GarageGames, a publishing label for independent games and professional game makers, is pleased to announce the launch of Marble Blast Ultra on Xbox 360 Live Arcade.

"Multiplayer functionality and HD graphics represent an amazing evolution in the Marble Blast franchise, and unveiling Marble Blast Ultra alongside the launch of Xbox 360 is a historic moment for GarageGames and independent game developers," said Mark Frohnmayer, President of GarageGames. "We hope Xbox 360 users have as much fun playing Marble Blast Ultra as we have."

Marble Blast Ultra is the latest in the classic Marble Blast series. It is an online multiplayer arcade action masterpiece that is suitable for players of any age. The game takes place in a futuristic 'astrolabe' arena suspended high in the clouds, where players compete with each other by navigating their marbles through moving platforms and dangerous hazards, collecting rare gems and power up enhancements, all in an effort to complete each course in record time. Adding to the fun and excitement, players may compete with up to seven opponents in ultra blast multiplayer mode, where the race to collect gems combines with full on marble bashing to see who ultimately wins all the marbles.

"We are thrilled that Marble Blast Ultra is now available on Xbox Live Arcade on Xbox 360", said Ross Erickson, Games Portfolio Manager for Xbox Live Arcade. "This enhanced version of Marble Blast represents a quantum leap forward in graphical fidelity and gameplay fun over the original Marble Blast. GarageGames has done a fantastic job of taking advantage of the unique technologies in Xbox 360, creating a great single-player and multi-player experience for Xbox Live Arcade."

"Marble Blast Ultra has an extremely high fun-factor and a high level of visual polish that we were able to achieve in a relatively short timeframe using our Torque engine technology," commented Jay Moore, GarageGames and Torque Evangelist. "The Torque Shader Engine allowed us to quickly and easily take advantage of the extensive graphical capabilities of the Xbox 360, while our award-winning netcode delivers high quality and fast-paced Live! play, maintaining rock solid performance."

The Torque Shader Engine for Xbox 360 enriches the game through the use of its graphical features - marbles reflect the world using dynamic cube maps and power-ups glow using the glow shader. Marble Blast Ultra is a visual feast of refractive glass, vividly colored tile, reflective metal, and glowing checkpoints set within a multi-layered, animated sky.

The demo is available for free directly on the revolutionary Xbox 360 Live Arcade service, which allows for delivery of a wide variety of smaller scale, unique titles that quickly deliver a healthy dose of fun. The full version is available for only 800 points.