Kororinpa: Marble Mania

"Kororin.. Kororinpa?.. is that a Japanese fruit?"

Hello my friends, I am here now writing my first review as I hope that I will bring many more. While browsing a local BlockBuster, I found what looked to be quite a bizarre game - KORORINPA. At first glance it seemed to be a knock off of Super Monkey Ball, but hey what's the harm in trying it. I came home, fired up the Wii and started playing. Upon the start of the game, one could tell that this game was really slow paced, really calm, and even addicting.
Here is the break-down:

Audio: 10/10
Calm, cool music that doesn't get in your track of focus, the music also suits the theme of the level.

Graphics: 7/10
A game like this is more about the game play as it is about graphics, but the graphics are nothing to brag about. The balls are much more detailed the the background, which my guess is used to emphasise the use of the ball.

Gameplay: 9/10
This, my friends, is where the game shines. Prefect controls, no problems in terms of sensitivity or error in sensor, simply put: where you tilt your Wiimote is where the ball shall go, the level design sometimes becomes a bit repetitive though.

Lifespan/Replayability: 7/10
Though it may seem 45 levels is a bit short, BAM!, here comes Mirror Mode, where things get reversed. Its really only an attractive feature if you enjoyed the game to begin with, and you can even take it a step further to collect all the gems, gold trophies, and beat all the secrets.

Overall: 9/10
A really fun game, worth the buy if you have the money to spare and you have the determination to beat it 100%, otherwise rent it. This is, in my opinion, one of the best games on the Wii at the moment.

In conclusion: If you liked Super Monkey Ball, you'll love Kororinpa, if you hated Super Monkey Ball, you'll hate Kororinpa, but less than Super Monkey Ball. Who needs monkeys in balls when you have a variety of different balls in Kororinpa, cat balls, UFO balls, sport balls, etc. So really, saying Kororinpa is like Super Monkey Ball is an insult to the brilliant people over at HUDSON. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/02/07