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==Reception and legacy==
==Reception and legacy==
''Marble Madness'' was commercially successful following its release and was positively received by critics.<ref name="Retro"/><ref name="BetaBlues">{{Cite web| url = http://retro.ign.com/articles/871/871646p2.html| title = Beta Blues, Vol. 1| publisher = [[IGN]]| first = Travis| last = Fahs| date = 2008-05-05| accessdate = 2008-10-11}}</ref> Several thousand cabinets were shipped, and it became the highest-earning game in arcades. However, the game consistently fell from this ranking during its seventh week in arcades. Cerny attributes this to players losing interest in the game after completing it and moving on to other games.<ref name="Retro"/> The arcade cabinets have since become moderately rare.<ref>{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| chapter = Arcade Classics| pages = p. 391| publisher = [[Random House]]| isbn = 0375720383| year = 2004}}</ref> Many reviewers felt that the difficulty of the game was part of its appeal.<ref name="GameTrailers"/><ref name="Dream"/> In 2008, Levi Buchanan of [[IGN]] listed ''Marble Madness'' as one of several titles in his "dream arcade", citing the game's difficulty and the fond memories he had playing it.<ref name="Dream"/> Video game author John Sellers commented that the difficulty was a major factor in attracting players. Other factors included the graphics, visual design, and soundtrack.<ref name="Fever"/> A common complaint of the arcade cabinet was the frequency of the track ball controls breaking from repeated use.<ref name="Dream">{{cite web| url = http://retro.ign.com/articles/910/910219p1.html| title = Dream Arcades| first = Levi| last = Buchanan| publisher = [[IGN]]| date = 2008-09-15| accessdate = 2008-10-11}}</ref><ref name="20AtariGames"/> Craig Grannell of ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' referred to the game as one of the most distinctive arcade games ever made, and praised its visuals calling them "pure and timeless".<ref name="Retro"/> ''Marble Madness'' was one of the first games to use true [[Stereophonic sound|stereo sound]] and have a recognizable musical score.<ref name="GameTrailers"/><ref name="ArtOfGameWorlds"/> British composer [[Paul Weir]] commented that the music is characterful and helped give the game a unique identity.<ref name="ArtOfGameWorlds"/>
''Marble Madness'' was commercially successful following its release and was positively received by critics.<ref name="Retro"/><ref name="BetaBlues">{{Cite web| url = http://retro.ign.com/articles/871/871646p2.html| title = Beta Blues, Vol. 1| publisher = [[IGN]]| first = Travis| last = Fahs| date = 2008-05-05| accessdate = 2008-10-11}}</ref> Several thousand cabinets were shipped. Although it became the highest-earning arcade game, the game consistently fell from this ranking during its seventh week. Cerny attribues this to players losing interest in the game after completing it and moving on to other games.<ref name="Retro"/> The arcade cabinets have since become moderately rare.<ref>{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| chapter = Arcade Classics| pages = p. 391| publisher = [[Random House]]| isbn = 0375720383| year = 2004}}</ref> Many reviewers felt that the difficulty of the game was part of its appeal.<ref name="GameTrailers"/><ref name="Dream"/> In 2008, Levi Buchanan of [[IGN]] listed ''Marble Madness'' as one of several titles in his "dream arcade", citing the game's difficulty and the fond memories he had playing it.<ref name="Dream"/> Video game author John Sellers commented that the difficulty was a major factor in attracting players. Other factors included the graphics, visual design, and soundtrack.<ref name="Fever"/> A common complaint of the arcade cabinet was the frequency of the track ball controls breaking from repeated use.<ref name="Dream">{{cite web| url = http://retro.ign.com/articles/910/910219p1.html| title = Dream Arcades| first = Levi| last = Buchanan| publisher = [[IGN]]| date = 2008-09-15| accessdate = 2008-10-11}}</ref><ref name="20AtariGames"/> Craig Grannell of ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' referred to the game as one of the most distinctive arcade games ever made, and praised its visuals calling them "pure and timeless".<ref name="Retro"/> ''Marble Madness'' was one of the first games to use true [[Stereophonic sound|stereo sound]] and have a recognizable musical score.<ref name="GameTrailers"/><ref name="ArtOfGameWorlds"/> British composer [[Paul Weir]] commented that the music is characterful and helped give the game a unique identity.<ref name="ArtOfGameWorlds"/>


