Ice the frosty cat
New Member
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz:
As you will no doubt know, Super Monkey Ball games are infuriating to beat. The later levels are damn near impossible to beat (even with a cheating device :0 )
This game is both harder, and easier than previous games at the same time. As it saves your game rather than playing through it arcade style like previous games (I'm just going off the original here, I've never played the others) it's allowed to get really difficult a lot quicker. It starts to get pretty difficult at about half-way through the game, meaning that by the time you get to the last stage, you'll have no doubt destroyed everything but your Wii and TV out of rage. Some level require pure luck to win; others need you to memorize specific paths; others are easier with a specific character (more about that later) and so on. Even more irritating, is that the game gives you two extra worlds if you complete all the other worlds without getting a game over (not all at once mind you, you can take the worlds one at a time)
Due to the game starting you off with three lives, this is a pretty daunting task.
The story is pretty weak. The six playable characters are goggling ten golden banana's, when a big evil pirate monkey comes and steals them. You must travel through ten worlds to retrieve them.
The main game is controlled entirely by tilting the remote (and the button A to jump) making it a simple game to pick up, but as I just talked about, only the most hardcore of all gamers will see everything the game has to offer.
If you're a Monkey ball fan, then the controls will feel weird and you'll wish there were multiple control schemes; but as you play, they feel more natural, and although you can't be as precise; you rarely need to anymore.
Jumping was also a nice gameplay addition, as it added a whole new factor to the strategy of the game (after about four games they'll be running out of a stage ideas)
The bonus stages are still here, but even from the first world, it can be difficult to get them all (it's harder to move in a straight line after a curve)
New to the game are boss fights. They're a nice addition and thought, but the difficulty of some (like the squid) is really annoying. Some are hilarious however (the singer for instance) and some feel like just another stage (the worm in the sand world)
Now about the characters. They all have different abilities. Since I don't play the game that often, I haven't twigged them all, but I know that Gongon can destroy bumpers; Baby is smaller and can go under some obstacles and Yan Yan is the best jumper. Let me know what the others are if you know
The graphics are very impressive, favouring the cartoony style. They're very nice to look at, and are a real boost to the game (once again, I'm struck-dumb about what to talk about in the graphics department)
The sounds are infuriating however. The music can be really repetetive and the monkey's squeals of panic just destract you from the game.
As with most Monkey Ball games, there are mini-games if you don't fancy the courses. There's over 50 mini-games this time around, so there's more than likely going to be something for everyone, although the majority of games are complete garbage and are badly controlled.
You're best off playing through them all and writing a list of the good games for reference when a friend comes round.
But be aware that some games, while great at first, lose their value as you play (Me and two friends were laughing our heads off at Red light, Green light. Simply because we were so rubbish at it, but once we figured out how to do it, it stopped being fun ny D
Overall, I think it's one of the better launch games, but I'd reccomend it least of the launch games.
I think 82% would be an adequete score
It was a nice try from SEGA, but those little things detracted from the experience. If they fix them next time around, it would make for a much better game
As you will no doubt know, Super Monkey Ball games are infuriating to beat. The later levels are damn near impossible to beat (even with a cheating device :0 )
This game is both harder, and easier than previous games at the same time. As it saves your game rather than playing through it arcade style like previous games (I'm just going off the original here, I've never played the others) it's allowed to get really difficult a lot quicker. It starts to get pretty difficult at about half-way through the game, meaning that by the time you get to the last stage, you'll have no doubt destroyed everything but your Wii and TV out of rage. Some level require pure luck to win; others need you to memorize specific paths; others are easier with a specific character (more about that later) and so on. Even more irritating, is that the game gives you two extra worlds if you complete all the other worlds without getting a game over (not all at once mind you, you can take the worlds one at a time)
Due to the game starting you off with three lives, this is a pretty daunting task.
The story is pretty weak. The six playable characters are goggling ten golden banana's, when a big evil pirate monkey comes and steals them. You must travel through ten worlds to retrieve them.
The main game is controlled entirely by tilting the remote (and the button A to jump) making it a simple game to pick up, but as I just talked about, only the most hardcore of all gamers will see everything the game has to offer.
If you're a Monkey ball fan, then the controls will feel weird and you'll wish there were multiple control schemes; but as you play, they feel more natural, and although you can't be as precise; you rarely need to anymore.
Jumping was also a nice gameplay addition, as it added a whole new factor to the strategy of the game (after about four games they'll be running out of a stage ideas)
The bonus stages are still here, but even from the first world, it can be difficult to get them all (it's harder to move in a straight line after a curve)
New to the game are boss fights. They're a nice addition and thought, but the difficulty of some (like the squid) is really annoying. Some are hilarious however (the singer for instance) and some feel like just another stage (the worm in the sand world)
Now about the characters. They all have different abilities. Since I don't play the game that often, I haven't twigged them all, but I know that Gongon can destroy bumpers; Baby is smaller and can go under some obstacles and Yan Yan is the best jumper. Let me know what the others are if you know
The graphics are very impressive, favouring the cartoony style. They're very nice to look at, and are a real boost to the game
(once again, I'm struck-dumb about what to talk about in the graphics department)The sounds are infuriating however. The music can be really repetetive and the monkey's squeals of panic just destract you from the game.
As with most Monkey Ball games, there are mini-games if you don't fancy the courses. There's over 50 mini-games this time around, so there's more than likely going to be something for everyone, although the majority of games are complete garbage and are badly controlled.
You're best off playing through them all and writing a list of the good games for reference when a friend comes round.
But be aware that some games, while great at first, lose their value as you play (Me and two friends were laughing our heads off at Red light, Green light. Simply because we were so rubbish at it, but once we figured out how to do it, it stopped being fun ny D
Overall, I think it's one of the better launch games, but I'd reccomend it least of the launch games.
I think 82% would be an adequete score
It was a nice try from SEGA, but those little things detracted from the experience. If they fix them next time around, it would make for a much better game
