Slusy's Full Review: Super Monkey Ballâ„¢: Banana Blitz for Nintendo Wi...
Apparently, in order to work as a game designer at Sega, you either have to be really creative, or really disturbed. Probably a nice mix of both. Super Monkey Ball pretty much proves that theory. I can only imagine the meeting where one of the designers stood up and said, "I want to make a game where monkeys roll around in giant balls and collect bananas."
Ultimately, that's exactly what Super Monkey Ball is. Sega's landmark first title for a Nintendo console looks, at first glance, to be a drug addict's fantasy. You choose from one of four monkeys, and you guide them from point A to point B within a set amount of time, avoiding various obstacles along the way. That's it. So why would any person in their right mind spend $50 on a silly game with monkeys rather than something like Luigi's Mansion or Star Wars: Rogue Leader?
Simply put, because Super Monkey Ball is one of the most addictive console games I've ever played.
Yes, the concept is very simple, and, at first, the game seems too simple for its own good. The game contains 90 stages, or floors, for you and your monkey to traverse. These are divided into three difficulty levels; Beginner has 10 stages, Advanced has 30, and Expert has 50. Any average player will likely blow through all of Beginner within a day with no problem. They'll likely even get through the first third of Advanced fairly quickly as well, and then you realize that the same disturbed people who came up with the game are, apparently, sadists, as well. The designers came up with some very easy levels to get you drawn in, and then hit you with some incredibly twisted challenges. It becomes almost personal, that you keep playing the same evil stage over and over and over again just to be able to conquer that one challenge.
It's just that simplicity that makes the game so brilliant. Control is as simple as it gets; you just use the analog stick to tilt the floor in the direction you want your monkey to roll. It's this simplicity of control, in combination with the first 5 stages that are intentionally too easy in order to help the player adjust to the game, that makes Super Monkey Ball immediately accessible to just about anyone.
Further, if you should happen to get bored of or frustrated with the main game, Sega has included a barrel full of extras to play around with. Three party games are immediately accessible: Monkey Race, which is essentially a kart-style racing game (with monkeys, of course); Monkey Fight, a rock-'em, sock-'em last monkey standing fighting mini-game; and Monkey Target, which is a Pilotwings-style hang gliding game, where the monkey actually uses the two halves of its ball as wings. After playing the main game enough, the player can also unlock Monkey Billiards, Monkey Bowling, and Monkey Golf. Mind you, none of these modes are simply thrown-together extras that one will play with for 5 minutes and get tired of (like the mini-games in the Pokemon Stadium games for N64, for example). Billiards is a full game of 9-ball, Golf has 18 mini-golf style holes (some of which are almost as sadistic as the main levels), and so on. There's certainly enough to keep one entertained even if the main game becomes too overwhelming.
Graphically, while Super Monkey Ball may not show off the GameCube as well as, say, Luigi's Mansion, it certainly holds its own. Graphics are kept simple, yet there are interesting details that appear occasionally that really impress when one has time to look at them. There is some really nice reflection in some of the bonus stages, as well as some excellent rippling action going on in Floor 10 of Advanced. All the action is extremely smooth, and I never noticed a drop of slowdown. The only real problem with the game is that it occasionally is a bit too smooth, and quick camera angle swings can cause a queasy feeling in some. It's not nearly as bad as Ecco the Dolphin was for Dreamcast (that game had me nauseous after watching it for two minutes), but those who don't do well with motion sickness might want to be forewarned.
Another minor gripe I have graphically is the overabundance of product placement in Super Monkey Ball. Apparently, Dole paid a whole lot of money to Sega, because their logo is everywhere. It's on the bananas themselves, it's on the stages, it's in the "enter initials" screen. Everywhere you turn is Dole's logo. While I'm generally OK with product placement, this is way overkill, and I must say that it occasionally gets in the way of the game, which is something that product advertisement in-game should never do, in my opinion.
Sound is also good, yet subtle. The game has a soft techno track that runs in the background that's actually quite pleasant to listen to. The announcer, for the most part, is the same generic announcer from most Sega games, but his voice is not as bas as it could be, and his comments are restricted to "Go!" and "Hurry Up!" The only downside here is the monkeys' screams as they fall off. They're whiny and high-pitched, and generally repeated three times for every fall, since the game does an instant replay from various camera angles.
So, is Super Monkey Ball for you? If you're not the patient type, probably not. Super Monkey Ball demands almost sage-like patience at times, and those who are easily frustrated will likely not appreciate this game. Other than that, though, there's something for just about everyone with Super Monkey Ball. It can be incredibly frustrating, and single player may hit a wall at a certain point, but overall, Super Monkey Ball is better than most of the other launch titles available, and an excellent first GameCube offering from Sega. It may have its faults, but Super Monkey Ball is definitely worth the price of admission.
Simply put, Sega has finally made a monkey out of me.
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