Marble Blast Ultra is an addictive arcade game that'll last a while, but it's fun will soon fade.
Cons: Short single-player; multiplayer gets boring after a while with only one mode
Marble Blast Ultra is a great Live arcade game that's one of my favorites. It's pretty addictive, but suffers from a short single-player mode and repetitive multiplayer. At only $10 (800 points), though, if you like this kind of game, it's a definite buy.
The gameplay is simple. You are a marble trying to get from the beginning of a level to the end. This sometimes means collecting gems, changing the direction of gravity, or using power-ups. There isn't much else to it-60 levels, with increasing difficulty.
The audio can be repetitive at times, but isn't incredibly horrible. You'll get the sounds of your marble rolling, clacking against platforms and the like, but it does get old. The music isn't the best, either.
There is only one multiplayer mode, in which you and the other players rush after a group of gems. Once one group is collected, another spawns. The highest score at the end of the time limit wins. You can use all of the power-ups fom the single-player mode, although they aren't needed and are mainly used for attacking your opponents. The multiplayer is Live only, with no split-screen, which is too bad-playing with friends on the same console could be fun.
After you beat single-player, the only reason to go back is to beat all the levels in par time and to find all the hidden Easter eggs (little pink eggs you collect). After that, there is only multiplayer-which gets old quickly.
Overall, the game isn't bad, and, in my opinion, the best arcade game so far. If you have 800 points to spare, it's good for a week or so of fun.