{"componentChunkName":"component---src-features-blog-post-page-tsx","path":"/es/blog/2026-05-01-one-credit-challenge-arcade-bal-cube-retrogaming/","result":{"pageContext":{"posts":[{"i18nId":"2026-05-01-one-credit-challenge-arcade-bal-cube-retrogaming","state":"published","title":"One Credit Challenge #17 : Bal Cube","content":"**After the psychic labyrinths of Psychic 5, we stay within 90s Japanese arcade games but switch genres entirely. Enter Bal Cube for One Credit Challenge #17, a curiosity by Metro Corporation released in July 1996.**\n\n### A reverse brick breaker\n\nBal Cube was developed and published by Metro Corporation, a low-profile Japanese studio whose 90s arcade catalog remains largely obscure. The arcade board runs on a Motorola 68000 clocked at 16 MHz with a YMF278B sound chip — modest hardware for a game that puts everything into its core concept. Released in Japan in July 1996, the title never received a home console port and quickly faded into obscurity due to limited distribution outside the Japanese market.\n\n\n\n### You are the cube\n\nThe concept flips the classic brick breaker formula: forget the paddle. Here, you directly control the ball — a spinning blue cube — by altering its trajectory with the joystick. Blocks of various shapes descend from the top of the screen, and your goal is to eliminate them all before they reach the bottom. Death occurs either when the cube falls into one of the holes at the bottom of the screen or when the blocks cross the fatal line. Power-ups are hidden in certain blocks: slowdown, full screen clear, the ability to break steel blocks in a single hit… Puzzle elements gradually appear in later levels, making the game more demanding than it initially seems.\n\n### The One Credit challenge\n\nBal Cube is easy to pick up, but mastering the cube’s trajectory quickly becomes extremely challenging as the speed increases. Finishing it without continuing requires mastering momentum — something only dedicated practice can achieve. Grab your joysticks.\n\nFor more technical information about Bal Cube, check out its [Recalbox MAME DB page](https://recalbox-mame-db.recalbox.com/fbneo1.0.0.03/balcube/).\n\n\n\n### 🏆 Challenge rules\n\nYour objective is to achieve the highest score using a single credit. \nThe challenge runs from May 1st to May 15th, 11:59 PM. You may attempt it as many times as you like.\n\n📢 How to participate?\n\n- Launch the game (ROM: balcube.zip)\n- Play and try to beat the highest score\n- Take a screenshot or photo of your final score\n- Share your score on the [#challenges Discord channel](https://discord.com/channels/438014472049917953/1247992196007858249), including your username and score\n\n### ⚖️ Rules to follow\n\nTo ensure fairness:\n\nThe score must be achieved on a single credit, without save states, rewind, cheats, or auto-fire (unless built into the game).\n\nGentlemen’s agreement: the use of glitches that artificially inflate the score is also prohibited.\n\n### 🎁 Rewards and fair play\n\nThe goal of the challenge is above all to discover games, share tips, and of course have fun — all within a competitive spirit.\n\nThe winner will receive a game key (GOG, Steam, etc.) to choose from a list of around 100 titles. \nIf you have won a challenge within the last three months, the reward will go to the next player.\n\nYour ranking will be added to the One Credit Challenge leaderboard. \nThe Season 1 champion will win either an RGB Dual 2 or a one-year [Recalbox Patreon](https://www.recalbox.com/fr/patreon/) subscription.\n\nGood luck to everyone — may the best score win!\n\n
\n \n
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Place à Bal Cube pour le One Credit Challenge 17, une curiosité signée Metro Corporation, sortie en juillet 1996.**\n### Un casse-briques à l'envers\nBal Cube est développé et édité par Metro Corporation, un studio japonais discret dont le catalogue arcade des années 90 reste confidentiel. La borne tourne sur un Motorola 68000 cadencé à 16 MHz avec une puce sonore YMF278B — un hardware sobre pour un jeu qui mise tout sur son concept. Sorti en juillet 1996 au Japon, le titre ne connaîtra aucun portage sur console domestique et sombrera rapidement dans l'oubli, faute d'une distribution suffisante hors du marché nippon.\n\n  \n\n### Le cube, c'est vous\nLe principe renverse la logique du casse-briques classique : oubliez la raquette. Ici, vous contrôlez directement la balle — un cube bleu tournoyant — en altérant sa trajectoire au joystick. Des blocs de formes variées descendent depuis le haut de l'écran, et l'objectif est de les éliminer tous avant qu'ils n'atteignent le bas. La mort survient soit quand le cube tombe dans l'un des trous en bas de l'écran, soit quand les blocs franchissent la ligne fatale. Des power-ups sont dissimulés dans certains blocs : ralentissement, destruction totale de l'écran, possibilité de briser les blocs en acier en un seul coup… Des éléments de puzzle s'invitent progressivement dans les niveaux avancés, rendant l'ensemble plus exigeant qu'il n'y paraît.\n### Le défi One Credit\nBal Cube est accessible en surface, mais la gestion de la trajectoire du cube devient vite redoutable à mesure que la vitesse monte. Le finir sans continuer demande une maîtrise du momentum que seule le try hard permet d'acquérir. À vos joysticks.\nPour plus d’information technique sur Bal Cube rendez-vous sur [sa page Recalbox MAME DB](https://recalbox-mame-db.recalbox.com/fbneo1.0.0.03/balcube/).\n\n  \n\n### 🏆Les règles du challenge\n\nVotre objectif sera de réaliser le meilleur score en un seul crédit.\nLe challenge se tient du 1er au 15 mai 23h59. Vous avez autant de tentatives que vous le souhaitez.\n\n📢 Comment participer ?\n\n- Lancez le jeu (rom : balcube.zip) \n- Jouez et tentez de battre le meilleur score\n- Prenez une capture d’écran ou une photo de votre score final\n- Partagez votre score sur le [canal Discord #challenges](https://discord.com/channels/438014472049917953/1247992196007858249) en indiquant votre pseudo et votre score.\n\n### ⚖️ Règles à respecter\n\nPour garantir l’équité du challenge :\n\nLe score doit être réalisé en un seul crédit, sans save state, rewind, cheats, ni auto-fire (sauf si prévu dans le jeu).\n\nGentlemen’s agreement : l’utilisation de glitchs permettant de gonfler artificiellement le score est également interdite\n\n\n### 🎁 Récompenses et fair-play\n\nLe challenge vise avant tout à découvrir des jeux, partager des astuces et, bien sûr, s’amuser, le tout dans un esprit de compétition toujours bienvenu !\n\nLe vainqueur remportera une clé de jeu (GOG, Steam, etc.) à choisir parmi une liste d’environ 100 titres.\nSi vous avez gagné un challenge dans les trois derniers mois, la récompense ira au suivant.\n\nVotre classement sera ajouté au tableau des scores du One Credit Challenge.\nLe champion de la première saison repartira au choix avec un RGB Dual 2 offert ou un an d’abonnement [Patreon Recalbox](https://www.recalbox.com/fr/patreon/).\n\nBonne chance à toutes et à tous, et que le meilleur score l’emporte !\n\n
\n \n
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