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Marble Blast Ultra was low key the best Xbox Live Arcade game and best launch window game for 360.

TaySan

TaySan

SayTan
Member
Dec 10, 2018
31,389
Tulsa, Oklahoma
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So Simple yet so brilliant and addicting. Spent a ridiculous amount of hours on this game. Even the multiplayer was a blast! And how could you not love that track that will be stuck in your head for all eternity?


What are your memories of this game and what games like it would you recommend today?
 
Jarrod38

Jarrod38

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,661
It truly was a great game. We need another one. I know there is one on the Switch so here is hope.
 
LewieP

LewieP

Member
Oct 26, 2017
18,093
I found it funny that because it was on an early version of the SDK that didn't yet have countermeasures for this, people could modify controllers by filing away around the analogue stick enclosure and it would allow you to move faster by moving the stick further than intended.
 
statham

statham

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,449
FloRida
Speevy playing Marble madness on the OG Xbox with 56k, I think he was gifted the Xbox by ace attorney. Memories of old school Team Xbox website. I still have TFX avatar he made for me.
 

sheaaaa

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,556
On a platform with all time classics like Spelunky and Fez Marble Blast doesn't even come close to being the best XBLA game
 
ascii42

ascii42

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,798
When it comes to Marble Madness type games, I remember a version of this on the Xbox Live Arcade that launched on the original XBOX, as well as another game called Hamsterball. Never played this one, though.
 
Sheepinator

Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
27,936
That was a fun game. Not an original idea of course. Arcade Marble Madness says hello, also who remembers the classic Spindizzy on C64? There's also Super Monkey Ball on GameCube.

Btw, thanks for the tips on Marble It Up on Steam. Added to wishlist.

 
Sai

Sai

Prophet of Truth
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
5,603
Chicago
Never 100%'d it, but it was fucking awesome, and I actually really loved the online for it. Watching a speedrun of it at Game Done Quick earlier this year was fucking radical.
 
QuinchoOsito

QuinchoOsito

Member
Oct 10, 2018
545
I used to play this/Hexic HD on my 360 to wind down from Halo 3 every single night... what amazing built-in games, played each of them for god knows how many hours
 
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TaySan

TaySan

SayTan
Member
Dec 10, 2018
31,389
Tulsa, Oklahoma
snipes 4 short said:
I used to play this/Hexic HD on my 360 to wind down from Halo 3 every single night... what amazing built-in games, played each of them for god knows how many hours
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I remember back in 2006 this was my game and Dead Rising and COD 2. Good times the multiplayer was.

sheaaaa said:
On a platform with all time classics like Spelunky and Fez Marble Blast doesn't even come close to being the best XBLA game
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Honestly I still prefer Ultra over those 2 games any day, but of course opinions and all. :)
 
Trace

Trace

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,689
Canada
Hi everyone, as other people have said a bunch of the people that made MBU are currently working on Marble It Up updates. And yes we're porting that to PS4 and Xbox One when we're able, still have a lot of stuff to get out the door first though.

Next update after we get our current update out the door will include MP.
 
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TaySan

TaySan

SayTan
Member
Dec 10, 2018
31,389
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Trace said:
Hi everyone, as other people have said a bunch of the people that made MBU are currently working on Marble It Up updates. And yes we're porting that to PS4 and Xbox One when we're able, still have a lot of stuff to get out the door first though.

Next update after we get our current update out the door will include MP.
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Did you guys add the level editor in the PC version yet? I haven't been following the game since launch, but I'm planning on buying your game soon. :D
 
Trace

Trace

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,689
Canada
TaySan said:
Did you guys add the level editor in the PC version yet? I haven't been following the game since launch, but I'm planning on buying your game soon. :D
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We put out an add-on for the Unity editor on PC that lets you make MIU levels. Looking at the Steam workshop there's a bit over 200 custom levels at the moment.
 
alexbull_uk

alexbull_uk

Prophet of Truth
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Oct 27, 2017
1,923
UK
I loved Marble Blast. It was definitely my favourite XBLA title, and iirc the first game I ever played on Xbox 360.
 

Deleted member 42

user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 24, 2017
16,939
This shit ruled, I had no idea they sold 750k copies of the game and then went bankrupt

Marble It Up rules too
 
Trace

Trace

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,689
Canada
BronsonLee said:
This shit ruled, I had no idea they sold 750k copies of the game and then went bankrupt

Marble It Up rules too
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There's a long story behind it, the company didn't go bankrupt, it got bought out by IAC for a platform called Instant Action and MBO (the PC port of MBU) got put on there. IA eventually folded though because they took it in some weird directions, and IAC kept the IP when the rest of the guys left, which is why it got delisted.
 
nextgeneration

nextgeneration

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,571
Oh man, I remember these times. Wasn't this when Microsoft struggled to get even 1 game released weekly on Live Arcade? I remember always being excited each week to see what game got released. It's crazy to see how far we've come, where we now just get crazy, crazy amounts of digital games released weekly across all platforms.
 
