Marbles for twitch happy junkies that think spiked Red Bull is a sedative.
Who ever thought you could pack so much hyperbolic frenetic gore in a marble slaughterhouse? Madballs is quite simply the pinnacle of topdown shooters for twitch happy junkies that think spiked Red Bull is a sedative. This game pushes the boundaries of the Shooter genre and has both invented and galvanized a niche for itself.
Imagine jumping naked out of a helicopter in the middle of a tornado without a parachute, with a stick of dynamite tied to your hand while listening to Marilyn Manson screaming into your ears, and a hungry gerbil attached to each of your testicles. That's only half of it, because i'm sure by now you're thinking this is just another superficial shooter with great mechanics, but really no different to any other quality shooter (like Assault Heroes). This is where the genius comes in, and to be honest, i don't even know where to begin.
I can just picture the face of the game designer when asked to seamlessly interweave the following gameplay elements without losing the patience of an entire generation of ADD, twitter tapping, button mashing, twitch addicts.
-Multiple classes
-Multiple weapons with multiple modes
-Long engrossing campaign with extremely funny dialogue
-Level designs that include mayhem in equal doses with puzzle solving
-A wide spectrum of multiplayer modes that has a mixture of the traditional and the unique
Remember what happened to the Dynasty Warriors series? So much effort was put into the meta design elements, that it left us wondering when the hell we would ever play the game. Madballs incorporates a surprising amount of depth without taking away your launch pad access to insta-pwnage. If it was just multi-player, i would have become a garden variety ardent fan, but with everything else i've seen, i have to acknowledge this masterpiece in my arcade top 3 alongside Braid and Geometry Wars.
Multiplay
This is where your mettle is tested and put on display for all to glare at. There are 2 views you can alternate between: one is close to topdown, while the other seems closer to 45 degrees, giving you a better view of what's in front of you. I prefer the latter, because the way i play, looking behind or around me isn't time well spent.
The controls are extremely well calibrated to the game, and you never get the sense that you've had to train yourself how to move your marble. It just appears innately smooth right from that first kill.
The weapon choices are very numerous, and the surprise is that they aren't all just different looking guns that operate in similar fashion. The variability in their combat effectivenees dictates a completely different style of play. It's refreshing to note that an elite Shotty user becomes instantly ordinary when he picks up a weapon with far less familiarity. Choosing which weapon to use isn't just a matter of personal preference, because you'll quickly get owned if the enemy team is intentionally arming themselves to expose your weaknesses. A gang of elite shotty artists will get gnashed like roadkill if the opposite team arms themselves with longer range arsenals for instance.
The multiplayer modes are varied and equally fun to play. The Avatar capabilities on the XBOX takes this particular game mode to hilarious heights not seen in any arcade game thusfar. In fact, this is the first game that has compelled me to create a facial model and expression that will leave a lasting impression on those poor marbles i spit out like so many rabbit turds.
The endless combinations of weapons, special attacks, firing modes, and levels will force teams to create winning strategies that are well suited to not only their environment, but their opponents as well. For those of us that are more interested in just getting our marbles covered in the gore of our enemies, there are modes a plenty that will reward us with dismembering body part blender-like explosions with a well aimed gun to the face. OMG, i so wish i could periodically go into 1st marble mode so i could tea bag the fallen marbles around me
Campaign
I have only reached the 3rd level, but i'm already looking forward to the next levels and their evil Bosses. The campaign contains the same superb handling and playability of the multiplayer modes, but with a healthy dose of comedy, puzzle solving, and Boss battling. Not since Castle Crashers have i enjoyed each level and the unique challenges i would find within.
The AI fights with cold precision, and apart from the Boss fight, an experienced Shooter artist will have a challenging but manageable array of enemies to overcome on HARD. The Boss fight is as difficult as you would hope, and requires a completely different strategy each time. If was as easy as simply shooting it, i'd be at level 5 by now.
The dizzying array of unlocks, promotions, and achievements keeps you hunkering for more after each battle. Each toy can then be taken into the arena to test, learn its usage, and eventually master. Think Battlefield, Team Fortress or Call of Duty on steriods and you'll get some idea of the richness in this gameplay element.
PROS
-game design is deep and engrossing without losing that uniquely captivating insta-appeal of a shooter - genius
-production quality (art & music) is fantastic
-Team Fortress funny as hell
-playability is innate and easy to quickly master
CONS
-periodic lag spike that will kill me in campaign when rolling around platforms and traps (did not experience it in multiplayer), but doesn't happen often enough to take the slimmest of sparkles off this game
All in all, i would give this game a 9.5/10. It has re-energized my love of the genre with a top of the class production that should rival for XBLA game of the year.
Git yer marble on!
RabbidFly
Hardest Achievement: Mile High Club (CoD4)