Hands-on: Super Monkey Ball Adventure

Jul 28, 2006

When it comes to pure multiplayer madness and off-the-wall entertainment, SEGA's Super Monkey Ball series has been there for gamers since the beginning of this generation of systems. Premiering first on the Nintendo GameCube and later brought over to PS2 and Xbox, the crazy apes combined awesome traditional gameplay (grab one monkey, one ball, combine) with a party feel. The formula was simple, and it was insanely addictive. In an attempt to further the franchise, SEGA opted to scrap the tentative title of Super Monkey Ball 3 (which implies a traditional continuation), and instead went to work on a new take on the world with Super Monkey Ball Adventure.

If there's ever been a series that fully embraces addictive entertainment accompanied with the most simplistic and inviting gameplay out there, Monkey Ball has to be it. The original game offered three levels of difficulty with 60 total levels, each acting as a self-contained tilt maze with one goal: Get to the end. In fact, the original game didn't really have the player controlling the monkeys at all, rather the control stick tilted the world instead, having the ball roll independently on top of it. When the sequel released, the game followed the same formula as its predecessors, capitalizing on obscure level design (in much larger areas), and a ton of new mini-games. Super Monkey Ball 2 took what was set up in the original game, and blew it out in a big way.

Story Mode:

Super Monkey Ball Adventure, however, is a different breed from the others. Rather than keeping to the roots of the series, Adventure has Ai-Ai and the bunch exploring huge worlds, using their abilities normally found in the mini-games (such as flight and fighting) to progress through full worlds. In an attempt to blend the two game types together, players are required to beat the original "challenge" levels to open gates and unlock other areas within the world. Within the towns, players will find tons of citizens with tasks to assign, ranging from basic speed challenges, deliveries, and fetch-quests. While the design seems to fit together well in concept form, we're still waiting to see if the gameplay will be fully realized, as the combination of free-roaming adventure isn't really synonymous with what Monkey Ball normally offers.

In some areas the evolution seems to work just fine, as we're constantly using monkey fight abilities to break through objects and attack enemies, while also transforming into flight mode to access new areas and traverse the world at tremendous speeds. At the same time, the flow just isn't there, and it's a bit odd to roll around a more natural environment that isn't entirely suitable for navigation with a ball. It can be a bit frustrating not being able to jump, or having to back-pedal just to get enough speed to roll up a hill. These little instances add up, and it's leaving us with mixed feelings thus far, especially when comparing the gameplay to the amazingly solid Super Monkey Ball 2, which is currently retailing for $19.99. Fans are just going to have to except that Super Monkey Ball Adventure is a whole different take on the universe, and that it shouldn't be viewed as an updated replacement of either Super Monkey Ball, or Super Monkey Ball 2 in any form.

Challenge Mode:

At the same time, SEGA is also covering its bases relatively well, as all of the levels we've encountered in the main game are already available in the classic "Challenge" mode, accessible from the beginning via the mode select screen. If adventure gameplay just isn't going well for you, challenge mode lays out the familiar levels in the classic linear design, progressing from beginning to end with a set amount of lives and continues. It's a bit odd to see the same levels in each mode though, and it really forces the adventure mode to come through with mini-missions and world exploration rather than falling back on a few classic levels.

It's nice that the challenge mode was included, but we can already see hardcore fans wishing the world exploration was replaced with more traditional mazes to rip through. We do have to say, however, that aside from the first couple challenge levels, the overall difficulty has been increased significantly from the previous games, as moderate stages are actually quite challenging, and world exploration offers a ton of very tricky mini-missions of its own.

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.