Super Monkey Ball is an incredibly simple idea: poor little monkeys are trapped in air-tight balls. They can probably breathe but it isn't specified, and all you have to do is roll them to the goal. Yet somehow the original two games and the expanded Deluxe compilation managed to take that premise and mould it into one of the greatest games we've ever played. Everything was polished to a shimmering gleam. The stage design, the visual and audio feedback and most importantly how it feels to move in 3D space. Every single one of those points is something the series has severely struggled with since. It's come close to hitting the beats of greatness but more often than not it's hitting incredibly low lows.
How is such a simple idea repeatedly executed so poorly? It all comes down to the engine. Everything worked exactly as you'd expect on GameCube, so much so that finishing the game in a linear fashion is more like the tutorial. The meta of Monkey Ball is exploiting the stages — moving the Monkey in ways the developer likely never even intended. Check out a few speed runs if you haven't before, the things people can do in these games is bananas. This also extends to the party games which may seem like completely different experiences but whether you're playing Billiards or flying through the sky in Monkey Target, the importance of physics and momentum is still at the forefront of the experience.
It's been 19 years since Super Monkey Ball 2 and we've gone on to finish every release out of admiration for what we loved in the past, even though we've had bad experiences with most of them, but the future has never looked so promising. Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is here and it aims to bring everything we loved about the originals back but remade in the modern artstyle with a ton of quality of life improvements. The heart is clearly here, everything looks right... and that's why it hurts so much to say this isn't quite the return to form we were hoping it would be.
Banana Mania is a good game and if this is your first time diving into the series you'll probably still have a fun time. Unfortunately, it's remaking something we hold to an incredibly high standard and it needs to be judged by those standards.
Our first impressions were positive. The game greets you with an earworm of a main theme and as you jump into the story or challenge modes you'll be taken straight back to days of the GameCube launch. They've recreated all 300 stages across Monkey Ball 1, 2, and even the new stages of Deluxe as faithfully as possible with only a few minor changes — and if you don't want any changes there's even an unlockable level pack that presents the adapted ones in their original state. Content-wise they've thought of everything.
The original game only had four playable characters but the base roster of Banana Mania has been tripled to 12. Yan Yan & Doctor are obvious inclusions but less obvious are Beat from Jet Set Radio and Kiryu from Yakuza — what's more, they feel strangely at home rolling around in balls. Remember Jam & Jet? Of course you don't, they debuted in Super Monkey Ball 3D and they aren't even fully playable in their own game, just a few party games no one played because they were bad. We'd be surprised if anyone has love for these characters but the fact they're here is amazing. This truly feels like a passion-filled celebration of Monkey Ball's 20-year legacy.
This clearly isn't some cheap cash-in to make the most of assets lying around from Banana Blitz HD and it is undoubtedly the best Monkey Ball has been since it left GameCube, but it all comes back to the engine. The original's physics were so precise and as soon as you boot up Monkey Target in Banana Mania it's clear something is very wrong. You still roll off the ramp and use your ball as a set of wings as you glide your way towards the target but it simply doesn't feel right.
The movement is no longer an extension of the main game, it's loose and messy. Worst of all, the game doesn't rely 100% on physics and momentum. If you simply walk off the ramp as slowly as possible the game will play a launch animation as if you ran at full speed — you won't get very far but that animation is part of the problem. Even when running at full speed the jump off the ramp feels scripted, there's a moment where you have next to no control and it just doesn't feel good. The satisfying momentum is gone.
If you're a fan of the series, you'll know how important Monkey Target is. I'm sure plenty of us have played it more than the main game and it's incredibly disappointing to say this version isn't good enough. It's better than that found in Banana Blitz or Banana Splitz but it's not one of the best multiplayer games of all time — a high standard to meet, for sure, but whether it's fair or not that is the standard.
Other party games fare a little better. Monkey Bowling can still be a lot of fun with its wacky special lanes and while Monkey Fight doesn't feel quite as good, it can be decent fun. Almost all of them come with little caveats. They are fine, and when playing with friends you're bound to have a good time, but they no longer feel like they're cut from the same cloth as the main game which is what made them so fun in the first place.
That's a shame because in comparison the main game actually holds up very well. The stage design is as well crafted as it's ever been and while the engine isn't flexible enough to pull off every outrageous skip possible in the original, you can still exploit them in some fun and chaotic ways. Treated as a fun romp, Banana Mania can be very enjoyable and there's plenty it does better than even the originals.
