Oct 24, 20183 min read

Review #020: Marble It Up! (Nintendo Switch)

Reviewed By: John B.

Developed By: Marble It Up! LLC Published By: Marble It Up! LLC Category: Arcade, Action, Platformer Release Date: 9.29.18

Purchase Marble It Up! from the Nintendo eShop here.

The inaugural release from Marble It Up! LLC has arrived, and you’ll never guess what they’ve named their first game. Give up? No, it’s Marble It Up! See what I did there? I’m pretty proud of that one. I know I shouldn’t be. Anyway, it’s a rock-solid, fast-paced, 3D action-platformer that reminds me a little bit of Sonic Adventure. Yeah, I dropped a Dreamcast reference in a Nintendo review. It’s gonna be that kind of day. Or not. I think that was the last one.

Rolling To Victory

The object of the game is to roll your marble from the starting point to the goal area of each stage. Moving your marble forward builds momentum and speed, which is essential for tackling the obstacles in your way. You’ll have to dodge pits, jump up steps, navigate rotating/moving platforms, and roll up steep ramps, but only if you’ve got a good head of steam. Aiding you in your attempts are one-use power-ups, including speed boosts, super jumps, and slowing down time. Some levels require you to collect a certain number of gems before the goal will open up, as well, just to add a little variety. Each stage has a time limit, and you are awarded a medal corresponding to how quickly you made it through the level.

Bronze, silver, gold, and diamond medals await those who master the levels of Marble It Up!

Completing levels and gaining medals also unlocks new marble skins when you hit certain milestones. There are even some skins hidden in the levels that are pretty hard to get to; you can kiss those high-rank medals goodbye if you go to unlock new skins, but I’m sure completionists won’t mind. You can always try again for the medals. Everyone knows new skins are where it’s at. At any rate, unlocking everything will take some time; there are a few dozen skins. There are four chapters to complete, each with eight to ten stages, so there’s a decent amount of content to roll through.

Rolling The Marble Won’t Make You Roll Your Eyes

Like I said, the speed and control aspect of the platforming-style gameplay really remind me of Sonic Adventure, but without any enemies to get in your way. It’s fast-paced and requires some split-second decision-making and reaction times. The challenge level of the stages escalates pretty smoothly; while playing I never got frustrated by a huge spike in difficulty. Regulating speed and momentum while going around sharp corners gave me the most trouble. I flew off more than my fair share of ledges. In general, though, Marble It Up! was a fun experience.

You Look Marble-ous, Darling

Marble It Up! is very well-designed from a visual standpoint. The marble skins are sharp and the rolling animations are smooth. The level designs are sharp and colorful, crafting a visually engaging atmosphere. The graphics don’t set a new benchmark in visual quality, but they get the job done. The real attraction of the game, though, is its soundtrack. Full of fast-paced, intense, electronic tracks, the musical score is thrilling and engaging in all the right ways. Marble It Up! LLC have got the full soundtrack up on their Youtube page, so check the links at the end of the article. It’s good times, man.

For All The Marbles

Marble It Up! is a fun, frantic experience with decent visuals and an awesome soundtrack. It features a balanced difficulty curve and some great level designs. There are even enough unlockable items to keep a completionist happy for a while. If you’re a fan of fast-paced platformers, this is one to pick up.