Marble Saga: Kororinpa

Marble Saga: Kororinpa is a video game for Nintendo's Wii video game console. It was released in North America on March 17, 2009, roughly two years after the original title Kororinpa: Marble Mania. The game was released in Europe under the title Marbles! Balance Challenge and in Japan as Kororinpa 2: Anthony to Kiniro Himawari no Tane (コロリンパ2 アンソニーと金色ひまわりのタネ, Kororinpa 2 Ansonī to Kiniro Himawari no Tane, Kororinpa 2: Anthony and the Golden Sunflower Seed).

Marble Saga: Kororinpa
Developer(s)Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)Hudson Soft
Platform(s)Wii
Release
  • NA: March 17, 2009
  • EU: May 1, 2009
  • JP: August 6, 2009
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer (Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection)

The game sets players on a journey to help Anthony the Ant on his quest to find the Golden Sunflower. Players must navigate their customized marble through unique and treacherous mazes to help Anthony reach his goal. The game utilizes the same world-turning technique as the first, requiring players to twist and turn the Wii Remote to control the environment.

Gameplay

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In Marble Saga: Kororinpa, the player tilts the playing field, using the Wii Remote to navigate a spherical object around mazes to reach the end goal, similar to Kororinpa: Marble Mania, the preceding title. Players have also drawn similarities to the Super Monkey Ball series. Some mazes cause the player to tilt them in such a way so that a wall becomes a floor, or to interact with objects such as magnets, conveyor belts, or cannons. Depending on the difficulty level, different collectibles are available in each level. On all difficulty settings, players must collect the Yellow Crystals to complete the level. In Easy and Normal Mode, players must also collect the Stump Temple Pieces in order to unlock the game's final world. Also in Normal Mode, players can collect Green Crystals which unlock extra levels. In the highest difficulty setting, players must retrieve the colony's missing ants from each level. In addition to the collectibles, players may be awarded with bronze, silver, gold, or platinum trophies for completing levels within a predetermined amount of time. Obtaining these trophies also unlocks new balls.

The game features 7 different worlds with a variety of gadgets to help players through their journey. The game features 150 levels with a variety of collectibles available in each mode including Yellow Crystals, Green Crystals, Stump Temple Pieces, and eventually ants from Anthony's colony. New features for Marble Saga: Kororinpa include increased customization elements in the game. Players can design their own marble by assigning it certain attributes and techniques, and they can even place their own Mii inside the marble. A brand-new level editor has been included, allowing players to share their creations through WiiConnect24.[1]

Reception

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The game received above-average reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of two sevens and two sixes for a total of 26 out of 40.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Rosenberg, Jared (September 30, 2008). "Marble Saga: Kororinpa Coming Exclusively To Wii". Nintendo World Report. NINWR, LLC. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Marble Saga: Kororinpa". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on May 27, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  3. ^ Bennett, Colette (March 23, 2009). "Destructoid Review: Marble Saga Kororinpa". Destructoid. Gamurs. Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Valay, Brian (July 28, 2009). "Famitsu review scores". Nintendo Everything. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  5. ^ VanBurkleo, Meagan (March 2009). "Marble Saga: Kororinpa". Game Informer. No. 191. GameStop. p. 87. Archived from the original on April 2, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  6. ^ Oxford, Nadia (March 30, 2009). "Marble Saga: Kororinpa". GamePro. GamePro Media. Archived from the original on June 12, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  7. ^ Light, Austin (April 2, 2009). "Marble Saga: Kororinpa Review". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  8. ^ Hollingshead, Anise (March 23, 2009). "Marble Saga: Kororinpa - WII - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on May 7, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  9. ^ Buchanan, Levi (March 19, 2009). "Marble Saga: Kororinpa Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 9, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  10. ^ Dillard, Corbie (March 24, 2009). "Marble Saga: Kororinpa Review". Nintendo Life. Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  11. ^ "Marble Saga: Kororinpa". Nintendo Power. Vol. 240. Future US. April 2009. p. 85.
  12. ^ DiMola, Nick (March 31, 2009). "Marble Saga: Kororinpa". Nintendo World Report. NINWR, LLC. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
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