Kororinpa

Transcription

Sometimes, there are exceptions to the rule...and sometimes, there are things so exceptional, they change the rule. This is one of those things. I mean, I’ve always argued that tilt controls deserve to be abolished from video games. This game slaps me in the face for that. And I’m sorry. In fact, I would associate this with Wii games of the highest caliber. Just as Trauma Center did for the pointer and Wii Sports did for motion, tilt control is validated by this game. It may not work in some cases—I’m looking at you, racing games—but in this particular application, it’s absolutely fantastic. And as a result, so is Marble Saga. By the way, no...this is not Marble Mania. That game was a really early Wii title, released just a few months after the system launched, and it actually made a nice impression. The problem is...it was way too short, and so for this sequel, that was addressed. Marble Saga released in 2009 with lots of new features, three times the levels...and some of the same problems. I mean, that is not an ideal camera. Nonetheless, the idea is kind of like Marble Madness meets Super Monkey Ball. You have to get the marble to the end of the levels and collect all of the necessary...things. You do this by tilting the level. And you do that, of course, by tilting the Wii Remote. So really, you’re never actually in control of the marble. You’re just manipulating the obstacle course, so it’s like you’re in this constant tug of war with gravity and physics and...cameras. But more on that in a second, because I have a confession to make. Marble Saga works beautifully with tilt control, so uh...I guess I was wrong. It’s not entirely worthless after all. As for new stuff, the game throws in 150 wonderfully creative levels—again, that’s actually more than triple the original—as well as a level editor that supported online sharing, which was a brilliant touch. And this stuff totally addressed the shortness problem of the original. But again, uh...about that camera. See, if there’s one problem with Marble Saga, it’s the fact that visibility is often somewhat limited. That’s a nice way of saying, “Sometimes, you can’t see what’s freaking in front of you.” And that’s kind of a problem for a game that requires the precision this one does. But that said, that’s the only issue I had with this thing...and to be honest, it’s not a game breaker by any means. Marble Saga does so many other things so well, your occasional death from a bad viewpoint becomes a small price to pay. The obstacle courses are brilliantly designed, and there are a ton of marbles to unlock, too. You know, the best thing about the Wii’s library is that it’s full of games exactly like this...games that certainly weren’t blockbusters, but were really unique and innovative. When the Wii was at its best, Marble Saga is the kind of experience it provided. It’s an awesome game and an easy recommendation, so if you missed it... Get rolling. I’m sorry. It’s Marble Saga.