Kororinpa: Marble Mania

"Why Did It Have To Be So Short?"

Why did it have to be so short?

Why does it have to be so short? Whenever I think of Kororinpa: Marble Mania that's what I say to myself. Why does it have to be so short?

As far as I can tell, there isn't a plot. The basic idea of the game is to get your little ball to the end of the mazes. The mazes are called "Kororinpas." There are 45 Kororinpas and 20 different balls to choose from. Each ball has its own features and some are easier to use then others. The easiest ball is the Panda Ball (it's shaped like a Panda) and I would recommend it for all beginners. All you have to do to unlock the panda ball is do the first Kororinpa, witch is very short and easy (my best time for it is under 5 seconds.)

The controls in the game feel a little odd when you first start out, luckily the first 5 Kororinpas are easy enough for you to get the hang of the controls quickly. Overall I would say the learning curve is about 30 minutes. I say 30 for when you need to learn the advanced techniques (jumping over huge gaps and flipping the Kororinpas at 90 degree angles.) at around level 30 the game really steps up the difficulty. You may find yourself struggling to complete some of the final Kororinpas. One of the biggest problems I find is that some earlier Kororinpas are harder then some of the later ones.

The graphics seem very smooth and they have a lot of detail. Some of the nicest graphics are in the background, witch leads to some problems. If you are one who loves the graphics and likes to look at them, you may find the game harder. If you look a the backgrounds you can easily loose your concentration and fall off of the Kororinpa. If you really want to see the backgrounds, you can find a safe spot (with walls around you so you can't fall) or you can hit a checkpoint first.

The sound affects are mainly annoying; the good part is the music. It has some great music in the game that fits so well with the Kororinpas. Only trouble is that there's only about 10 different music in the game, so it can get old fast.
Kororinpa is a wonderful game, with great graphics and smooth control. However, I say don't buy it. It is incredibly short and not as much fun after you beat it, but this is one of the best rentals in history.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/07/07