In Super Monkey Ball 2's story mode AiAi was the only playable character even though the rest of the cast appeared in cutscenes, but now you can play as anyone you want. When you fall off a stage it takes mere moments until you're back in the action whereas the original can take more than double the time. The accessibility features like being able to slow down the game speed, double the timer and display arrows highlighting your way to the goal are entirely optional but greatly appreciated for players who need them. This is far from a waste of a remake — it's filled with great ideas to improve the surrounding pillars of Super Monkey Ball, and if anything it's just great to have a game that isn't Banana Blitz on Switch.
We especially appreciated the added camera control. We've all had moments where we find ourselves in a tough position without enough room to physically turn around but now we can rotate the camera freely in full 360 degrees. The default sensitivity is a little low but you can crank that thing up — although we actually found cranking it down to be helpful in one instance. A particular path was a little too narrow to cross but bringing the camera sensitivity all the way to the bottom allowed us to line ourselves up perfectly. There are more options than ever and they all make the experience more pleasant.
To be honest we were initially excited for the absence of lives but it does impact the enjoyment of challenge mode. The extra floors used to be a challenging reward for those who made their way through without a continue, but now they're a jarring difficulty spike awarded to everyone no matter how much they master the courses. In a sense, it robs it of purpose. Not completely, however; the game features leaderboards and they completely change the competitive dynamic.
We're proud to say that, as of this review, we are officially the greatest Monkey Ball players in the world! Suddenly challenge mode makes far more sense when attempting to perfect each stage as fast as possible and competing with the world for the fastest time. The skill ceiling is bound to be high but we're sure it will enable some heated competition between friends. Online ranking might even be Banana Mania at its best, the developers are truly encouraging you to break stages as best as you can.
It absolutely has its plus points, but there are still elements where the main game feels considerably lesser than what came before. Sound design is a key one, We actually really like the new tracks and the original score is available via the Deluxe Edition or DLC (groan), but it's the sound effects themselves that feel stagnant. The original conveyed a feeling of friction and speed when rolling around at a high velocity but Banana Mania sounds much more bubbly and safe. Worst of all, the rolling sounds completely stop when you reach a certain speed which eradicates any sense of high stakes movement.
There's a few hints of visual charm missing too - in the original Monkey Ball the next stage would always appear above the player and you could see the Monkey fly towards it as they clear the goal but now you just fly into an empty void in the sky. The camera also no longer follows the monkey as it dives further into the depths of the ocean in Monkey Target.
The elaborate cutscenes from Super Monkey Ball 2 have been reimagined in fairly cheap skits with floating cutouts for characters that only last a couple of seconds. And look, we're not saying these were ever cinematic masterpieces but this new interpretation feels like nothing.
Also weirdly missing is multiplayer in the main game. Granted it wasn't simultaneous in the original but this was one mode we played for hours and hours back on GameCube and we were hoping to see it return with splitscreen — instead it's missing entirely.
It's disappointing when a package that gets so many surrounding elements right stumbles with its core pillars. Moving AiAi around just doesn't look, sound or feel as good as it used to, and even though what's here is serviceable in its own right, we've experienced better. There's still plenty to like; if you've managed to enjoy any Monkey Ball post-Deluxe, rest assured this is better than any of them. But it's like remaking Donkey Kong Country without the rhythmic flow of chaining bounces — probably still fun but surely not as good.
Conclusion
It may not be saying much but Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is the best the series has been in almost two decades and newcomers are bound to find a lot to love. It wears its heart on its sleeve and clearly the team has true passion for the franchise. It's packed full of content, new ways to play and there are so many extras and improvements that never existed in the original. Unfortunately, the engine beneath it all isn't quite up to the job. What they've achieved with Unity simply isn't on par with the originals and while the main game is still enjoyable, many of the party games are severely hindered. Until Monkey Target returns to its former glory, we cannot truly say Super Monkey Ball is back.
Comments 120
Oh No! Such a shame, @JonComms has sounds very excited about this game. I have to original and was going to get this, not sure now.
I am so torn on whether to buy this or not!
As someone who played the originals to death, I'm concerned I won't be able to overlook the changes. But the idea of having SMB1+2 on Switch feels like a dream come true regardless of compromises.
Ugghhh
Oh a seven... but it might be fun for a lot of people...
But, just to say (here it comes) there are some buts...
