For Super Monkey Ball fans out there, this game is going to be fun because of the variety of creative mazes SEGA has in store for you. The modes beyond the main will be hit or miss depending on expectations. Nonetheless, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is mostly entertaining.
What an insane game. Before we get into the details of the insanity, let me just say right off the bat that I have never loved this series. It has been a lukewarm relationship at best that was filled full of frustration and misery, and one that ended the first time it hit mobile. Why did I try it again? Well, I’m older. I’m wiser. More importantly, I know when to curse to myself and walk politely away from a game. That wasn’t Super Monkey Ball mobile me. It’s me now.
Anyway, personal demons aside, let’s talk about this newly released Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania from SEGA. For a game that I have actively avoided over the years, it was mostly entertaining, though not a complete hit.
Let’s roll right into it.
The main game is why you came
The gist of this game isn’t lost on anyone. You play as a monkey in a ball and your goal is to navigate around a maze, avoid falling off the edges, collect bananas along the way, and make it safely across the goal line before time runs out. It’s easy and straightforward. Okay, not always easy, but the concept is easy. Anyway, that is the main part of the game in a nutshell. Or a ball. Whatever. The joy of this game comes in the creative construction of mazes that SEGA’s devs throw at you. Some of the levels have spiral, multi-tiered levels to them. Some of the mazes have cleverly placed holes that entice you to cross them at a certain speed. Then there are some that are lava-driven inchworms that you must sit and watch to see their patterns. Sometimes it is all the above. Regardless of what you get, you must know that SEGA brings some well-constructed and clever level design that keeps the game interesting and engaging. Those last words are important because if the mazes don’t grab your fancy, you’re going to be teaching the cat laying beside you some new curse words. That’s probably the biggest strength of the game is the clever design of the levels that completely drive the entertainment value of the gameplay. Whomever the individuals were that created said levels, my hat goes off to them for what they thought was good because the main game is great.
The game does feature 10 different levels in the main story mode and at least 10 mazes within each level. If you get through those, you have the chance to unlock other levels, or at least this reviewer assumes (there are some damn tough levels in this game). The idea of having that many levels at your disposal, plus challenge modes within the same main part of the game means that you’re going to spend most of your time here. It’s worth your time to stay here for a while. I think this portion of the game is worth the price of admission, as it challenges you and will entice you with how creative the devs got with each set of levels. I’m incredibly impressed by what they put together in this mode. It brought much joy with a side of heartache.
If your fancy isn’t completely tickled by this mode, then there’s more to be had with this game.
Lots of choices
To add a bit more flavor to the overall package, SEGA has decided that it’s their year to become EA Sports with the number of mode and option choices that went into the game. They know full good and well that you’re going to get through the main game in no time (unless you’re me). They have stretched the game out in a few ways to accommodate your quick reflexes and skill by adding modes into the overall package. Those modes are as follows:
Party Games: This is a mode that contains a variety of games to choose from that play off the Monkey Ball design concept. Some of them work well, some of them I would never return to again after this review. The best of the best, and one that could have been a stand-alone game in the same vein as Sonic Racing is the Monkey Race. It’s essentially Mario Kart and Sonic Racing with a Monkey Ball design. You race around a track against other players (or computer players), pick up power-ups, attempt to knock your opponent off the track, and just play to win. The racetracks aren’t the most interesting when compared to what mazes are offered in the main portion of the game, but the quick gameplay makes the game damn fun. Again, this could have been a stand-alone title.
Second to racing is the fight game, which is just punching your foes off a restricted map via a ball and punching glove. The maps also contain power-ups, which are repetitive, but it’s also just a short stint of entertainment. It’s not as fascinating or fast-paced as the racing party game, but it’s still fun.
From there, the value of the other party games begins to take a dip. The last one that holds onto the edge of enjoyment is the billiards game, which has you going up against another player in a game of nine-ball. It’s good, but it gets old quickly. I enjoy the angular gameplay device used when hitting balls on the billiard’s table, gives me that Golf with Friends vibe, but it certainly is a third-place game when compared to the other two above. Again, it gets stale quickly.
The games I didn’t like at all in the Party Games mode include the bowling game (way overcomplicated), target game (just wasn’t fun at all), golf, boat, and baseball. The latter I was incredibly disappointed by because it would have been easy to make it fun, but much like bowling, it was overcomplicated. Hitting the baseball (monkey in ball) was difficult, I fouled a lot because there was some weird delay between the X button and onscreen animation, and it just became tedious. I enjoy baseball games but didn’t get anything from this party game.
The intentions for the Party Games mode were in the right place, but most games were just not as good as one would imagine them being.
Ranking Challenge: This mode is broken down into a couple of pieces: Main Game Time Attack and Party Games Score Attack. The former has all the main maze levels and you just try to complete them in the best time possible. Party Games Score Attack revolves around getting the best score in a select amount of party games. Is this overall mode fun? There is a reason why Time/Score Attacks have existed over decades, which means someone finds them fun. I found them amusing and entertaining in small doses.
Beyond these modes, you’re looking at customization, cosmetics, and character choices. If you don’t like the original character Aiai, the game features a slew of personalities to stick with and unlock (for coins, which you earn as you play). You can dress your characters up in hats, shoes, and such, which cost coins to unlock. I like that there are far more options in this game than the last Monkey Ball I played (reminder: that was a decade or so ago). Having character choices and being able to dress characters up with unlockable costumes will encourage players to keep playing the game and to get better/earn more coins. It’s a full circle of gameplay design where you keep your players engaged and motivated to keep playing. Anyway, these are some additional things to dig into to make this game bigger with a plethora of choices, or so it seems.
Overall, the additional two modes of play help to extend the game, though I’m not completely crazy about every party game made. There are some gems, but also some stinkers. The add-on modes do make the game seem bigger, which can never hurt in the long run.
Graphics and speed
Visually, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania isn’t going to revolutionize the series on a current-generation platform. The graphics are straight from PS4 design, and it doesn’t really go too much beyond that look. Lots of flat textures that are unexciting with a Sonic the Hedgehog feel to them. Don’t be disappointed by its blandness or ‘same old look’ because honestly, it’s unnecessary to spruce this game up and make it something it shouldn’t be. It’s cartoony, whacky, and goofy visually. Making it look sharper or overcomplicating the visuals is just going to lose the brand flavor of what makes Super Monkey Ball what it is – pure insanity and fun.
While the PS5 hardware isn’t tapped by the visuals of this game, though there is some minor ray tracing here and there, the real use of the hardware is the load times. When you die, you get right back into the game and try again. There is zero load time. In fact, you might get annoyed that the announcer is talking instead of letting you immediately get going. Once you die, the level restarts and you go. It’s just that simple and easy. Load times are one of the biggest bright spots for the PlayStation 5 and you won’t be disappointed with how they feel here.
Conclusion
For Super Monkey Ball fans out there, this game is going to be fun because of the variety of creative mazes SEGA has in store for you. The modes beyond the main will be hit or miss depending on expectations. Nonetheless, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is mostly entertaining.
