There aren’t a lot of marble-rolling games on the market and even fewer that take direct inspiration from Marble Madness – even with that being the granddaddy of all games in that genre. We have seen that genre grow over the decades thanks to games like Super Monkey Ball and Marble Blast Ultra, while twin-stick shooters rose in arcades thanks to Robotron before going dormant for many years. Geometry Wars brought that genre back into the limelight and we’ve seen it get bigger in the last decade than it ever was in its theoretical arcade prime, but we’ve never seen a game blend the two sub-genres together.
Go Mecha Ball uses a traditional twin-stick shooter style to move around normally, but the left trigger activates a ball-rolling mechanic that makes it feel like a mix of both Marble Madness for faster mobility, but also a bit of Assault Android Cactus with the visual style and usage of large, metallic environments for the stages themselves. Using the marble-rolling mechanic to avoid damage and then put yourself into better positions to attack is interesting, but the stage design deserves a lot of praise too.
Phantom Abyss Hits Version 1.0 on PC, Xbox Alongside Game Pass
Originally releasing in Steam Early Access in 2021, Phantom Abyss 1.0 is finally here. With that move comes the expansion of the core concept.
The stages are laid out in small sections and resemble pinball tables in how you can roll around the area and fly around the tops of the stage, but never have a risk of going out of bounds due to the invisible walls. Those keep the pace fast and ensure that you’re always on the move, which allows you to get a jump on tougher shielded enemies or just take out normal foes a bit faster. Each run allows you to learn and the player has a variety of different characters to play as alongside new abilities and tools gained throughout each run.
It’s very much a game that tries to merge two different genres together and largely succeeds at doing both. Those craving a new marble-roller will probably be left wanting more emphasis on that or a sub-game of just that, but anyone who loves twin-stick shooters will be enthralled by what’s offered up here. Go Mecha Ball is available on PC via either Xbox Game Pass on PC or Steam and Xbox consoles, with Game Pass users being able to play the game at no additional charge. It plays like a dream with the Xbox controller and the twin-stick design alongside the usage of bumpers and triggers feels natural across the board on both PC and console.