I’m absolutely gutted. I was incredibly hyped for this but the review has shattered my hopes. Physics are very important to these games and part of why they worked so well.
Wow, that's disappointing. I have such fond memories of the first two games on the GCN. I was really looking forward to this! Now I may have to wait for a sale.
I'm still grabbing it (of course lol). Sounds like I better keep an open mind about it. I played the original, hardcore. Physics were very important for short cuts. I guess I will see...
“ Physics are not up to the standard set by the originals”
RIP
Looks like Jon accidently hyped himself up too much lmao
Wow that's disappointing. I wonder why they had to remake them in Unity. Couldn't they just port a simple remaster?
As, someone who has only dabbled in SMB i may grab this as i dont really have anything to compare it too. Id imagine the fun comes from its multiplayer but is it a game thats fun to play in solo too?
I had my concerns as soon as they announced they were re-using the engine of Banana Blitz HD, which uses Unity of all things.
At least the level design will be good, but in all seriousness it's a shame that they couldn't have just ported the original versions as-is with their original engine, that's all people truly wanted.
Oof, that's a bummer. I'm still looking forward to it though as it'll be my first game in the series, maybe that will help me enjoy it more as I don't have anything to really compare it to.
Hey, this doesn't sound too bad. I've never played an Monkey Ball game before, so I think that the physics problems won't affect my enjoyment too much.
DAMMIT!!! I’m still getting it, with all the enthusiasm of kicking an empty can down the street.
Seven seems awfully generous! Review reads like a bonafide avoid to me. Deserves a five or even less.
What an appallingly misguided effort from the developer. Why didn't they just go with emulation?
“Other party games fair (*fare) a little better”
“…in the original Money (*Monkey) Ball the next stage…”
EDIT: Seems that the second line has now been corrected, but rather than rectifying the error on the first line, ‘fair’ in a different part of the review has now been erroneously changed:
“…whether it's fare (*fair) or not that is the standard”.
Multiplayer modes are never a selling point for me, and while I do have access to the second game, I'd still be missing out on the original game's stages and the Deluxe exclusives. Still plan on picking this up if the core game is still solid. One question, though - can you save and quit during the main modes outside of the story, or do you have to marathon all the stages in them?
Nintendo Gamecube ... You had 1 job !!!
You could see this coming from a mile away.
Yikes....pass from me. I still play the original on Gamecube.
Well, I'm keeping my preorder but this news is disheartening. Bad Monkey Target physics and no multiplayer for the main game really hurt...I hope they care enough to release patches to help some of these issues 😔
Aw nuts... a relative of mine really, REALLY loved Monkey Target and was thinking of buying this just to play it again
This sums it up for me
😭😭😭
And OFF the wishlist it goes.
A game where the most prominent feature is the physics and handling, and then you go and monkey those up. Oh well.
The review style is a bit odd - why is John referring to himself as 'we'? His preferred pronouns? 😆
@dluxxx Yeah, I always knew my hope was wasted 🤦♂️
I never played any of the Monkey Ball games so I'll gladly get this collection.
It is a shame to hear about Monkey Target in particular, but as far as the main game is concerned I'm reasonably confident that it'll still be great. Folks are already hard at work recreating some of the crazy things you could do in the originals! https://twitter.com/DeddoRain/status/1443201682956066820
As long as that aspect remains intact I'm good to go, personally.
@theflowergarden Exactly my thoughts. I'm not going to hold it to account over the originals, I'll appreciate it for it's own merits.
This is really disappointing!! Still a day one purchase, but frustrated it's not as good as it should have been.
Monkey Ball and Disappointing....
SEGA and Disappointing.
Why am I stood here surprised?
The issue with Monkey Target - is it the same issue on both 1 and 2? I think I know the answer... but just for absolute confirmation.
I'm only in it for the main game, so sounds great to me, but I feel sorry for those having high hopes for the mini games.
Sorry Sega but I own the originals and I don't see myself buying an inferior version. This is sad, that's not what the fans deserve. Thanks Jon for the review
In a word, gutted
Oh no... I was really looking forward to this. Now I'm not so sure.
sad monkee
You can always count on Sega these days to mess things up. Sad.
Oh no, this is really disappointing to me since I absolutely loved both of the originals on GameCube...
I don't understand the collective mourning of a 7 score? That's still a passing grade!
I'm looking forward to playing this one. I just wanted a decent new Monkey Ball, and that's what I'm getting.
