Kororinpa Marble Mania is a perfect vehicle for the Wii with its use of the Wii remote to propel a marble through maze-like levels, tilting the ball to keep it rolling in the right direction. Unfortunately, this game is a one-pony show and it’s over pretty quickly. Still, this game has a decent amount of fun to offer for short periods of time.

The premise is simple: roll a marble through mazes by using the Wii remote to tilt the gameworld while it rolls, and collect gems along the way. Each maze is presented as a square for most of the movement, with the puzzle action presented as maze areas above and below the current maze path. Players will have to figure out how to get their marble to these different paths. While rolling along, players will also need to collect all the red gems to successfully complete each level. If all of the red gems are not completed, then the player will have to begin again. If the marble falls off during play, the level will be restarted. And that’s about it.

Play is similar to Monkey Ball, but different in the level of control of the environment. Players can tilt the camera 100% in this 3D environment. Using the Wii to move the ball around by tilting the camera feels very natural and intuitive, and is a great use of the Wii remote. This ability to tilt is crucial to solving the maze puzzles, as seemingly impassible walls will become floors that can be rolled on just by tilting the camera.

As play advances, more marbles will become unlocked. There are different marbles to choose from, including sport balls and animals. These each have different attributes that affect the speed and other marble motions, and some of them are really cute, like the Panda. Besides the red gems that have to be collected, there are optional green gems that give additional bonuses.

There is a two-player mode, but this mode isn’t all that much fun. Players will only race against each other in a split screen, and can’t affect each other in any manner.

While fun and entertaining to play, there’s not a whole lot of variety because of the type of gameplay. Each level is pretty much the same as the other, and there isn’t a whole lot of challenge for most players. The game can be beat fairly quickly. However, it does offer some amusement, and it is an easy game to pick and play, making this a good choice for families with multiple children. The game price, though, is a little steep for this type of game at $40. Parents may want to wait until the price goes down.

Gameplay: 6.5
The gameplay is fun and amusing, but it’s over all too soon. More modes and variety of gameplay would have been an asset.

Graphics: 8.0
We enjoyed the bright colors and themed worlds like the city and candy levels. The marbles are cute, too!

Sound: 6.0
The sound is wholly average.

Difficulty: Medium
The difficulty level ranges from easy to hard.

Concept: 6.0
It’s a Monkey Ball clone.

Overall: 6.5
This is a fun, cute game to play and one which everyone in the family can enjoy. It utilizes the Wii nicely. It’s not a game that will last a long time, though, and it doesn’t offer enough game hours to warrant the initial price. Best as a rental or bargain bin purchase.