Beginning in 1986, the game was [[Porting|ported]] to numerous platforms with different companies handling the conversions. Several home versions were published by [[Electronic Arts]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.mobygames.com/search/quick/p,-1/q,marble%20madness/showOnly,9/| publisher = [[Moby Games]]| title = MobyGames Quick Search: Marble Madness| accessdate = 2008-10-19}}</ref> [[Tiger Electronics]] released handheld and tabletop [[Liquid crystal display|LCD]] versions of the game.<ref name="PriceGuide-2">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| pages = p. 243| chapter = Classic Handheld and Tabletop Games| publisher = [[Random House]]| isbn = 0375720383| year = 2004}}</ref> The game was ported to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] by [[Rare (company)|Rare]] and published by [[Milton Bradley Company|Milton Bradley]].<ref name="MM-NES">{{Cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/nes/action/marblemadness/tech_info.html| title = Marble Madness Tech Info| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| accessdate = 2008-10-14}}</ref> Early versions featured simplified graphics, and the different ports were met with mixed reception. Thomas Hanley of [[ScrewAttack]] commented that most of the home versions were not as enjoyable without a track ball.<ref name="GameTrailers"/> Grannell echoed similar statements about the controls and added that many had poor visuals and [[collision detection]]. He listed the [[Amiga]], [[Game Boy]], and [[Sega Mega Drive]] ports as the better conversions, and the [[Sinclair ZX Spectrum]], [[Personal computer|PC]], and [[Game Boy Advance]] versions among the worst.<ref name="Retro"/> John Harris of [[Gamasutra]] commented the arcade's popularity fueled the sales of the home versions.<ref name="20AtariGames"/> In 2003, the game was also included in the multi-platform title ''[[Midway Arcade Treasures]]'', a compilation of classic games developed by [[WMS Industries|Williams Electronics]], [[Midway Games]] and Atari Games.<ref>{{Cite web| url = http://ps2.ign.com/articles/433/433090p1.html| title = Midway Arcade Treasures| first = Craig| last = Harris| date = 2003-08-11| publisher = [[IGN]]| accessdate = 2008-10-21}}</ref>
Beginning in 1986, the game was [[Porting|ported]] to numerous platforms with different companies handling the conversions. Several home versions were published by [[Electronic Arts]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.mobygames.com/search/quick/p,-1/q,marble%20madness/showOnly,9/| publisher = [[Moby Games]]| title = MobyGames Quick Search: Marble Madness| accessdate = 2008-10-19}}</ref> [[Tiger Electronics]] released handheld and tabletop [[Liquid crystal display|LCD]] versions of the game.<ref name="PriceGuide-2">{{cite book| title = Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games| first = David| last = Ellis| pages = p. 243| chapter = Classic Handheld and Tabletop Games| publisher = [[Random House]]| isbn = 0375720383| year = 2004}}</ref> The game was ported to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] by [[Rare (company)|Rare]] and published by [[Milton Bradley Company|Milton Bradley]].<ref name="MM-NES">{{Cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/nes/action/marblemadness/tech_info.html| title = Marble Madness Tech Info| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| accessdate = 2008-10-14}}</ref> Early versions featured simplified graphics, and the different ports were met with mixed reception. Thomas Hanley of [[ScrewAttack]] commented that most of the home versions were not as enjoyable without a track ball.<ref name="GameTrailers"/> Grannell echoed similar statements about the controls and added that many had poor visuals and [[collision detection]]. He listed the [[Amiga]], [[Game Boy]], and [[Sega Mega Drive]] ports as the better conversions, and the [[Sinclair ZX Spectrum]], [[Personal computer|PC]], and [[Game Boy Advance]] versions among the worst.<ref name="Retro"/> John Harris of [[Gamasutra]] commented the arcade's popularity fueled the sales of the home versions.<ref name="20AtariGames"/> In 2003, the game was also included in the multi-platform title ''[[Midway Arcade Treasures]]'', a compilation of classic games developed by [[WMS Industries|Williams Electronics]], [[Midway Games]] and Atari Games.<ref>{{Cite web| url = http://ps2.ign.com/articles/433/433090p1.html| title = Midway Arcade Treasures| first = Craig| last = Harris| date = 2003-08-11| publisher = [[IGN]]| accessdate = 2008-10-21}}</ref>

