Developed and published by Tengen in 1992.

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Having recently completed a video covering the C64 version of Marble Madness, I remember having fond memories of the Game Gear conversion and decided to see if it was as good as I remember.

Having had some gripes with the C64 version, I'm pleased to say that the Game Gear version is a very solid port of the arcade game. All the levels are present and it boasts excellent artwork and audio throughout. Most of the death animations have been included in this version and it's cool to see your marble dissolve in acid, or break apart from falling from too great a height.

Most importantly, the ball physics feel spot on and the controls are very responsive (perhaps almost too responsive sometimes...). The game is frustratingly difficult at times, but this is by design and not because of poorly implemented controls or slightly iffy sprite collision. Considering the Game Gear has a tiny resolution, I'm surprised that the game plays and looks as good as it does; the camera is usually spot on in it's placement and speeds up and slows down appropriately to keep the marble in shot.

Although a lot of the backgrounds are static I still think this has some really nicely drawn and colourful artwork. The actual marble lacks a rotational animation, which is a shame, but there is a pretty cool dazed animation if it lands on a surface from too great a height.

The in-game music (courtesy of Matt Furniss I believe) is quite jolly and certainly sounds better than the slightly warbling tunes of the C64 version.

I suppose that, if I had to criticise the game, it's that it's so short. Sure, it will take some time to master, but the cost of the cartridge would have been pretty high back in the day (at least £20 - £30). That equates to roughly £3.30 per minute of gameplay, which is pretty damned high if you think about it!

Even so, if you want a solid conversion on a handheld platform then the Game Gear version comes highly recommended.
#retrogaming