Developer: Playlogic
Publisher: Playlogic
Genre: Puzzle / Racer
Price: $19.99
Pros: Easy to pick up, makes an old concept new again, price tag is right
Cons: Unforgiving gameplay , frustrating controls
I went into Vertigo not knowing exactly what to expect. This made it all the more pleasing to discover something that took me back to my childhood. Vertigo is the latest title in the sub genre of “move the marble around the board” games. These games go as far back in my memory to the table top game, Labyrinth.
No television or monitor required
In our wonderful world of video games this evolved into Marble Madness and from there a few other titles. Which brings us to Vertigo. This budget priced title features puzzle oriented play as well as a clock to race against. The Wii motion control scheme is a great method for moving your Xorb (the marble you travel in) around the play areas. Over the years every other interface besides the track ball has felt somehow wrong in a game of this nature. Vertigo is a fun experiment in motion control.
Control
The control is very natural in Vertigo. Simply moving the Wii remote moves the Xorb through the difficult courses. There is a speed boost and a brake as well to help you guide your giant marble across each of the maps. The only thing I found to complain about in the controls was the camera not getting into position rapidly enough for my tastes. The use of the D pad helps rectify the situation, but it still felt a bit awkward. Trying to rotate a camera while traversing a narrow strip of terrain builds a level of frustration. The balance board was also available to use to control the Xorb, but this seemed like little more than an afterthought, due to the lack attention to it paid by the publishers: the instruction booklet simply mentions that the balance board can be used but not specifically how.
Play Modes
There are several different play modes available for game play. Arcade mode is a challenge. You must beat each of the courses within a predetermined time limit. When first playing the game, I rapidly began to fail missions in this mode and chose a different mode to check out. Switching to Career mode was a wise decision, as it allowed me to fine tune your Xorb to better fit your play style. Not only that but you can also complete a course without hitting the time limit goals found in the arcade mode. A standard practice environment is available to help you better improve your skills. Practice mode shuts off the clock and gives you infinite lives, as well. The only real limitation in practice is that one can only play opened courses. This system of opening up courses is based on your ability to successfully complete each course. The career mode is much more desirable in my opinion for doing this as the clock is less of a monkey on your back than in the hectic envrinoment of the arcade mode.
There are two mutli-player modes available as well. They seem added-on as some additional ways to spend your time if you have a friend over, but otherwise they aren’t much to write home about. The bowling game is bowling with the Xorb. Wii Sports bowling, this is not. The physics felt off here, placing the same shot twice seemed to yield different results. The Time Trial mode fits in perfectly with the rest of the game and provides a great way to compete with a friend. Any course can be competed in on in this mode as long as it has been unlocked. The standard “Ghost” appears as a means of seeing what you are competing against to set that new record.
Atmosphere
The overall feel of the game is perfect for a modern update of the Marble Madness game of old. You may find yourself saying, ok one more try, over and over again (depending on your own personal frustration threshold). Each of the myriad of courses provide challenging and fun game play. The graphics seem a bit substandard, but do not hinder the game play. I think we’ve all come to accept and know that you will not see the same high resolution graphics on the Wii that you will on the PS3 or 360. That being said, graphics on Vertigo seem a bit below expectation for a Wii title. The colorful visuals as well as course construction are never really hampered by this, but graphics buffs might want to see every rendered divot on the course when playing on a monster televsion. This ain’t gonna happen.
My main problem with Vertigo is the tight control required to manipulate your Xorb as effectively as possible. You will frequently find yourself running out of lives and needing to start over. For some players this is mother’s milk and will keep them coming back for more and more.
The control required isn’t necessarily the worst problem, however. In many games, the balance between frustration and reward needs to be just right. Any skewing, one way or the other, will alienate a section of the gamer audience. In Vertigo, this “frustration versus reward” equation just does not seem to to balance: I never really felt motivated enough to get more points to customize my Xorb. Playing more courses was tantalizing enough to make me want to keep playing, but I wouldn’t call it addicting. Vertigo is indeed a fun game to play and a decent way to spend a few hours of down time, especially at the low price of $20. My bottom line says rent it and find out if it is your cup of tea, then purchase if you’re loving it.
Popularity: unranked [?]
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