Around this time of year, many people do a bit of Spring cleaning, so here’s a game about that.  Roll a housemaid inside a ball as you navigate mazes, try not to fall, and run over dust bunnies before finding the exit in a given amount of time. I’m surprised SEGA didn’t sue, as even the logo of this game looks like the Super Monkey Ball one!  Anyway, Marble Maid is available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.

Controls are pretty simple, just roll around with the L stick and jump and dash with the buttons.  You’ll start in a hub world and can tackle stages in areas like a living room and kitchen, each with their own obstacles and themes.  Your task in each level is to run over a certain number of dust bunnies, and when you do, you’ll unlock an exit.  Make it to the exit in a given time and you’ll pass the level.  But it’s tricky since the dust bunnies run all over the place, and you must also try not to fall, as that eats up precious time.  In some stages you can collect hourglasses to give you some extra seconds, and there are other obstacles like trampolines and lamps that light dark levels.  At the end of each world, you’ll battle a rival maid in a ball and must bump her off the edge three times before collecting the dust bunnies.  Collecting dust bunnies also unlocks art in a gallery.  This game is fine but a bit overly difficult since you have to chase down those dust bunnies under a strict time limit.  Me personally, I’ll just stick with Monkey Ball.

Kid Factor:

Marble Maid is rated M for Mature with ESRB descriptors of Nudity and Sexual Content.  Wait, what?!?  Yeah, this seemingly kid-friendly game has artwork you can unlock that’s saucy and has some nudity.  And it’s completely unnecessary, too, and the artwork isn’t even that good.  So because of that and the high difficulty, this game is for grown-ups only.

Tags: Game Reviews