(And Destructoid gave it a solid 8.)
@BoostPower Don't apologise to them!
All that PR guff they released the other day about "listening to the fans". I should have trusted my instincts that there was going to be something amiss with this release.
@Clarice In regards to ‘we’, it’s actually pretty common practice. You’ll see it in the reviews and articles of other members of this site, like Thomas Whitehead’s, Kate Gray’s and Stuart Gipp’s. Having written reviews and articles at university, ‘we’ are told to use ‘we’.
@CharlieGirl I don't think anyone has an issue with the review or the score. Its a very good review and a fine score.
Seems to me fans of the series take issue with them producing a botched job.
The game can score a 4 for all I care, as long as the physics and gameplay are correct.
A 7 with broken physics and gameplay, albeit only in the mini games, is a really poor showing for a game that has been framed as "listening to the fans".
@Markiemania95 Jon has mentioned before (and made a video) that folk at Nintendolife have played the game a lot!
@nocdaes I'm a fan of the series and still looking forward to my pre-order 🤷🏽♀️
@Clarice We means nintendo life as a whole
You all seem to be taking a 7 as a 3 score. Some people are just overly negative you know?
@Zeldinion It's good the Main Game has come out on Song, but seriously, it's not OK to simply dismiss people being annoyed by the rest of the game being a botched job as "overly negative".
@GrailUK And they priced it at $40. That appears to be a fair price.
@Zeldinion To be fair, from what I've seen, I think 7 will be a tad low for new folk to the series. (And if the biggest critisism is walking off the ramp in Monkey Target then I don't know what to say. I mean, I've probably done that once to see if you could lol.)
@Tandy255 I'd rather pay $60 for a properly executed full game!!
They're not going to remake these again... this is it now.
@Tandy255 Yep. Sure, new engine means new mechanics and I dare say for fans of the original their maybe some period of getting accustomed to it, but I'm still hoping that does nothing but make it feel fresh to play. The actual game is the same. I can't see how they can mess that up.
@nocdaes Until Gamecube appears on NSO hahah (with Gamecube controllers.)
Let's see what NintendoLifes Scoring Policy says about a 7 score:
"A seven is not average in our eyes. This game will sport a few areas where the game is blatantly let down to the detriment of its overall quality and enjoyment, but it is NOT average. A seven is still a recommendation, but you might want to consider what we thought let the game down and decide for yourself if it would bother you before buying"
Ah, so a 7 doesn't mean an average, passing score as most educational institutions have it, interesting. In this case, it seems the physics are the main issue that the reviewer had with the game, and it is up to every reader to decide for themselves whether that will bother them or not before purchase.
Seems like a very reasonable review to me! On a side note, love reading Jon's writing tone, hope we can see more going forward
i'll buy it in mexico for 20€
@nocdaes I don’t disagree, but easier said than done.
@GrailUK. Interesting. On NSO, it would be emulation, which can be tricky. I wonder how the original two games run on the Dolphin emulator. Anyone here have experience with this?
I think everyone needs to keep their voices down. Once WATA gets wind that this may not be as good as the original, they will encase all the original copies asap and plonk them for auction.
I’m still excited for it!
Oh, and congratulations NintendoLife for being the world’s best Super Monkey Ball players!
The physics are exactly the same people. It's the tiltering of the levels which has changed.
I was going to buy the game for Monkey Target. If it's broken, no sale.
@nocdaes I wasn't dismissing everything, just thought we're ignoring some of the good parts.
Disappointing, but at least I still have SMB2 on my Gamecube. Upscalers from RetroTink work wonders on old consoles, just sayin'.
Multiplayer isn't in the main game? Well that answers my question. I'm not picking this up now.
Just cancelled my pre-order 😐
I might cancel my pre-order. I was specifically going to get this as a multiplayer party game, you know, just like the GameCube games. But Monkey Target sounding decent at best, the rest of the mini-games seeming inconsistent, and NOT being able to play the main game in multiplayer… Sega… what happened? I’d rather save my money and just bust out the ol’ Cube.
Edit: if they patch the main game to work in multiplayer I’d consider picking it up, but that’s the real dealbreaker right there. Multiplayer has always been the big reason to play this game for me, and without it… it’s just hard to justify for me.
I'll pick up the PS5 version. Should be $33 in store at wal mart. This is sitting at a 81 metacritic. I'm curious on where it stabilizes.