Robin

Robin

Restless Insomniac
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,502
This was a fun one. Honestly I feel like XBLA really opened the door for indie games hitting the mainstream in a real way. I remember even on release MBU felt hammy but it was a fun one. Super Monkey Ball it ain't tho.
 
c043y

c043y

Member
Oct 25, 2017
430
I played SO much marble blast ulta. Certian albums I had saved on my 360 HDD remind me of that game. The multiplayer was awesome. Is there anything out there similar atm?
 
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TaySan

TaySan

SayTan
Member
Dec 10, 2018
31,389
Tulsa, Oklahoma
c043y said:
I played SO much marble blast ulta. Certian albums I had saved on my 360 HDD remind me of that game. The multiplayer was awesome. Is there anything out there similar atm?
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The same people that made Marble Blast Ultra just released a new game called Marble it Up! Out now on PC and Switch and coming to PS4 and Xbox One too. :)
 
Chixdiggit

Chixdiggit

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
1,447
I remember waiting for my friend to come over so I bought this. As I'm playing he sits down and is all "You seriously bought a fucking game about marbles?". We ended up playing it the whole night.
 
Ac30

Ac30

Member
Oct 30, 2017
14,527
London
Trace said:
Hi everyone, as other people have said a bunch of the people that made MBU are currently working on Marble It Up updates. And yes we're porting that to PS4 and Xbox One when we're able, still have a lot of stuff to get out the door first though.

Next update after we get our current update out the door will include MP.
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Since you're posting here, are you still planning to put out map packs witch community maps for the switch version? I've been drooling at some of the player content you've been including in the weekend updates
 
Trace

Trace

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,689
Canada
Ac30 said:
Since you're posting here, are you still planning to put out map packs witch community maps for the switch version? I've been drooling at some of the player content you've been including in the weekend updates
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Yep! Most of our plans are still the same, we just underestimated how much trouble we were going to have putting out content so our timelines have been pushed back a bit. Challenge Update should be out soon though, we're almost done with it. Then we'll be working on multiplayer, I'm not sure if the custom level packs will be out before or after MP though, can't give definitives on that just yet.
 
Ac30

Ac30

Member
Oct 30, 2017
14,527
London
Trace said:
Yep! Most of our plans are still the same, we just underestimated how much trouble we were going to have putting out content so our timelines have been pushed back a bit. Challenge Update should be out soon though, we're almost done with it. Then we'll be working on multiplayer, I'm not sure if the custom level packs will be out before or after MP though, can't give definitives on that just yet.
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Great to hear :) Keep up the good work, it's been a blast!
 
pikachief

pikachief

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Oct 25, 2017
6,518
Dreams has some nice marble blast/madness and monkeyball style games from people now that scratch this itch for me. Some high quality stuff already in that genre and already making my purchase worth $30
 
SigSig

SigSig

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,777
There is something about marble/ball-based 3d platformers and puzzle games (seriously, there are a LOT out there) which feels comforting to me and I tend to enjoy them all. They are unapologetically videogamey, which has become rare.
 
WaveBird

WaveBird

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,767
My brother decided against getting a 360 at launch at the last minute but a little while down the road saw me playing this. He went out that day and picked one up. It was a great game.
 
AdmiralSnackbar

AdmiralSnackbar

Member
Oct 27, 2017
479
I remember playing the trial of this way back and regret not actually buying it now.

Has anyone given a name to the kind of aesthetic/art style this kind of game has? That sort of early 2000's clean cut budget style. It kind of reminds me of the old Bejeweled 2 with those fantasy backdrops and chill soundtrack.
 
SirNinja

SirNinja

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 17, 2017
8,217
Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
I still play it from time to time on 360. Really regret not getting the expansion pack, cause of course now no one can. (Redownloading the game itself was a major pain as well, since I had to go through a list of all the stuff I bought for 360 way back when, and MBU was one of the very first.) That game and Geometry Wars was my jam way back when.
 
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TaySan

TaySan

SayTan
Member
Dec 10, 2018
31,389
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Evil Monkey DTT said:
I played the shit out of the demo.... yet I never bought it. I was weird
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AdmiralSnackbar said:
I remember playing the trial of this way back and regret not actually buying it now.

Has anyone given a name to the kind of aesthetic/art style this kind of game has? That sort of early 2000's clean cut budget style. It kind of reminds me of the old Bejeweled 2 with those fantasy backdrops and chill soundtrack.
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If you guys ever want to play the full game you can play it on PC now for free. :)
http://old.marblevortex.com/
 
Byvar

Byvar

Member
Oct 26, 2017
535
Marble Blast Ultra was great, it's one of the only games I had Xbox Live Gold for so I could play it online. Immensely enjoyed everything about it, and even despite it only having one song, I really liked that track.
I cannot wait for Marble It Up! to hit PS4. It'll apparently be around the same time as the multiplayer update too, so it looks like I'll be getting PS Plus for the first time.
 
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