Marble Madness (1984 Atari) System 1 Horizontal screenTwin trackballs
Marble Madness was the first and best of the fiveAtari System One games. The objective of the game is to guide a marble through atorturous
Escher like
3D maze avoidingprecipices and an assortment of traps, hazards, and nasties.
Whatmakes it really cool is the superbly appropriate use of the trackball. Thetrackball is the only game control and must be manipulated with finger tipaccuracy at one moment then pounded as fast as possible the next. Some peopledon't like marble madness but many of them are judging it on conversions forhome systems and without the trackball the game losses much of its appeal.
Thelovely abstract tile landscapes of the game are complemented by the terrificstereo sound of the system one hardware making the in game music anotherhighlight.
Marble Madness may not be everyone's cup of tea but withmayhem, death, and destruction being the key elements of many videogames (and Ilove those games dearly) Marble Madness makes a very refreshing change. Butdon't be fooled by the tranquil music and the pleasant appearance. The gameplay, particularly in 2 player mode, can become extremely ferocious.
Theonly criticism I have of the game is the fact that there's only 6 levels. Withthe rise of emulators like MAME it'd be nice if someone could write a MarbleMadness level editor. Any takers?? :-)
I loved Marble Madness from thefirst moment I saw it in the arcades so unless I can find a Robotron for under200 UKpounds (Haha) this is the cabinet for me.
TROUBLE MAKERS
SECRETS
Holdingdown the 1 or 2 player button as you turn the test switch quickley on and offwill result either the player being granted an extra 99 second of time or acrash.
If you make the jump at the end of the first level to one of theareas marked
3
-
4
-
5
-
6
in red andwhite you can get between 3 and 6 thousand extra points. I found the one on theleft is the easiest to get to.
To my knowledge the secret level in Marble Madness is a myth.
WANTED
Anything to do with Marble Madness or Atari System I games.
StuffI have for trade:
Marble Madness Daughter Card(FAULTY - the levels have no colour they just appear in shades of grey.Everything else functions normally) If anyone thinks they can fix this thenplease get in touch.
Atari System I VideoArcade Game Manual (1st print)
Click on an image for apicture of the entire level.
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
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Level 3 |
Level 4 |
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Level 5 |
Level 6 |
Marble Man thePrototype Sequel to Marble Madness
Click here for moreAtari System1 information.