Heh, I like how people here are acting like 7/10 is an end of the world.
Though the bar for a 9 in this site is pretty low so IDK really.
Man, are yall blowing one review out of proportion I feel. I got the game early, and having played the GameCube games a ton with my friend, I am having a blast here as well. For 99% of the people, you won't notice any differences unless someone specifically tells you, and even then, those differences aren't bad in any way.
Now not being able to switch off in the main game for multiplayer is a shame though, but not a deal breaker in any way.
If you were actually excited for the game, I dont understand why you suddenly wouldn't be because of one review that isn't even that negative, especially when again, chances are you'd never feel any difference.
@Expa0 Yeah, feel like a lot of people just looked at the score and decided whether it was worth it from that alone. I’m disappointed by the game but not from the score, but from everything said in the review. A 7 is still a solid score. People gotta read on whether or not the game seems worth it or not for them.
To everyone who's gutted by this review, the game has a Metacritic score of 81 on the Switch and 76 on PS4 and XSX. There are a lot of people out there saying the game is awesome. I'm not saying this review is off - I cherish the Gamecube games and may end up feeling exactly the same way - but I'm not about to cancel my purchase, because there are a number of positive reviews out there.
Also, my Gamecube is in the attic storage and is not compatible with my currently connected TV, so "just play the originals" is technically still an option, but not an easy one.
(Edited for spelling)
That's saved me some money, will just get Dread now. Nintendo won't mess up like Sega have!
Numbers never tell the full story so I hope people don't focus on it too much. There's a great game in here with plenty of new features that bring Monkey Ball forward, I'm just a little disappointed that some areas feel inferior to the original to me
With a current backlog I’ll pick this one up on a sale & hope they’ve patched some of the issues by then. The OG Monkey Ball is on my list of games I must play once at least.
@CharlieGirl buuuut, they also didn’t mention Monkey Target, which makes me suspect the reviewers actual SMB knowledge 😅
I flunked a year at uni from Monkey Target, I want it again, but it sounds, and looks wrong 😔
Guys please buy this game anyway, if they don't see sales they won't make monkey ball games this good again
The level design in monkey ball banana blitz was just awful awful awful, please don't let them make the series that way again
I knew this would happen! Sega can screw up ANYTHING.
Why do they not play test the games? Why do they rush Everything?
Great review! I loved Monkey Ball on the GameCube. It was my dorm's favourite game at uni. Not sure I'll pick this one up though, at least for the time being.
@NintonicGamer Banana Blitz was an utter nightmare. Not only were the level designs rough, but the boss battles completely ruins the flow of the game. Banana Mania looks at least better than that, which was all I wanted.
Missed out on the first two on the GameCube. Shall I pick them up? Or is this new release better?
@Oswinner there really is no reason to get the original games over this if you have no attachment to them, I feel. Not only does it have a ton of extra content, you'd be missing the content from SMB Deluxe on OG Xbox as well.
@GrailUK @Zeldinion Regardless of those reasons, check any other review on this site and see if the authors ever use “I” to refer to themselves. A number of articles do, such as opinion pieces, but I’d be surprised if you find a single review that uses singular first person.
If anyone is really on the fence on buying the collection, I suggest you watch a video review, since you can actually see the gameplay in action and then make the right judgement on whether it's worth your time or not.
Although the following line has now been rectified:
“…in the original Money (*Monkey) Ball the next stage…”
The following line has been left incorrect:
“Other party games fair (*fare) a little better”
And the ‘fair’ in a different part of the review has now been erroneously altered to:
“…whether it's fare (*fair) or not that is the standard”. @JonComms
Awhh, maybe they'll make updates to the physics or mini-games in future patches? Just spitballin' here.. And hey it's still cool to have SMB on the Switchie.. albeit with a few changes.
@JonComms It hasn't put me off in the slightest. I've seen some of the shenannigans folk have been doing with this game so I'm convinced it's faithful remake (barring the sfx - what the hell???). But it's clear the mini games have lost a little of their original soul, but like you said, still look like there is fun to be had It was a good review.
I feel gutted here after reading this but I still want it.
Im just going skip this for now. With Far Cry 6, and Metriod releasing same week, i just wont have time plus itll probably be on sale with 3- 6 months.
Really disappointing.
