Ultimate Roller Maze (video game)

***Ultimate Roller Maze*** is a racing video game for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Matrix, Nintendo HDS, Super Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation GamePort, Xbox One, Xbox Seires X, and Xbox Pocket. The three versions were released on the American, Australian and European markets from November 13, 2022 to March 31, 2023. *Ultimate Roller Maze* is produced by Outright Games and the distributor is currently unknown. The background music of the levels is created by Drakhar Studio. The game ties into the *Ultimate Roller Maze* doll line and the "Friday Night Fights" TV special.

*Ultimate Roller Maze* belongs to the racing genre, more specifically the arcade racing genre. Players can select one to three characters from a roster of three to twelve to win in various types of competition on six or eight tracks. Each character fits into a weight class and each character has a unique ability that can be employed to gain the upper hand in a match.

The trademark for *Ultimate Roller Maze* was requested on June 27, 2022. The game was formally announced during San Diego Comic-Con International of 2022, and the trailers, one for the Switch, PS4, PS5 and Xbox versions, were featured as September 2022's Freedom Fab 13 and March 2023's pre-Freedom Fab 13.

## Versions

Each of the three versions of *Ultimate Roller Maze* has its pros and cons compared to the other two, although the Xbox One version easily is the lesser compared to the Xbox Series X version.

On a technical level, the Xbox One version and much of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Pocket version are ports of the Switch, Super Switch, Matrix, HDS, PS4, PS5, PSGP version. The Switch, PS4, PS5, PSGP, XBP version has superior graphics, and the racing controls work better. There is also a multiplayer mode on the Switch, Super Switch, Matrix, HDS, PS4, PS5, PSGP, XBONE, XBSX, XBP, version, lacking in both handheld versions, which leaves room for up to three players. On the other hand, the handheld versions use the second screen to provide the player with additional information on the current competition's stats.

As for content, the version were released simultaneously and contain the same characters, tracks, and options. The version was released almost half a year later and has some additional content, namely two exclusive tracks: the Himalayas and the Scare Ship.

## Gameplay

Super, Terrific, Fairifying

Single Player (Race, Relay, Quick Race, Timed), Multiplayer, Lockers, Options

The basic gist of any mode is to use a team of three racers to complete three laps around the track faster than the other three teams. Each team has a team captain, which is the first character selected when putting a team together. There is limited gameplay effect to who the team captain is: each track is started by the team captain, but otherwise, the choice only affects who gets to talk before and after a race and who gets to speak for the team upon beating Race. Each team is represented by only one racer at a time, who can be instantly switched out with another. Reasons to switch out a racer include the active one becoming tired and slowing down and therefore the need to let a well-rested racer take over so the other can take a break and the team getting access to different abilities, whether innate or obtained. The first type of innate abilities are the direct ones, divided into Light, Medium, and Strong. Light racers aren't very fast and easily knocked over by other players, but they are ideal for getting around corners. Strong racers are fast and can knock over racers of either other class, but they are terrible for corners. Medium racers fall between Light and Strong racers. The player will have to win races to unlock some playable characters, such as Robecca Steam, Abby Bominable, and many other strong characters.

The second type of innate abilities are the special abilities, of which each character has their own though the effects may be the same. Special abilities cannot be accessed until ten coins have been collected from the track to fill the gauge. Because coins tend to be located in corners and on edges, they are more easily collected by Light racers, though Medium racers are often good for that. Once picked up, coins do not respawn, so prioritizing coin collection before the other teams can get them during the first half of a circuit is advised. Computer-controlled teams do not actively hunt for coins, but they will pick up the ones they find on their route. It doesn't often happen that any computer-controlled team gets enough coins to unleash a special ability of their own, and even rarer is it when they use it against the player's team, even on Scarifying. Coins also don't have a reservoir; if the ability gauge is full and another coin is picked up, that coin is wasted. The filled gauge can be used for any of the three racers of a team, but the desired ability's racer must be the active one for it to be used. Clawd's and Clawdeen's are speed boosts, Frankie's and Operetta's abilities are target-seeking long-range attacks, Draculaura's and Lagoona's abilities are lifts that allow them to both rest and knock over other players, and Robecca's ability leaves a trap in the form of a thick fog.

