It’s easy to forget that the Super Monkey Ball series has been around for over two decades, with its first launch arriving for the Nintendo GameCube and arcades back in 2001. I have fond memories of playing the original game in the series with friends and my now-wife. However, over the years, the developers of the series, Ryu Ga Gotoku (yes, the Yakuza/Like a Dragon studio) haven’t changed the formula all that much. After all, as the old saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But is that approach enough in 2024?
Check out the Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble trailer below!
There are five base Battle modes inSuper Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, Race, Banana Hunt, Ba-BOOM, Goal Rush and Robot Smash. Race and Banana Hunt do what they say on the tin. As for Ba-BOOM, this is a pass-the-bomb mode and when the time gets to zero, your monkey goes kaboom, unless you tag your opponent. Goal Rush requires you to race through more checkpoints than your opponents before the timer runs out and Robot Smash requires you to smash a robot with your ball more than your opponent to score points.
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These modes are fun for a few times each, but even when playing with my family, the novelty soon wears off. That being said,Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumbledoes feature up to 16 online players in Battle mode, which sounds like fun. Sadly, I was only able to test the multiplayer modes for three players (including myself during the review). Disappointingly,Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumblehas fewer Battle modes than the 2001 original so hopefully more modes will come with a free post-launch update but for now, I can only review what’s included in the game.
SEGA
That being said, I don’t think any of us are here for the deep monkeySEGAlore to rivalFromSoftware. I’m pretty sure we’re here to playSuper Monkey Ball Banana Rumblefor its wacky and challenging courses. If you are here for that, you probably won’t be surprised to know that this is whereSuper Monkey Ball Banana Rumbleshines the most. The levels start very basic but become more challenging the more you progress. You can complete the courses in the fastest time possible but you will earn bonus points for collecting bananas in each stage which can be spent in the in-game shop to customise your monkey in a ball. Once each stage is complete, you can then take on its Time Attack mode.
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SEGA
There is a new move inSuper Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, and that’s the Spin Dash. Simply hold down B, point in the desired direction and let your monkey have the zoomies to speed through courses or access a shortcut. Other than that, this is pretty much the same Super Monkey Ball gamefrom over two decades ago. Depending on your perspective, you might see it as a negative that the core gameplay ofSuper Monkey Ball Banana Rumblehasn’t changed all that much since 2001 but the same can be said for just about every game in the series. I’m here for the simple gameplay approach. IfSuper Monkey Ball Banana Rumbleflipped the gameplay, it would probably alienate returning players or could put off new players looking for something simple to play.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumbleis a fun game to play on your lonesome or with friends, even for an hour or so here and there. Just don’t expect it to be a game-changer for the series because in truth, if that moment was ever going to happen, it would have happened many years before now.
Pros:Quick blast fun, easy to pick up and play
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Cons:Lack of multiplayer modes, the novelty soon wears off
For Fans of:Super Monkey Ball (2001)
Topics:Nintendo,Nintendo Switch,Reviews,Sega
