Marble rolling games used to be quite popular.Marble Blast Goldused to bea staple of Mac gaming, as it came pre-installed on some of Apple’s machines in the early 2000s.Marble Madnessis another classic example of the genre, one of the most beloved arcade games of its era, with some pretty decent console ports.
For one reason or another, most recently due to the reliance onsmall indie titlesto produce the bulk of the games in the genre, marble rolling titles are most popular on the PC market. Meanwhile, most of the games formerly made for consoles are only available through emulators or via fan-made ports and remakes.
11Ballance
Metacritic Score: N/A
Ballancewas originally released by Atari in 2004. The game is about moving a sphere through long, complex obstacle courses high in the sky. The game only comes with 12 levels, but the price is small enough to justify the small offering.
What’s harder to accept is just how little added compatibility the Steam version of the game has compared to the original. The game was originally released in 2004, so it’s no surprise if it requires some attention when installed on modern machines. While there is aguide on how to prepare the gamebefore playing, those issues should have been solved by the publisher before putting the game on Steam.
Marble Madnessmight justbe the first example of a marble-rolling video game. It was originally released in 1984 as an arcade machine, and then ported to the NES and the Sega Mega Drive. The original arcade came with a trackball controller, a great addition to an isometric game about fighting a sphere’s momentum.
Players of today are unlikely to find aMarble Madnessarcade machine near them, which is a shame, since anyone who has played it seems to think this is the best version of the game. Among consoles, the Sega Mega Drive version is often considered the best, followed by the port for Amiga computers.
IfMarble Madnessinvented the marble rolling genre,Marble Blast Goldpopularized it among PC gamers. This classic PC title sees players racing to complete time trials as well as more puzzle-oriented courses, using powerups and advanced techniques to reach Gold Times and unlock more of the game.
Marble Blast Goldis currently available for free. It’s even playable directly from a browser without having to install any new software, though it’s hardly the best way to play this classic PC game. This version of the game includes thePlatinumexpansion, which adds some of the best levels the game has to offer.
Paperballis a marble rolling game in the vein ofSuper Monkey Ball, with some innovative additions that distinguish it from theclassic PlayStation series. For one,Paperballhas different local multiplayer modes, including one where two players control the same sphere through the track.
As far as everything else goes, this is as classic as a marble rolling platformer can get. The players tilt the world that the sphere is rolling on, influencing its movements indirectly. Other welcome but expected additions include Medal Mode, where playerscompete for the best times, and Rush Mode, in which a single player tries to get as far as possible in a limited time.
Roll Awayisn’t a classic example of a marble rolling game, as it has more to do with puzzles than physics. Still, players do roll a ball around a track while trying to avoid dangers and lowering their time, so it technically counts. Besides,Roll Awayis one of thebest 3D platformers on PS1.
What makesRoll Awayunique is the same thing that kept it niche for almost 25 years. The physics of this game rotates with the player’s ball, which can either move normally or jump. When the player rolls their ball off of a cliff, the perspective changes, rotating with the sphere. When the player jumps, gravity remains as it was, potentially leading to a game over.
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulderfollows in the footsteps of the first game. It’s another comedic romp with an art style that uses classic paintings from different periods. This time, though, it supports up to four players and is overall much more polished. Years after its original release in 2017, fans of the series still prefer this title over the other.
TheRock of Agesseries features chaotic ball-rolling action on one hand, and tower defense on the other. But don’t be fooled by this definition: the meat of the game is still rolling a big boulder into a group of enemies or a fortified wall, and to see at the mayhem that follows.
Marble Blast Ultrais a sequel to the originalMarble Blast Gold, even if it’s not quite as similar to the originals asGold’s unofficial expansionPlatinum.Marble Blast Ultraisn’t sold on its own anymore, but it can be played for free together with the rest of the series on Marble Blast Web.
Marble Blast Ultrais more of a puzzle game than its predecessors, with new powerups littering the more advanced courses. But the game doesn’t lack the odd speed-focused level or the more classic platforming challenges here and there.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Maniais the highest-ratedSuper Monkey Ballgame available on pretty much any platform. Most importantly, it’s the highest-rated game in the franchise available on PC, where much of the marble-rolling community is. This classic series is the odd exception, as it was historically available only in arcades and on consoles.
InSuper Monkey Ball Banana Mania,the player must help the titular monkey complete courses and gather bananas to increase their score. Those games do technically have a story, but as can be expected from a series calledSuper Monkey Ball, skipping the first few games to play this one isn’t going to ruin the plot.
Marble It Up! Ultrais all about speed, except for the many multiplayer variants and a handful of puzzle-focused levels. Still, the sense of speed that this game delivers is unlike anything in the genre. This is clearly what the game is designed to do, and it’s what it does best.
The multiplayer modes are also plenty of fun, granted players can find opponents. The game was never super popular, and it’s been a few years since its release, so these days the servers are often empty. Still, some of thebest unusual multiplayer modes, like soccer and a weird variant of the children’s game It, only require a handful of players to fully enjoy.
