Super Monkey Ball Adventure [GC]

Mini-Games:

In previous Monkey Ball titles, the multiplayer mini-games are just as important as the single player adventure. In Monkey Ball 2 alone there are more than a dozen games, including games like Monkey Target, Race, Soccer, Baseball, Shot, Paddle, and Fight. Each game, while basic in nature, offered an awesome alternative to the tilt-n-roll gameplay of the main mode, and really helped pack the game full of an obscene amount of content. In Adventure, however, the multiplayer modes have been scaled down a bit, and while there's still some awesome fun to be had, it's too bad all our favorites couldn't make it for the sequel. Three classic mini-games (Monkey Fight, Target, and Race) have been brought back, while also adding three new games to the pack. While the new games are a breath of fresh air, it's taking us a bit of time to warm up to them in the same way as previous mini-games.

The first new event, Monkey Bounce, offers a sort of live-action version of Othello, as players will bounce their apes around the map in hopes to claim as many grid panels as possible. If any player can manage to "trap" an opponent's squares between two of their own color, the rival squares will be claimed. Once all the squares are covered, the game is over. When looking at Bounce in comparison to the original mini-games, it actually feels the most at home. As players progress through the main game, more levels for Monkey Bounce (as well as other mini-games) can be unlocked. Overall it's a pretty strong game, and a ton of fun with four players.

Next on the list is Monkey Cannon. Acting almost as a 3D Rampart clone, Monkey Cannon works as a multiplayer shooting game that has players taking control of a cannon (used a ton in the story mode) to shoot their monkey at enemy fortresses. Monkey Cannon is available in two different modes, which look to mix up the combat even further. In the original mode, players will fire monkeys at their enemies in hopes of scoring the most destruction points. It's simple, but still fun. In the advanced mode, however, players are able to actually refortify their fortresses mid-battle, making the challenge of toppling an enemy's tower a bit more difficult. Each mode can be tweaked for multiple rounds, and offers a ton of different castle variations to demolish. Pretty fun.

The final mini-game, Monkey Tag, is a bit less comprehensive than the rest, and feels like the weakest link of the three thus far. In this mode, players take direct control of their monkey and navigate a tiny spherical arena. The area is relatively small (resembling a tiny planet), which forces players to wage combat on each other. Using question mark boxes scattered randomly around the field, players can grab items to fire at their opponents during the pursuit of chasing down tiny balloons. Pick up a balloon, and you score 1000 points. Get hit by items or in-level traps, however, and you'll start to lose points. The gameplay is very fast, though the initial level has players constantly wrapping around a tiny sphere, so the line of sight is a bit on the small side.

It's still a bit early to be making final judgments on the game, as the development team is still working out a few of the finer points. We'll have a full review, as well as new info and media as it becomes available. Be sure to keep checking back at IGN GameCube for the latest Monkey Ball news, and don't forget to check out our newly added media (showcasing each of the latest mini-games in action, as well as story and challenge mode) in our media section below.

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