Revision as of 18:01, 25 November 2008

Marble Madness
Marble Madness arcade cabinet
A Marble Madness arcade cabinet. Note the two player trackball controls.
Developer(s)Atari Games
Publisher(s)Atari Games
Designer(s)Mark Cerny
Composer(s)Brad Fuller and Hal Canon
Platform(s)Arcade game
Release1984
Genre(s)Platform/Racing
Mode(s)Up to 2 players simultaneously
Arcade systemAtari System 1

Marble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny, and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is an isometric platform game where the player must guide an onscreen marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a trackball. Marble Madness is known for using certain technologies before other games. It was one of the first games to use true stereo sound—previous games used either monaural sound or simulated stereo. The game was Atari's first to use the Atari System 1 hardware and to be programmed in the C programming language.

In designing the game, Cerny drew inspiration from miniature golf, racing games, and artwork by M. C. Escher. He aimed to create a game that offered a distinct experience while utilizing a unique control system. Cerny applied a minimalist appearance to the course and enemy designs. Throughout development, he was frequently impeded by technology limitations and had to forgo several design ideas.

Upon its release, Marble Madness was met with commercial success and became a profitable arcade game. Common praise among critics focused on the game's difficulty, unique visual design, and soundtrack. The game was ported to numerous platforms and inspired the development of other games. A sequel was planned for release in 1991, but location testing showed the game could not successfully compete against other titles. Plans for the sequel were canceled and resources were allocated to another video game.

Gameplay

The blue, player-controlled marble traversing the second course

Marble Madness is an isometric platform game where the player controls an onscreen marble from a third-person perspective. The player controls the marble's movements with a trackball—most home versions used game controllers with directional pads. The aim of the game is for the player to traverse six maze-like, isometric courses before a set amount of time expires. Each course has its own time limit, with the remaining time from completing a course added to the proceeding one. The game also features an option which allows two players to race against each other on the courses.[1][2][3][4]

Courses are populated with various objects and enemies designed to obstruct the player. As the game progresses, the courses become increasingly more difficult and introduce more enemies and obstacles. Each course has a distinct visual theme. For example, the first course, "Practice", is a simple course that is much shorter than the others, while the fifth course, "Silly", features polka-dot patterns and is oriented in an opposite direction from the other course.[1][2][3][4]

Development

Marble Madness was developed by Atari Games and designed by Mark Cerny. Programming was handled by Cerny and Bob Flanagan. Following the North American video game crash of 1983, video game development within the company focused on providing a distinct experience using a unique control system. The company emphasized the inclusion of a simultaneous two-player mode. Cerny was first inspired by miniature golf and was captivated by the idea that a playfield's contours influenced the ball's path. He began testing various ideas using Atari's art system. After deciding to use an isometric grid, Cerny began developing the game's concept. His initial idea involved hitting a ball in a way similar to miniature golf, but Atari was not enthusiastic. Cerny then thought of racing games and planned for races on long tracks against an opponent. However, technology limitations at the time could not handle the physics necessary for the idea, and Cerny switched the objective to a race against time.[2]

Cerny and Flanagan programmed Marble Madness in the C programming language—Atari games had previously been programmed in assembly language—which had positive and negative consequences. The language was easier to program, but was less efficient; the game operates at a slower speed of 30 Hz instead of the normal 60 Hz frequency of arcade games at the time. Cerny decided to use a trackball system (marketed by Atari as Trak-Ball) to give the game a unique control system. He initially chose a motorized trackball for faster spinning and braking when the in-game ball traveled downhill and uphill. As it was building the prototypes, Atari's design department informed Cerny that a motorized trackball's design had a inherent flaw—one of the four supports used has poor contact with the ball—and a regular trackball would be more feasible. Cerny had anticipated the use of powerful custom chips that would allow RAM-based sprites to be animated by the central processing unit (CPU). However, the available hardware was a less-advanced system which uses ROM-based, static sprites.[2]

Design documents of various concepts intended for the game, most of which were not used in the final product.

