The Greatest Xbox 360 Game Has a Spiritual Successor, and I’m Upset Nobody Told Me

When you think about the Xbox 360, you may fondly remember games like Gears of War, Halo 3, and maybe even Grand Theft Auto IV. For me? I think of the most gorgeous game, reflections beyond my greatest thoughts, with tight controls and exceptional level design. Yeah, that’s right, I’m talking about Marble Blast Ultra, and I had absolutely zero clue there was a spiritual successor for it. Marble It Up! Ultra is one of the best games I’ve played this year, and I wish I was joking.

‘Marble It Up! Ultra’ Is 3D Platforming Bliss

Okay, hear me out — Marble Blast Ultra was one of the first games I downloaded on my Xbox 360 back in the day. I thought it was maybe a one-hit wonder. Since I can’t play it on my Xbox Series X, I needed something to replace it. Or, at least, replicate it. That’s when I discovered Marble It Up! Ultra: a game that has been out since 2018 that I didn’t know existed until earlier this month.

The general idea of Marble It Up is simple. You need to control a marble through increasingly complex stages. Collecting power-ups and boosts to try and make it to the end as quickly as possible. What makes this special, however, is the fact it controls better than most 3D platformers, and offers a better variety of stages. Speedrunners should also consider giving this one a spin. Each stage has environmental shortcuts that will put your skills to the test in ways you never knew it could.

The sense of blistering speed in later levels is also quite astonishing. The final level of Chapter 5 is a standout, as I had to combine the tight platforming with breakneck speed. It was exhilarating. This is the type of game that just clicks with you and is the perfect companion piece to the greatest 2D platformer ever made.

I Never Knew I Needed This xbox 360 classic in My Life

The familiar musical overtones, combined with the standard of platforming that is only rivaled by the game that inspired it, Marble It Up! Ultra is just one of those types of games that brings a smile to your face as soon as you boot it up.

It’s partially a relic of a simpler time. But, it’s also just incredibly good fun. If you’ve been searching for something to scratch a hyper-specific itch like I was, you’ve found exactly what you’re looking for.