Platform: Nintendo Wii

Genre: Puzzle

Number of Players: 1 - 2

In the mid-80’s there was an arcade game that had many of us old school gamers lining up in the arcades and spending our allowance in just a few hours; Marble Madness. The maze game really had a huge following back in the day, and I still know a number of people who have some very fond memories of it. But, the days of the Madness are behind us . . . at least they were. Konami and Hudson have the Marble Madness of the new millennium; Kororinpa: Marble Mania.

The idea itself is quite easy. Kororinpa: Marble Mania simply has you navigating your marble from point A to point B. You simply need to collect the red crystals that are found in the level in order to unlock the final goal. Once you’ve reached it, it’s on to the new challenging level in the game. I’m sure that just reading it, you’re thinking that this sounds like one of the easiest games that has been see on the Wii, but it’s not, and it’s also incredibly addictive.

Kororinpa: Marble Mania takes full advantage of the Wii Remote for its gameplay. You’re not necessarily controlling the marble itself but instead taking hold of the environment itself in order to accomplish your task. Move the remote forward for example and the maze will tilt forward, pull back and . . . . . you get the idea. You’ll also find that you’ll be twisting the remote in order to make it from one area to the next or tilting everything on its side to reach some out of the way places.

The red crystals are the key of finishing each phase, and if you don’t grab all of them, you’ll be forced to go back and find them. The good thing is if you have already grabbed a crystal but end p falling over the edge, you won’t need to grab it again when you restart. If you get stuck you can choose to simply start over at the beginning once again or, through the pause menu, you can start the stage over, though all the crystals you’ve found will be lost. Each phase also has an elusive green crystal which will reward you with new stages and items, so you’ll need to be trying to locate those as well.

The levels though aren’t just about traveling across the flat surface with no obstructions. Aside form finding things like conveyor belts or honey to slow you down, there are elevator platforms that take you to higher reaches, cannons to shoot you into the air, and of course, pathways that have no boundaries making for a more challenging move to reach your goal. You will also be rewarded a trophy if you do well enough and there are rewards for how well you perform. You won’t only unlock new stages but also different marbles that can be used. Some of these just make sounds as you play, like the cat marble that will meow when you move the remote or a croaking frog. There are marbles that will move faster, some that will bounce, and unlocking these is all part of the challenge. Additional background music can be unlocked as well, and even if you don’t do outstanding on a stage the first time through, you can always challenge it again and try and improve you score or maybe find the green crystal you may have missed the first time through.

Besides the single player game, Marble Mania also offers a two-player version of the game. Interestingly enough, you actually won’t need two controllers but instead, one player will have the remote portion while the other uses the nunchuk. The idea behind the game in the two-player mode is the same and on the split screen, you will also now see a ghost on your side; your opponents marble. 

Kororinpa: Marble Mania doesn’t just play great, it looks great as well. You’re a marble in a big world remember, so you’ll see your current stage suspended over a background that ties directly into the look and feel of the stage. There are ten stages to each background with around 50 total stages to complete, but the look and feel of each of them ties in perfectly with the theme. There are some great details found within the game as well. Of the stages, I personally enjoyed the candy land theme filled with cakes, pies, and some great detail on the gummy wedges (oranges and such) that make up the playing fields. The marbles are actually really cool as well and rather fun to watch. Even seeing the original, classic marble, complete with that little colored piece in the middle, is a great touch.

If there is anything to complain about in regards to Kororinpa: Marble Mania, it would be three separate issues. I really wish the game had the means to allow for full screen rotation, but then again, I suppose if it did, that wouldn’t make it so challenging. While there is a map available from the pause menu, it often doesn’t help matters. Also, the game is a bit on the short side and having more stages really could have helped out. Lastly, having the ability to design your own stages really would have made a huge impact for players and being able to create these and send them to your friends would have added just the right touch.

Kororinpa: Marble Mania though is still a highly addictive game. My “quick” game that I intended on starting off with soon became a two or three hour long endeavor, and time quickly passed by. This is the type of mania that gamers crave for, though “losing your marbles’ can be quite frustrating at times, but Kororinpa: Marble Mania is going to be a game that appeals to a broad and diverse cross-segment of gamers and definitely doesn’t turn out to be the “simple, kids stuff” that you might think that it’s going to be.

-mike-