The technical limitations forced Cerny to simplify the overall designs. Inspired by M. C. Escher, he designed abstract landscapes for the courses. In retrospect, Cerny partly attributes the designs to his limited artistic skills. Instead of drawing the courses on the pixel level, he created a ray tracing program that generated the courses for him. The program generated the course graphics by tracing the path of light through an image plane based on a heightmap (in this case a raster image used to store elevation data). This format allowed him to create shadows and use anti-aliasing to provide the graphics with a softer appearance. Cerny's course generator also allowed him more time to experiment with the level designs. When deciding what elements to include in a course, practicality was a big factor; elements that would not work or appear as intended were omitted, such as an elastic barricade or a teeter-totter scale.[2]

Cerny's personal interests changed throughout the project, which led to the inclusion of new ideas that were not in the original design documents. The game's enemies were designed by Cerny and Sam Comstock, who also animated them. Enemies had to be small in size due to technical limitations. Cerny and Comstock purposely omitted faces to give them unique designs and create a minimalistic appearance similar to the courses. As Marble Madness neared completion, Atari's in-house focus testing exhibited positive feedback. In retrospect, Cerny wished he included more courses to give the game greater longevity. Extra courses would have required more time and increased hardware costs. However, Atari was experiencing severe financial troubles at the time and could not extend the game's development time as it would have left their production factory idle.[2]

Marble Madness uses the Atari System 1 hardware, an interchangeable system of circuit boards, control panels, and artwork.[5] The game features pixel graphics on an 19 inch Electrohome G07 model CRT monitor, and uses a Motorola 68010 CPU with a MOS Technology 6502 subsystem to control the audio and coin operations.[6] Marble Madness was Atari's first game to use an FM sound chip produced by Yamaha, which is similar to a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer and creates the music in real time.[2][7] The game's music was composed by Brad Fuller and Hal Canon who spent a few of months inspecting the capabilities of the sound chip.[2]

Reception and legacy

Marble Madness was commercially successful following its release and was positively received by critics.[2][8] Several thousand cabinets were shipped. Although it became the highest-earning arcade game, the game consistently fell from this ranking during its seventh week. Cerny attribues this to players losing interest in the game after completing it and moving on to other games.[2] The arcade cabinets have since become moderately rare.[9] Many reviewers felt that the difficulty of the game was part of its appeal.[3][10] In 2008, Levi Buchanan of IGN listed Marble Madness as one of several titles in his "dream arcade", citing the game's difficulty and the fond memories he had playing it.[10] Video game author John Sellers commented that the difficulty was a major factor in attracting players. Other factors included the graphics, visual design, and soundtrack.[1] A common complaint of the arcade cabinet was the frequency of the track ball controls breaking from repeated use.[10][11] Craig Grannell of Retro Gamer referred to the game as one of the most distinctive arcade games ever made, and praised its visuals calling them "pure and timeless".[2] Marble Madness was one of the first games to use true stereo sound and have a recognizable musical score.[3][7] British composer Paul Weir commented that the music is characterful and helped give the game a unique identity.[7]

Beginning in 1986, the game was ported to numerous platforms with different companies handling the conversions. Several home versions were published by Electronic Arts.[12] Tiger Electronics released handheld and tabletop LCD versions of the game.[13] The game was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System by Rare and published by Milton Bradley.[14] Early versions featured simplified graphics, and the different ports were met with mixed reception. Thomas Hanley of ScrewAttack commented that most of the home versions were not as enjoyable without a track ball.[3] Grannell echoed similar statements about the controls and added that many had poor visuals and collision detection. He listed the Amiga, Game Boy, and Sega Mega Drive ports as the better conversions, and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, PC, and Game Boy Advance versions among the worst.[2] John Harris of Gamasutra commented the arcade's popularity fueled the sales of the home versions.[11] In 2003, the game was also included in the multi-platform title Midway Arcade Treasures, a compilation of classic games developed by Williams Electronics, Midway Games and Atari Games.[15]

