''Marble Blast Gold'' is a 2002 3D

platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...

. It was pre-installed on some

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computers like the

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, and

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. It is also available for

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operating systems as well as various

Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, w ...

distributions. The game was originally released in December 2002 as ''Marble Blast'' and then updated in May 2003, being renamed ''Marble Blast Gold''. At some point during 2003, it was also licensed to eGames to be resold under the name ''Marble Blaster''. The sequel, ''

Marble Blast Ultra ''Marble Blast Ultra'' is a 3D puzzle action game involving a marble developed by GarageGames. It was released on January 25, 2006 for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. It is the sequel to '' Marble Blast Gold''. It features 60 levels, enhan ...

'', was released a few years later for the

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platform with new features and improved graphics. A spiritual successor to Gold and Ultra, Marble It Up, was released for the Nintendo Switch in September 2018, later being ported to Windows and

Apple Arcade Apple Arcade is a video game subscription service offered by Apple Inc. It is available through a dedicated tab of the App Store on devices running iOS 13, tvOS 13, iPadOS 13, and macOS Catalina or later. The service launched on September 19 ...

later that year. ''Marble Blast XP'', a version for the

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online game system, has updated graphics and a marble selector. ''Marble Blast Gold'' was also ported over to the

Microsoft Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...

through the

Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent ...

service the following year with enhanced graphics. Modifications of the game have also been created by the Marble Blast community, most notably ''Marble Blast Platinum'', ''PlatinumQuest'', ''Marble Blast Powered Up'', and ''Marble Blast Emerald''.

Gameplay

Basic gameplay involves taking the perspective of an autonomous

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

moving on its own from a start pad to an end pad, without falling out of bounds. Levels may contain hazards to make this more difficult. The player controls the marble spin, and therefore movement, and can also make the marble jump. There is a variety of power-ups available to the player, which are collected by touching them with the marble. Some levels must be completed within a Qualification time, to increase difficulty. Each level also has a "Gold Time", an additional challenge to complete the level in a specified time-frame. Each gold time is always possible but usually involves finding hidden powerups and/or taking shortcuts. Some levels require a number of gems to be picked up before the level can be finished. There are 100 levels, categorized by difficulty: 24 Beginner, 24 Intermediate, and 52 Advanced.

Reception

''Marble Blast Gold'' received critical acclaim from critics upon release. On GameRankings, ''Marble Blast Gold'' received an 8.4/10 rating, "Addictive gameplay and sweet levels lead to some of the best fun that $14.99 can buy". On Gametunnel, the game was rated 9/10 overall, "Marble Blast Gold is another great entry into the marble genre and a showpiece for the Torque engine. Highly recommended!" On GamersInfo, the reviewer noted: "The game can be a lot of fun, especially if you are the type that likes to challenge your hand–eye coordination."

References

{{Torque Game Engine games 2002 video games EGames (video game developer) games Linux games MacOS games Marble games Original Xbox Live Arcade games Puzzle video games Single-player video games Torque (game engine) games Video games developed in the United States Windows games Xbox games

Gameplay

Reception

See also

References