Well I was slightly prepared for this in the video showcased on here about the physics being different in this one. Shame they couldn’t have spent most of their time fiddling with the number one thing a game should be keen on, the gameplay. I love monkey ball 1 and 2 but like paper Mario, I may have to leave this franchise buried.
I'm in! Need some MB in my life, right now!
This is so disappointing. I was hoping to finally have two of my favorite GameCube releases on the go. I'll still pick it up, but I play the originals regularly, so I'm sure to notice the downgrade. They should of just stuck to a simple remaster.
To say that people are seeing a 7 out of 10 score as bad is lazy.
We've read the review, and are disheartened by the points it makes.
@Mauzuri I'm panicking! 😂 I just wish they would take the time to get it right. If I put out poor crap like this at my job I would be fired.
Hmm so confused now, don't know whether to cancel preorder or not 🤔
I got an ad for bananas (50% off on a food delivery service!) before I watched this video, I kid you not! Haha.
Jon seems to be the perfect guy to write the review, and I really appreciated his insight comparing the physics to the previous games. Still, as someone who's never played a Monkey Ball game and always wanted to, I might give this one a try!
I’m actually shocked it’s a 7, it looked baaad.
Keeping on my wishlist anyway. Not a top priority, but I intend to get it eventually.
Ouch! I may just cancel my preorder and just rebuy the GCN originals instead.
@GrailUK I'm still gonna get it, games like this will get better over time, so it will be worth my cash at some point.
@Snatcher Oh, I'm keeping my preorder. One thing this review misses is conveying how amazing a game of rolling a ball through some amazingly creative levels into a goal is. That has not changed. (infact it sounds heaps more accessible!) It's still genius.
As someone who plays Monkey Ball solely for the main game instead of the party games, this review is more of an 8/10 for me, though I'm still probably gonna pick it up a bit later, after Metroid.
Ah man, I hope they didn't just use Unity's built-in physics. Unity's physics are fine for general usage or wacky physics games, but for something like this where good physics are so important they should probably be programmed from scratch.
"Physics are not up to the standard set by the originals."
Thankfully I did not preorder. WTF.
Infinitive lives is a great idea. That is the only reson i finally beat Banana Blitz HD. And If the physics arent inferior than that game, it will be just fine for me.
@GrailUK
"(And if the biggest critisism is walking off the ramp in Monkey Target then I don't know what to say. I mean, I've probably done that once to see if you could lol.)"
It's the entire physics of Monkey Target. If you watch a video, it's pretty evident that it's not similar to the originals. That may not be a deal breaker to some, but it is to me. Multiplayer, particularly Monkey Target is where I always got the majority of my playtime from this series. If that's gone, it's just not worth it to me to revisit the story levels.
@JasmineDragon
"Also, my Gamecube is in the attic storage and is not compatible with my currently connected TV, so "just play the originals" is technically still an option, but not an easy one."
Easy solution, just plug it into your Wii.
@SalvorHardin hopefully they can fix it with a patch
@cleveland124 I appreciate that mate. I'm trying to stay positive until I play it lol. But what I'm trying to say is, the idea of a Monkey Target doesn't actually have a specific set of physics to follow. It's just a game not a natural law. The mechanics are obviously different, but I'm looking forward to still playing it.
It still sounds better than Banana Blitz.
@GrailUK
Games don't neccesary have to have the same physics to be fun. That said, it's a weird choice to change physics that were fun on a remake for seemingly no beneficial reason. The review specifically says the physics are worse than the original.
I love the series but have almost never played the mini games. I vaguely remember Monkey Target but didn't find it that fun to begin with...
That being said, I agree it's a shame if they kinda ruined it for people who enjoyed it, but mentioning the physics in the "cons" without specifying it's related to a mini game and not the whole game is a bit misleading imho.
@cleveland124 Well, like I said, a different engine usually means different physics. However, much like art styles the feel of a game can be subjective (hence reviews being opinions) so I am remaining optimistic. Sure I might be disappointed, but I reserve the right to have my own brain to decide lol (just need a brain and I'm set!)
I was able to play a little of everything tonight and I have to say I'm pretty disappointed. Nothing feels right. The main game isn't bad necessarily, but it is different and that sours the experience. The mini games are the biggest casualty for me. Again, maybe they aren't technically bad, but so many of my favorites are just not the same game. Monkey target: launch is just glitchy feeling, you can't gain momentum the same way by going up and down, etc. Monkey Fight: movement is slow and stiff, no more flying high and landing, you're just dead when you go off. Monkey Baseball: I don't remember specifics as well, but I don't remember so many infield hits that went uncaught that became outs. Monkey Race: the physics just change everything about how it feels to play. Monkey Soccer just feels clunky. Monkey Billiards is the only one I've done that isn't worse that I can tell.
