a group of 2-6 gems are collected, another set of gems appear elsewhere on the board. Players race to these gems and use power-ups to navigate across the level quicker and interfere with other players.
There are three types of gems: Ruby red, yellow, and blue. Ruby red gems are worth one point, while yellows are worth two and blues are worth five. Most likely, blue and yellow gems will be much harder to get than pink gems. The player at the end of the time limit with the most points wins.
Players can change their marble's appearance by applying a variety of patterns and pictures, as well as adding several different effects to use online.
Ranked matches and player matches are supported along with an overall multiplayer leaderboard for ranked and player matches. Users can create a game or join one and filter parameters such as level, players, and gamer zone. Private games are also supported.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Leaderboard Glitch
- ^ Dev Interview-Marble Blast Ultra « The Xbox Domain
- ^ MBU Update Status at Developmentally Challenged
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||
