History VideoGame / MarbleMadness

* {{Minimalism}}

Compare ''Gyroscope'', ''Spindizzy'', and ''VideoGame/SnakeRattleNRoll'' and, decades later, ''SuperMonkeyBall''.

* SpiritualSuccessor: SuperMonkeyBall is basically ''Marble Madness'' in 3D with monkeys and NintendoHard difficulty.

Compare ''Gyroscope'', ''Spindizzy'', and ''Snake Rattle n Roll'' and, decades later, ''SuperMonkeyBall''.

* ArtificialStupidity: The Steelies are susceptible to falling off the playing field without any interaction from player.

''Marble Madness'' is a 1984 arcade game by {{Atari}}, created by Mark Cerny. The game is an isometric puzzle game, controlled by a trackball, where you lead the eponymous marble to a goal while dodging obstacles through six courses with artwork inspired by Creator/MCEscher. The game also features two-player competitive mode.

* ColorCodedMultiplayer: In two-player games, one player controls a blue marble and the other controls a red one.

* AWinnerIsYou: The only thing you get for beating the game is "You have completed the ultimate race!", and the game shows your final score as marbles fly around the screen.

Compare ''Gyroscope'', ''Spindizzy'', and ''Snake Rattle n Roll'' and decades later SuperMonkeyBall.

* NintendoHard: The final three courses, due to a combo of narrow track designs and low time limits. The Ultimate Race is the worst of the lot by far, with weird track surfaces, enemies in the worst possible places, and disappearing track sections in the final run to the goal.

** The goal platform on the Silly Race looks like it came straight out of an Creator/MCEsher painting, appearing to be both above and level with the ground next to it at the same time, depending on how you look at it.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The aborted 1991 sequel.

* HyperspaceMallet: One of the obstacles in the Aerial Race.

* MindScrew: The Silly Race, where going uphill is like going downhill and vice versa, among other things. It even has a section full of tiny enemies that you can run over to earn bonus time.

* NintendoHard: The final three courses, due to a combo of narrow track designs and low time limits.

* BlowYouAway: The Aerial Race has vacuums that either blow you off the course or suck you in.

* ComebackMechanic: In the two-player mode, the winner of each race is determined by who reaches the goal first. This could be seen as a boon to a player who keeps falling behind, since the reward for winning a race is a five-second bonus for the course that follows.

* AcidPool
* BlowYouAway: One level has vacuums that either blow you off the course or suck you in.
* ColorCodedMultiplayer: In two-player games, one player controls a blue marble and the other controls a red marble.

* DarkIsEvil: The black marbles will often try to impede your progress, but they can be avoided.
* HyperspaceMallet: One of the obstacles in the fourth course.

* MindScrew: The Silly Course, where going uphill is like going downhill and vice versa, among other things.

* OneHitPointWonder: The marble you control, except when colliding with another marble. Otherwise, it's as fragile as it looks..

* TimedMission: The marble technically has infinite lives--it's the timer you have to watch out for.

Compare ''Gyroscope'', ''Spindizzy'', and ''Snake Rattle n Roll''.

''Marble Madness'' is a 1984 arcade game by {{Atari}}, created by Mark Cerny. The game is an isometric puzzle game, controlled by a trackball, where you lead the eponymous marble to a goal while dodging obstacles through six courses with artwork inspired by MCEscher. The game also features two-player competitive mode.

* ComebackMechanic: In the two-player mode, the winner of each race is determined by who reaches the goal first. This could be seen as a boon to a player who keeps falling behind.

* CompilationRerelease: The game has been re-released many times, most notably in ''Midway Arcade Treasures Vol. 1''.

* OneHitPointWonder: The marble you control, except when colliding with another marble. Otherwise, it's as fragile as it looks.

''Marble Madness'' is a 1984 arcade game by {{Atari}}, and created by Mark Cerny. The game is an isometric puzzle game, controlled by a trackball, where you lead the eponymous marble to a goal while dodging obstacles through six courses with artwork inspired by MCEscher. The game also features two-player competitive mode.

Not only was it the first Atari game to use the Atari System 1 hardware and programmed in C language, but it was also the first video game to use true stereo sound.

Surprisingly, a sequel was in the works for release in 1991, but was cancelled at prototype stage due to fear of it flopping against games such as ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII''.

* AwesomeMusic: In part due to using the Yamaha sound chip, the same chip that would later be used for the SegaGenesis.

* CultClassic

''Marble Madness'' is a 1984 arcade game by {{Atari}}, and created by Mark Cerny. The game is an isometric platformer, controlled by a trackball, where you lead the eponymous marble to a goal while dodging obstacles through six courses. The game also features two-player competitive mode.

With its fluid control, artwork inspired by MCEscher, and minimalistic gameplay, ''Marble Madness'' was a hit.

''Marble Madness'' is a 1984 arcade game by {{Atari}}, and created by Mark Cerny. The game is an isometric platformer, controlled by a trackball, where you lead the eponymous marble to a goal while doding obstacles through six courses. The game also features two player competitive mode.

Not only was it the first Atari game to use the Atari System 1 hardware and programmed in C language, but also the first video game to use true stereo sound.

With its fluid control, artwork inspired by M.C. Escher, and minimalistic gameplay, Marble Madness was a hit.

Surprisingly, a sequel was in the works for release in 1991, but was cancelled at prototype stage due to fear of it flopping against games such as Street Fighter II.

* CompilationRerelease: The game has been re-released many times, most notably in Midway Arcade Treasures Vol. 1.

* TimedMission: The marble technically has infinite lives--its the timer you have to watch out for.

* OneHitPointWonder: The marble you control, except when colliding with another marble. Otherwise, its as fragile as it looks.