I'm not the most skilled player, but Monkey Ball was our main GameCube game for the longest time because of its variety and even if this release isn't "bad," it is still a big disappointment. I'll keep giving it a shot to see if I can uncouple my expectations from what is offered, but it's going to be hard.
Well, played it some today. On the whole, I am over joyed I can play Super Monkey Ball on the go! I mean 9/10 in my book right there! Must say, the mechanics are different (and I don't mind that as the game is still so much fun for me.) My biggest disappointment is much like the review with Monkey Target. The way I used to play was hold forward and let the ball dive towards the sea, then open at the last minute (as you made a trail in the water) and pull up. I found it so thrilling. The game literally didn't let me do it! Once again however, there is a fun game of 'ptang' here, just with different physics.
Overall, it's such a celebration of my fave game that I can't help love it. The mechanics are much stiffer (the Gamecube seems to offer a tad more freedom) but the gameplay is as addictive as ever. It does so much right that I can forgive what it does wrong. It doesn't replace the gamecube games (I mean what could lol) but I'm happy enough. Just need to learn the new terms of play in some aspects. And who knows, one day we may see the GC games on a mini or NSO. Either way, makes me think...
Amusement Vision were bloody Gods on the cube, weren't they!
Any word on Sega tweaking or fixing the physics?
Okay to be fair I think the complaints about the physics are somewhat overly harsh considering how replicating the original physics on a new engine was always gonna be impossible and the fact some of the changes were intentional in the interest of accessibility from what I understand
I've never read a more picky review, have you PLAYED Banana Blitz??? If you are a fan unlike this reviewer, this game is a 9/10 easy.
I just got it and played it for 15 minutes. It doesn't have the same appeal as the original two games. I don't like this new version of Monkey Target very much. I'll keep playing, but I don't know if I'll be happy with anything other than getting the first two Gamecube games
As someone who never played Monkey Ball and can't be bothered to chase down decades old hardware, this sounds like a good get. The newer Monkey Ball titles never got much praise for one reason or another so this seems like the best starting point for someone like me.
Didn't y'all give Colours Ultimate an eight when it was blatantly unfinished (and remains to be blatantly unfinished to this day)? At least Push Square had the guts to rip Cyberpunk to shreds when that was blatantly unfinished...
Anyway I have this on preorder and I'll most likely enjoy it based on what people are saying about it.
I'm currently playing it and I am noticing the slight physics querks but it's still a good game. I like physics based games and this still stands up well. Without overly comparing it to MB 1&2 , you could give this an 8 I suppose
Thanks for the review
I've played a few hours now and like this remake more. Even thought Monkey Target is way worse than in Super Monkey Ball 1 or 2 I've still enjoyed getting on the online leaderboards. Unlocking Sonic and other playable characters is fun. The jump ability is nice to have as an option, and the slow motion "helper" is really cool when you just want to complete a level and move on (it's fun to use too).
There are frame rate drops, but they are minor and rare. But it should be noted that the original games didn't have frame rate drops.
Monkey Baseball seems kind of bad. It feels like it has input delay, and it has more frame rate drops than any other part of the game. I only have played in handheld since I'm playing on my new consoles on TV all the time. Monkey Baseball also looks soft in handheld.
I also have to admit I have a hard time stopping playing this game. It's still got that addictive quality. I just like playing through the levels and seeing what's next. So I recommend it even though I'm disappointed we didn't get enhanced emulation so that the physics and graphics could be more like the original games (except higher resolution). Super Mario Galaxy is awesome on Switch. I'm still strongly hoping for a similar release of Super Monkey Ball 1 and 2 on Switch. Having them on a Gamecube Switch online app would be perfect.
@CharlieGirl 7 out of ten is traditionally the maximum score a game can be given without a wholehearted recommendation, and the minimum score a game can be given without risking getting the advertising revenue and/or editorial support pulled by the game's publisher.
From the look of things, Sega has pulled a Sonic 4 and has buggered the in game physics of an established series.
@WadeMcG i never understood the wanton vitriol towards Sonic 4, either. it wasn't bad, it was just disappointing.
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