![]() ![]() In summation, when it comes to this half of Super Monkey Ball I love it about as much as AiAi loves bananas. ![]() The only real “pressure” here is the game’s focus on your clear times, and while I’m proud to say I got through these gauntlets I’m embarrassed by how long some of them took. The stakes are effectively gone, with infinite chances being a blessing that allow you to keep trying in the face of frequent Fall Outs. The biggest change on a fundamental level is the absence of lives and continues. Speaking personally, I much prefer the more arcadey Challenge Mode. It’s here because it was a part of the games that are being recreated, as oppossed to being retooled or touched up. While it was fun seeing 2’s plot retold in a more minimal way, ultimately this choice makes the mode feel almost tacked on compared to everything else. It’s fitting then that these get to be the star of the show in Banana Mania’s Story Mode. While the first game’s courses aren’t slouches, there’s a definite jump in creativity and abstract appeal from Super Monkey Ball 2’s offerings. Or, if you’re like me, you occasionally say screw it and barrel ahead at full speed and hope for the best. For me that’s part of the appeal, though it can lead to repeating the same course again and again and again until your hard work pays off. The difficulty in Monkey Ball has always been peaks and valleys as opposed to a gradual incline – some stages can be maddeningly difficult and demanding when it comes to timing and keeping a steady hand. Now, it isn’t all sunshine and fresh bananas for these monkeys. You’ll start by rolling along plain and pleasant slopes, but soon twisting platforms and bizarre architecture work their way in, immediately enthralling – the monoliths our cast of primates have gathered around. The updated presentation may draw you in but it’s the sense of wondering what you’ll be dealing with next. This is further split between courses from Super Monkey Ball and Super Monkey Ball 2, letting you roll through batches based on difficulty.Īs I’ve covered previously, Monkey Ball’s greatest strength lies in the stage design, and Banana Mania delivers on that front. The bulk of your time will be spent in the Main Game, where the series’ trademark precision based gameplay and imaginative courses can be found. Served with some extras and plans for future additions, there’s a case to be made that Banana Mania is the best the series has ever been. While the entire package is looking much more modern, the return to the series’ highpoints means over 300 courses to roll through and a dozen multiplayer friendly party games. Sega seems to be in agreement, as after an HD return of the Wii’s Banana Blitz two years ago they’ve gone even further back to gift us all Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania. Things may have gotten bumpier after that point, but there was no denying Monkey Ball’s peak entries. Its blend of tight, precision based gameplay and more relaxed minigames made it a favorite for myself and many more, leading to what’s generally accepted as an even better sequel. When AiAi and the gang rolled onto the GameCube twenty years ago, I had to fortune of receiving Super Monkey Ball right there at launch.
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