Super Monkey Ball: Touch & Roll [DS]

Who would've thought helping a rag-tag crew of monkeys gorge on bananas would be such a blast? Since its first installment as a GameCube launch title, the Super Monkey Ball franchise has given gamers some of the most enjoyable experiences out there. An upcoming version for the Nintendo DS, Super Monkey Ball: Touch & Roll only raises the fun potential.

Like you'd expect, the goal is to guide one of four ball-encased monkeys (Ai Ai, Mee Mee, Gon Gon, or Baby) from point A to point B... gobbling up any delicious bananas you find along the way. Boards are essentially massive 3D puzzles, and in the past you'd tilt the world to roll your primate pals where you wanted them to go. So far, chances are good that unless you've been living in a jungle the last five years, this is all elementary.

What's different in the DS game, first and foremost, is control. You no longer bend the world to your will, but rather use the bottom touch screen to pilot the spherical simians. It's reminiscent of the track-ball from old arcade games like Centipede and Crystal Castles -- or Pac & Roll if you're up to date on the DS library. It also works really darn well, allowing for the most miniscule of changes or momentum shifts. You can still use the d-pad, however, if you can't shake your old-school habits. Just be prepared to be called a mullet-sporting, Zubaz-wearing dinosaur for your refusal to change with the times. Touch control is the new hotness; you better recognize.

The worlds are still in colorful, polygonal 3D, but the monkeys look a little different. They're not 2D sprites inside their balls -- which actually seems like a solid artistic choice so far. It's much easier on the eyes watching cartoony characters react to the game than a less-than-stellar poly model.

A Monkey Ball title without minigames just wouldn't be right. Don't worry, Touch & Roll has your back like a mother monkey picking and eating the bugs off of its child. This game features six different minigames, which should provide a whole lot of value for your DS dollar. Three can be enjoyed via download multiplayer play: the staple Monkey Race, an air hockey variation featuring AI-controlled doubles partners, and the first-person arena-style Monkey Wars.

The other three require each player to have his or her own copy (keep in mind that all may be played solo). Monkey Bowling is just what it sounds like; Monkey Fight fits your ball with a huge novelty boxing glove; and Monkey Mini Golf is a surprisingly detailed game of putt-putt.

Super Monkey Ball is always as fun as a barrel of bananas. With wireless multiplayer and the new touch-screen control mechanic, Touch & Roll could easily end up being the best entry in the series yet. Make sure you're ready when these monkeys roll into town on February 21.