Released in 1970 by Lakeside, the Mad Marbles action game required “fast reflexes, good judgment, and a keen sense of humor.”
GAMEPLAY
The uniquely shaped, red-orange, molded plastic game board featured a translucent rotating launcher at its center and four goals guarded by translucent plastic gates. Eight marbles (seven white, one red) were loaded into the launcher and each player selected a goal.
Once the launcher was given a spin, a flurry of marbles released onto the playing surface. Players attempted to trap one or more marbles in their goals. White marbles were worth one point each while the single red marble was worth six points. Once all the marbles were captured, the turn ended, and scores were tallied. The first player to reach 12 points was declared the winner.
IN THE BOX
A complete Mad Marbles game included one tray with spinning device, four clear gates, seven white marbles, one coloured marble, and four scoring pegs. Instructions were printed on the back of the box.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
Securing a copy of Mad Marbles on the secondary market is a relatively easy quest. The frenetic nature of the game resulted in general wear and tear as well as lost marbles, so you’ll want to make sure your game has 8 marbles in total, the four clear gates, and scoring pegs to complete the set.
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