Obtained abilities come in the form of items acquired by skating into coffins spread around the track. These do respawn, and each racer can hold one item, and there are eight to obtain: Spirit Staffs, iCoffins, Fearbooks, Skates, Pixie Wings, Coffins, Oil Buckets, and Cleaning Supplies. Spirit Staffs, when used, are worth three coins on the ability gauge. They are more valuable during the second half of a circuit because most (easy to get) coins are already gathered by then. ePhones summon Jessica, who randomly targets another player for a photo, temporarily incapacitating them due to the flash. Fearbooks can be shot at other racers before the user, making them fall over. They do not seek out targets, and if they don't hit another racer, they will bounce off the walls for a while, and on build-in tracks are likely to hit the user eventually. Fearbooks can be gathered alone, in pairs, or three at once if lucky. The one other item that can be gathered in random quantities are Skates, which provide a speed boost. Speed boosts do not add up, so having a speed boost active when crossing a speed platform makes the platform have no effect. Another speed boost can be gotten from Pixie Wings, which are not as fast but leave the user more in control of corners than Skates do. Coffins, Oil Buckets, and Cleaning Supplies are all traps that can be left for any racer unlucky enough to skate into them, which can be the user themself if no one else triggered them and they complete a lap. Coffins, recognizable from item coffins because they are a darker shade of purple and upside down, gobble up their victims and spit them out after a short while. Oil Buckets have the same effect as Fearbooks. And Cleaning Supplies make the victim lose control, and they either need to brake, or they will fall over or bump into a wall or fall off the track.

It is generally wise to not have more than one Strong racer in a team, especially for corner-heavy tracks like Skull Shores and Monster High School. The speed and strength do not make up for the lack of track control. This isn't to say Strong racers can't do corners, but they require more skill. There's no option to drift in *Skultimate Roller Maze*, so for a Strong racer to round a corner, they need to either slow down by occasionally letting the forward button go and proceed cautiously or hit the brake and at the same time turn into a new direction. Letting go off the brake then will allow for a quick restart.

There are six tracks available in the Wii and DS versions of *Skultimate Roller Maze* and eight in the 3DS version.

## Unlockables

Though the game features few racers, few tracks, and few play modes, there are relatively many unlockables because most characters and tracks are locked when the game is launched for the first time. There are two means to unlocks: by fulfilling the game's requirements and winning competitions in order or by inserting codes. The codes are to be entered at the Lockers screen and are always only five letters long.

### Prizes

Michelle Vortex is the first character to be unlocked. One has to place first in Race on the Spooky difficulty setting, but higher works too to unlock her.

Keith Evans is the second character to be unlocked. As with Robecca, one has to place first in Race on the Spooky difficulty setting. Unlike Robecca's case, finishing on a higher level does not work.

Julie Grande is the third character to be unlocked. One has to place first in Relay on the Spooky difficulty setting.

By finishing Race on Scarifying, all laps other than Scaris, which is unlocked by default, are unlocked for Quick races, and Granite City specifically is unlocked for Timed races.

### Lockers

 Keith Evans
 Michelle Vortex
 Paris
 Shell Shores

## Story

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## Notes

* If left alone, the video game will play a trailer for "Friday Night Fights".
* Some sound files, in particular Lori's, are from other media. "Are you excited?" is from "Wendy-Styled", "Sorry, sweetie" is from "Friday Night Fights".
* The Spirit Staff was a plot-focus item during Volume 2 of the webisodes and first mentioned in "Way to the Beach".
* Despite having prominent roles in "Friday Night Frights" and *Ultimate Roller Maze* outfits, Elsa, Judy, and Andy are not present in the video game whatsoever.
* With the exception of Kryptonite City and the Scare Ship, all tracks depict a location featured in the franchise at least before the release of the 3DS version of the video game. Kryptonite City was referred multiple times in "Friday Night Fights", though, as the home of Enchatria Girls's main opposing team. The Space Ship, which design evokes Michelle Vortex, uniquely has had no other role in the franchise.
* The talk Michelle and Lori have before the match when the player controls Michelle appears to refer to either the events of "Friday Night Fights" or those of Michelle's *Between Classes* diary.
* The talk Rachel and Timmy have before the match when the player controls Rachel appears to refer to the events of the Volume 1 webisode "Girl Will Fly".

## Gallery

### Box Art

Nintendo SwitchNintendo MatrixNintendo HDSPlayStation 4PlayStation 5PlayStation GamePortXbox One/Xbox Series XXbox Pocket
## References

1. ↑ *Enchatria Girls: Ultimate Roller Maze* review at BioGirlGamer
2. ↑ *Enchatria Girls: Ultimate Roller Maze* at OutrightGames.com

## External links

* *Skultimate Roller Maze* website
* Lace Up Your Skates for the All New *Monster High Skultimate Roller Maze* Video Game!
* *Monster High: Skultimate Roller Maze* review at The Digital Fix
* *Monster High: Skultimate Roller Maze* review at Clash Entertainment
* *Monster High: Skultimate Roller Maze* review at 4O5