Marble Madness inspired other games which feature similar gameplay based on navigating a ball through progressively difficult courses; such games are often described in terms relating to Marble Madness.[2][11] Melbourne House's Gyroscope and Electric Dreams Software's Spindizzy were the first such games, both which met with moderate receptions.[2][16][17] In 1990, Rare released Snake Rattle 'n' Roll which also features elements similar to Marble Madness.[18] Other games include Marble Blast Gold and Super Monkey Ball. The Monkey Ball series features similar gameplay based on rolling a ball, but includes other features; minigames and monkey characters for example.[2][11]

An arcade sequel titled Marble Man: Marble Madness II was planned for release in 1991, though Cerny was not involved in the development.[2][8] Development was headed by Bob Flanagan who designed the game based on what he felt made Marble Madness a success in the home console market. Because the market's demographic was a younger audience, Flanagan wanted to make the sequel more accessible and introduced a superhero-type main character. Marble Man expanded on the gameplay of the original game by featuring new abilities for the marble such as invisibility and flight, included pinball minigames between sets of levels, and allowed up to three players to traverse isometric courses. Flanagan intended to address the short length of the first game and, with the help of Mike Hally, developed seventeen courses.[19] Atari created prototypes for location testing, but the game did not fare well against more popular titles at the time like Street Fighter II. Atari assumed the track balls resulted in the poor reception and commissioned a second model with joystick controls. Because the new models were met with the same reception, production was halted and focus shifted to Guardians in the Hood, a two-dimensional beat 'em up game.[8][20] The prototypes that were produced have since become collector items due partially to their rarity.[21]

References

  1. ^ a b c Sellers, John (2001). Arcade Fever: The Fan's Guide to The Golden Age of Video Games. Running Press. pp. pp. 142–143. ISBN 0762409371. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Grannell, Craig (2008). "The Making of Marble Madness". Retro Gamer (53). Imagine Publishing: pp. 82–87. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e Hanley, Thomas (2007-08-16). "Video Game Vault: Marble Madness". ScrewAttack. GameTrailers. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  4. ^ a b "Marble Madness". Nintendo Power. Nintendo: pp. 56–59. 1989. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Ellis, David (2004). "A Brief History of Video Games". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. pp. p. 11. ISBN 0375720383. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  6. ^ "Marble Madness". Killer List of Videogames. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  7. ^ a b c Morris, Dave (2004). "Funky Town". The Art of Game Worlds. HarperCollins. pp. p. 168. ISBN 0060724307. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  8. ^ a b c Fahs, Travis (2008-05-05). "Beta Blues, Vol. 1". IGN. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  9. ^ Ellis, David (2004). "Arcade Classics". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. pp. p. 391. ISBN 0375720383. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  10. ^ a b c Buchanan, Levi (2008-09-15). "Dream Arcades". IGN. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  11. ^ a b c d Harris, John (2008-05-30). "Game Design Essentials: 20 Atari Games". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  12. ^ "MobyGames Quick Search: Marble Madness". Moby Games. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  13. ^ Ellis, David (2004). "Classic Handheld and Tabletop Games". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. pp. p. 243. ISBN 0375720383. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  14. ^ "Marble Madness Tech Info". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  15. ^ Harris, Craig (2003-08-11). "Midway Arcade Treasures". IGN. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
  16. ^ Hjul, Alison (1986). "Screen Shots: Gyroscope". Your Sinclair (1). Dennis Publishing: p. 38. Retrieved 2008-11-16. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  17. ^ South, Phil (1986). "Screen Shots: Spindizzy". Your Sinclair (7). Dennis Publishing: pp. 60–61. Retrieved 2008-11-16. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  18. ^ Edge Staff (2006-08-29). "A Short History of Rare". Edge. Retrieved 2008-10-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ Wild, Kim (2008). "Whatever happened to... Marble Madness II: Marble Man". Retro Gamer (55). Imagine Publishing: pp. 64–65. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  20. ^ "Marble Man: Marble Madness II". IGN. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  21. ^ Ellis, David (2004). "Arcade Classics". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. pp. p. 355. ISBN 0375720383. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)

External links

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